Stade’s Rum Vulcan Two Taps 2019

Stade's Rum is a Maison Ferrand brand, and this Vulcan Two Taps release is a 2019 vintage drawn from a distinctive still that lends an unusual mineral character. Barbados is the home of the balanced pot-and-column style, and a bottling built around a single, idiosyncratic still sits among the more characterful modern island releases, aimed at drinkers who want something with a twist but not full Jamaican funk.

Distilled from molasses, matured in ex-bourbon oak and bottled without added sugar, it keeps a clean and fruit-forward shape. The aroma is fruity and woody with a sweet, floral lift, the palate brings spice, banana and a touch of smoke over oak, and the finish turns to citrus, mango and tropical fruit. A faint metallic, mineral edge from the Vulcan still gives it a recognisable signature, and the body and balance carry the 50.5% well, an original take on the island that keeps the fruit while stepping away from the textbook profile.