MHOBA Pot Stilled High Ester Rum 2019

MHOBA Pot Stilled High Ester Rum 2019 comes from Mhoba, the South African distillery that has built a reputation for intensely flavoured, pot still rums made from its own cane. This is a white single cask bottled at a formidable 65.2%, unaged in character and aimed at drinkers who actively seek out the high ester end of the spectrum.

The pot still and long fermentation push esters hard. The nose is all glue and solvent lift over fresh cut grass, the palate explodes into overripe banana, tropical fruit and coconut wrapped in a green, vegetal sugarcane note, and the finish runs earthy, fruity and very long. At this strength it demands respect, rewarding a small neat pour or standing up to a bold Cuba Libre or daiquiri without flinching. For anyone who loves Hampden style funk and wants it amplified with a distinctly cane driven African accent, this delivers.