Ruotkers GmbH Ron Johan Dark Rum

Ron Johan Dark Rum is produced by Ruotkers in Austria, a small distillery making aged rum well outside the traditional rum belt. With nine years of stated age, it shows that central European producers can turn out a respectable dark rum, even if it stays firmly in the gentle, easy going register.

Distilled on a pot still from molasses and matured in ex-bourbon casks, it was bottled at 42%. The character is mild and woody, with chocolate and coffee notes lending a little depth and a soft, slightly alcoholic finish. It does not chase funk or high intensity, instead offering a quiet, rounded and approachable dark rum profile. Some find it more rewarding than its modest reputation suggests, a comfortable everyday sipper for those who enjoy a soft, cocoa tinged dark rum and are curious about what Austria's small distillers can do.