Ron Aldea Caña Pura Single Cane 2016

Ron Aldea makes rum on La Palma in the Canary Islands from local sugarcane, and this Cana Pura Single Cane 2016 is a cane juice rhum, agricole in style though outside any AOC. It is column distilled from fresh pressed juice and bottled unsweetened at 43%, a clean expression of Atlantic island cane rather than a Caribbean classic.

The nose is the most generous part, offering dried apricot, mango, citrus and a fresh lift, while the palate turns greener and drier, with vegetal sugarcane, citrus and lime to the fore. The finish keeps that vegetal, lime tinged freshness going. This is a light, dry and honest cane juice rum that shows its character best when it is asked to do a job, and reviews lean towards cocktail use, where its citrus and cane notes shine. Sipped neat it is pleasant if straightforward, a tidy introduction to Canary Islands agricole style rum for the curious.