Gold of Dark Rum

Gold of Dark comes from Litchquor on Mauritius, an island that makes the full sweep of cane spirit but cannot use the word agricole on its labels. This is a molasses-school dark rum in spirit, drawn from sugar cane honey and run through a column still for a clean, light base, then sweetened so the wood and spirit sit in the background rather than up front.

The column distillation keeps congeners low, so what carries is the cask and the dosage: vanilla, banana and dried fruit over a dry, faintly oaky and woody finish. It is sweetened, which is the honest headline here, sitting closer to the soft dosed Latin style than to a dry aged sipper. At 40% it is light and gentle, an undemanding everyday glass for a sweeter palate rather than a spirit chasing depth or grip.