La Maison Du Whisky Rum (Flag Series) 2008

This La Maison Du Whisky Flag Series 2008 is a Dominican rum from the respected French house La Maison Du Whisky, presented as a single cask at full strength. It is made from fresh sugar cane juice rather than molasses, carried seventeen years in ex-bourbon casks and bottled unsweetened at a powerful 60.8%, a dry and forceful take on the Spanish-style shelf.

The profile is dark and roasty: the nose shows wood, roasted notes, coffee and caramel, with a palate of wood, roasted character, caramel and dried fruit and a finish of oak, spice, dark chocolate and warm spice. With no sugar added, the depth here comes from the cane spirit and long oak rather than dosage, giving plenty of roasted wood and Spanish-style fruit alongside a clear ester lift. It is well made and squarely aimed at experienced palates ready for cask strength, a robust, dry sipper that rewards a careful, unhurried glass rather than chasing sweetness or a very long finish.