Koloa Rum Company Koloa Kaua‘i White

Koloa Kauai White is produced by the Koloa Rum Company on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, distilled from molasses. As an unaged white it sets out to capture the clean, bright side of rum, and Hawaii's emerging distilling scene gives it a certain novelty appeal for those keen to try rum from the Pacific.

Bottled at 40%, the nose offers some promise, with butterscotch, cream toffee and coconut, but the palate proves sharp and hot, dominated by alcoholic burn with rubbery, petrol like notes and little of the fruit the aroma suggests. The finish stays sharp and spirit forward. This is a young white that struggles to hide its rough edges, and most drinkers will find it works better as a cocktail base, where strong mixers can tame its bite, than as anything to be sipped neat. It is one for the curious rather than the demanding.