La Maison Du Whisky Samai Rhum (Flag Series) 2018

This Samai Flag Series bottling from La Maison Du Whisky draws a 2018 single cask from Cambodia, a young pot still molasses rum aged five years for drinkers seeking new origins. It leans toward Fiji and Jamaica in spirit, vegetal and fresh on the nose with spice and citrus and a clear plastic and solvent edge.

Matured in ex bourbon wood and bottled cask strength at 56.5% and unsweetened, it is estery and characterful, with woody spice, floral and citrus notes on the palate and a herbal, medicinal, spicy finish carrying a slightly bitter, leaner edge. The full proof and youth make it wild and untamed, with the cask lending some vanilla under the funk. It is mostly a neat sipper for enthusiasts, though it can carry a bold cocktail. Drinkers who enjoy young Fiji or Jamaican funk and want to explore unfamiliar territory will find it an intriguing, if polarising, curveball.