Saint Aubin Rhum Blanc Agricole 1819

Saint Aubin works on the south coast of Mauritius, and this Rhum Blanc Agricole 1819 is pressed from fresh sugar-cane juice rather than molasses, an agricole-style white from the Indian Ocean rather than a true French-island AOC rum. It leans toward the savoury, mineral side of the blanc spectrum rather than the fruity one.

Column-distilled and left unaged, it shows a vegetal, saline character: sugar-cane, tropical fruit and a touch of honey on the nose, then a vegetal, floral, citrusy palate that stays more salty than sweet, finishing spicy with citrus and a faint olive note. It is a straightforward, honest blanc rather than a complex one, single-dimensional in places but full of character. At 50% it comes alive in mixed drinks and Ti' Punch, where its mineral, citrus snap does the most work, while still sipping acceptably neat.