Rum Nation Ilha da 2017

Rum Nation Ilha da 2017 is a white cane-juice rum from Madeira, bottled by the Italian house Rum Nation. Madeira is one of the few places outside the French islands permitted the agricole name, working from fresh-pressed cane juice, and this unaged blanc is bottled at 50%.

The profile is firmly in the grassy agricole camp: fresh sugarcane, floral and green notes, cucumber and green olive, with light fruit and a warm, dry finish. It is snappy and vegetal rather than sweet, sitting close in spirit to a mid-tier Martinique blanc while carrying its own Madeira twist. Drinkers used to sweet molasses rum may find it sharp and green, but for those who enjoy clairins and grassy whites it is a lively pour, equally at home neat, in a Ti Punch or stirred into cocktails.