Romdeluxe New Make No 6 – ADL (St. Johns)

Romdeluxe's New Make No 6 captures column still rum from Antigua's distillery at St. John's in its rawest form, an unaged overproof drawn straight off the still and bottled at a powerful 65% without added sugar. It belongs to the new make series that lets drinkers taste the naked distillate before maturation, a transparent look at what the barrel later builds upon.

Given time to rest, the spirit opens up rather than staying purely hot: the nose turns light and fruity with pear, vanilla and a vegetal edge, and the palate brings vanilla, berries and a varnish note that marks it as young, unaged distillate. The finish stays warm and fruity. At 65% it is intense and unmistakably new make, more a study in raw character than a casual sip, and it invites the obvious thought of what a few years in oak might make of it.