Trois Frères Distillery Takamaka Bay Zepis Kreol

Zepis Kreol comes from Trois Freres Distillery on the Seychelles, the team behind Takamaka, built from a base of pot and column-still rum and bottled at 43 percent. It sits openly in the spiced category, a second line alongside the distillery's straight cane-juice work, and it leans hard into warm, savoury spice.

Cinnamon and black pepper lead from nose to finish, joined by a broader sweep of baking spice and a nutty edge that recalls a falernum or pimento dram more than a sweet, vanilla-led spiced rum. It reads distinctly festive, almost mulled, and while it will not suit drinkers chasing dry distillate character, it is a capable and characterful example of the style. It earns its place in spiced-forward cocktails where those peppery, nutty notes can carry the drink.