MHOBA WR 10 (Kirsch Whisky) 2019

Mhoba is a South African distillery with a cult following for its intensely funky, ester-driven pot-still rums, and this WR 10 is a single cask from a Kirsch bottling. Made from fresh-pressed sugar cane juice rather than molasses, it sits in the agricole-style camp but pushes hard into high-ester territory more often associated with Jamaican pot still.

The nose leads with glue and tropical fruit, toffee and a solventy lift, and the palate keeps the esters running through olive, sugarcane and an oily texture. Berries, sesame and mint surface alongside a clear bourbon-cask influence, woodier and nuttier than a typical cane-juice rum. The finish carries berries, ester and vanilla over the barrel. Unsweetened and bottled at a hefty 63.5%, this is a bold, funky single cask for drinkers who enjoy ester-heavy, full-proof rum, best in small pours with water nearby.