Ferroni Rivière du Mât France – Ocean Indien 2016

An Ocean Indien single bottling from Maison Ferroni, the Marseille house known for cask-strength, unsweetened rums, drawing on Rivière du Mât on Reunion. This is a vintage 2016, six years old and distilled on a Savalle column still, but built on molasses rather than cane juice, so it sits apart from the island's agricole expressions despite the regional pedigree.

The Savalle still gives a versatile, medium-bodied spirit, and tropical ageing in ex-bourbon has pushed plenty of wood into it. The nose mixes herbal and sugar-cane notes with caramel and vanilla, while the palate turns woody and roasted with caramel and tobacco. The finish brings drying tannins, floral lift and brown sugar. Bottled unsweetened at a hefty 58.6%, it carries a fruity undercurrent of banana, pineapple and orange with a little ester, though the alcohol can read slightly hot and burnt. A robust, oak-forward molasses rum for cask-strength fans.