Grays New Grove Bon Espoir (Origin Beau Plan)

Grays New Grove Bon Espoir, the Beau Plan origin bottling, is an unaged white rum from Mauritius. Despite sitting among cane-juice rums here, New Grove works from molasses, so this is a traditional white rum rather than an agricole, made at the Beau Plan site.

Unaged and light, it leans to the sweeter, gentler end of white rum, with sugarcane, fresh and minty notes on the nose, then candied fruit and a peppery, herbaceous green edge across the palate. The finish stays sugarcane-sweet with pepper and a herbal lift, and there is a faint farmy, green character that adds interest. Soft and easy at 40%, it is built more for mixing than contemplative neat sipping, a clean and lightly sweet molasses white that works well in a tall fruit-forward cocktail or a simple highball.