Ferroni Le Galion Brut de Fût (Grand Arome) 2017

Le Galion is a Martinique distillery best known for its Grand Arome, a high-ester rum made from molasses with long fermentation, which sets it apart from the island's cane-juice agricoles. Ferroni, the French craft house from Provence, has bottled this single cask at full strength, and it should be read as a funky molasses rum rather than an agricole despite the regional label.

Distilled on a column still and matured in ex-bourbon oak, then bottled unsweetened at a hefty 62.7%, it pushes the savoury side of high-ester rum. The nose is woody and round with a briny olive note under the alcohol, while the palate turns oily and peppery with olive, wood and a clear estery streak. The finish is where the funk really lands, with a plastic-and-rubber edge, espresso, toasted wood and earth. This is a bold, meaty, divisive pour for drinkers who chase ester-driven character.