Grays New Grove Plantation Blanc

New Grove is the rum label of Grays in Mauritius, and this Plantation Blanc is an unaged white made from molasses on a column still rather than from cane juice. Mauritius produces both agricole-style and molasses rum, and this sits firmly in the molasses camp, so it carries a rounder, sweeter aromatic profile than a grassy cane-juice blanc.

The nose is intense, fruity and floral with caramel, while the palate turns oily and warm with butterscotch and a faint smokiness, closing on citrus and floral notes. It is bottled unsweetened at 40%, an honest, no-frills white spirit rather than a refined sipper. Its natural home is the mixing glass, where its body and sweetness work well in a punch or a long tropical drink rather than being asked to stand alone.