Habitation Velier Privateer White 2020

Habitation Velier Privateer White 2020 pairs Habitation Velier, the Italian Pure Single Rum line known for pot still, single distillery, full proof and unsweetened bottlings, with Privateer, the well regarded American distillery in Massachusetts. This white is bottled unaged at a punchy 62%, a showcase of raw, characterful new make.

Made from molasses on a column still, it leans surprisingly fruity. The nose is dominated by juicy pear and light fruit over a fresh sugarcane note, the palate keeps the pear with cinnamon and a soft sweetness, and the finish runs vegetal and minty with a fruit schnapps lift. It drinks much milder than its strength suggests, which is why drinkers so often compare it to a fruit eau de vie or a young clairin. Unsweetened and vivid, it shines in a bold cocktail and offers a quirky neat pour in small measures for anyone after an unaged rum with real personality and a distinctly pear forward profile.