Mezan 2010

Mezan is the UK independent known for unsweetened, undisturbed bottlings that let the spirit speak, and this 2010 is a column still Jamaican aged twelve years. Column distillation gives a lighter, cleaner spirit than the heavyweight pot still marks, so this sits at the gentler, more accessible end of the island's spectrum rather than its funky core.

Matured in ex-bourbon wood and bottled at 46% with no added sugar, it opens sweet and floral with vanilla and a whisper of solvent, then turns to dried fruit, an earthy note and pepper on the palate, before a dry finish of banana, leather and lemon. The softer column character keeps the typical Jamaican markers present but muted, all delivered in a smooth, easy frame. This makes it a friendly way into Jamaican rum for those wary of the loud high-ester bottlings, gently fruity and lightly cakey with the funk dialled right down, honest about being a milder, rounder take rather than a powerhouse.