Velier Providence Haitian Pure Single Rum 2020

Providence is the Velier linked project at the Distillerie de Port-au-Prince in Haiti, and this is one of its aged pure single rums, made from fresh cane juice rather than molasses and distilled on a pot still. At three years it is young, yet the cask seems to have worked hard, giving it a maturity beyond its time. It is unsweetened and bottled at a friendly 52%.

Ex-Bourbon ageing has rounded the raw Haitian cane spirit into something clean and balanced, with cinnamon, baked apple, coconut, milk chocolate and dried fruit, the wood notably present for so short a stay. The palate carries dried fruit, sugarcane and spice, and the finish runs to cinnamon, cocoa and dried dates. The alcohol is well integrated and the finish medium length. For drinkers who like profiles that sit between agricole and traditional rum, this is an inviting next step into Haitian pure cane juice at an approachable strength.