Rhum Chantal Comte Fighting Spirit Gold 2017

Rhum Chantal Comte is a respected Martinique negociant, and this Fighting Spirit Gold draws on cane spirit from Distillerie du Simon, pressed from fresh sugar-cane juice rather than molasses. It is a young, lightly coloured agricole that sits close to the blanc end of the style, all about the raw expression of the cane rather than heavy oak.

Column-distilled low to keep the green congeners intact, it is floral and citrus-led on the nose with an alcohol lift, then turns earthy, peppery and frankly rough across the palate, with menthol, saline and a honeyed cane note running through. The finish stays dry, green and faintly metallic. Bottled at 50% with no added sugar, it earns its keep in Ti' Punch and mixed drinks more than as a polished neat sipper, a vivid if slightly raw take on the style.