Background
I fell head over heels for Rhum Bologne after trying two of their brut de colonne rums this summer. Today, I get to see how their unaged distillate fares at a lower (but still plenty high) proof.
This rum was distilled from the freshly pressed cane juice of a single organic plot of cane called “Grand Savane.” Unfortunately, we aren’t told what types of cane are grown here, just that it is a fully organic plot which “benefits from a dry and sunny climate.” It was bottled without barrel aging at 61.2%.
Tasting
On the nose, I get raspberries with leaves and stems, jasmine, lemon essence, green bell pepper, carrot, caper, greek yogurt, white chocolate, cookie dough, fresh rainfall, and minerality. Within the realm of agricole, this is fantastically fruity.
Going for a sip, I first notice the viscous and creamy mouthfeel. I taste greek yogurt, white chocolate, and tons of fruit like raspberry, strawberry, coconut, candied lime peel, banana, and mango. There are also vegetables like carrot, cooked spinach, and a fruity pepper like habanero, though obviously without the piquancy. Finally, add in some jasmine green tea, Italian grapefruit soda, gravel, and grass.
Verdict
I made every effort to give this a lower score, but I can’t bring myself to it. This is a superb agricole which absolutely keeps up with Le Distillat 100% Canne Noire even at a lower proof.
Take my score below with a grain of salt. I am pretty infatuated with Rhum Bologne at the moment, and most folks probably won’t love this as much as I do. I hope that reviews like these draw attention to what I believe is a severely underrated distillery, but as they say, ymmv. (9/10)