TCRL 2009

Transcontinental Rum Line bottles single origin rums with their shipping route as theme, and this Fiji from South Pacific is a vivid example, distilled in 2009, aged thirteen years and presented as a single cask at a powerful 59.9%. Fiji's distinctive funk is on full display, the nose offering tropical fruit, a floral lift and coconut before the palate turns savoury and wild.

Matured in ex bourbon, that palate runs floral, salty, meaty and marzipan toned, an unusual and bold combination, with a charred, earthy finish that underlines the cask strength intensity. This is not a soft introduction to the category but a full bodied, funk forward Fiji for experienced palates who relish the origin's brinier, more umami side. Best approached neat with patience or a few drops of water, it rewards drinkers who actively seek out the island's untamed character.