Rum & Co Lautoka 2004

This Lautoka rum comes from Fiji Rum and Co, drawn from a 2004 distillation and aged sixteen years before bottling at 46 percent. Distilled on pot and column stills from molasses and given a Muskateller wine finish, it is an unsweetened, tropically matured Fiji that leans dark and savoury rather than fruity.

The long tropical ageing and wine finish shape a wood forward profile that holds up well at 46 percent. The nose shows dried fruit, oak, raisin and fruit, the palate turns spicy with leather, nuts and vanilla, and the finish brings smoky oak, pepper and cream toffee. The Muskateller cask adds a subtle wine sweetness and a slightly burnt caramel edge alongside light tropical notes. It drinks a touch hot before smoothing out, and its dark, nutty, smoky character makes it a natural for whisky drinkers and cigar pairings, an easy, relaxed sipper with enough going on to hold interest.