Koloa Rum Company Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 30 (Hawaiian Rum) 2017

This is a single cask from the Koloa Rum Company on Kauai, distilled from fresh pressed Hawaiian cane juice and selected by the German bottler Spirit of Rum for its Rumclub Private Selection. Bottled unsweetened at cask strength, it is an early independent outing for the distillery and an unusual entry from outside the traditional French islands, made in the agricole style from cane juice rather than molasses.

Five years in ex bourbon casks give it a creamy, nutty texture and plenty of barrel sweetness without any added sugar, the nose leaning on vanilla, coconut, burnt sugar and caramel. The palate stays tropical with coconut and warm spice, while the finish turns toward milk chocolate, vanilla and a citrus lift. At 60.55% it rewards time in the glass or a splash of water, and sits as a fun bridge between Barbados style bourbon cask comfort and something more exotic.