Helios Teeda Aged 21 Years 1998

Helios Teeda Aged 21 Years 1998 is a long-matured Japanese rum from the Helios distillery in Okinawa, a pot-still molasses spirit drawn from a 1998 vintage and bottled at 48%. Japan remains a quiet newcomer in rum, slowly following the path its whisky took, and this old Teeda is a fine example of the country's polished, restrained house style.

Aged in ex-bourbon oak, it offers a velvety balance of apricot, plum and caramel with a creamy, Werther's-like toffee richness, backed by chocolate, an orange note and a faint metallic, mineral edge. The palate is woody and creamy, the finish carrying licorice, gentle smoke and lingering vanilla, with just enough astringent oak to keep it serious. It drinks more like an elegant, oak-driven whisky than a tropical rum, a contemplative pour that fans of Japanese spirits and refined, fruit-and-wood profiles will appreciate.