S.B.S Malacatos 2022

S.B.S is the transparent Single Barrel Selection line from the Danish house 1423, known for detail obsessed, cask strength, unsweetened bottlings. This Malacatos is an unusual one, a cane juice white from Ecuador, agricole in method if not in name, from the 2022 harvest at a punchy 57%. It is best read as a funky, characterful mixer and bold neat pour rather than a comfortable easy sipper.

Distilled on a column from fresh cane juice and bottled clear, it leans into the wild end of the style, closer to a clairin than a polished Martinique blanc. The nose runs glue and nail polish over overripe fruit and floral intensity, the palate turns citrussy, salty and grassy with real alcohol presence, and the finish stays vegetal, spicy and fruity. The comparison to a tangy grappa is fair, and it rewards drinkers who enjoy clairin and grassy agricole and want something a little wild for a daiquiri.