Habitation Velier Renegade Renegade 2020

This is a Habitation Velier bottling of Renegade, a young distillery on Grenada, released under the Italian house's line dedicated to Pure Single Rum, meaning pot still spirit from a single distillery with no added sugar, colouring or flavouring. At three years old and 55% it is raw, unfiltered and unmistakably from the funky, characterful school that Velier champions.

The profile is wild and challenging, herbal and vegetal with a strong streak of rubber, plastic and medicinal notes over a base of fresh sugar cane, salt and florals. It reads closer to Haitian clairin or a high ester agricole than to any soft, oak driven rum, and the ex-bourbon cask sits well back behind the spirit. This is firmly a polarising bottle, fascinating to drinkers who chase the extreme, savoury end of cane spirit and likely baffling to anyone expecting sweetness or polish. For fans of clairin and high ester profiles it rewards an open, experienced palate and plenty of time in the glass.