My curiosity and appreciation of the output from Mhoba must be obvious to anybody that has visited this web site beforehand. I’ve a number of multi bottling opinions (right here and right here)and one very giant reference piece charting the origins of Mhoba Rum and it’s founder, Robert Greaves right here. Robert is a person that I’ve an excessive amount of time and respect for. Not solely does he produce nice Rum, he’s additionally an especially humble, open, sincere and likeable man. So think about my delight after I discovered that one other person who I additionally contemplate to be totally respectable was bottling a Mhoba product. That particular person is Eric Kaye and alongside along with his accomplice in crime (and spouse), Maura Gedid, they’re unbiased bottlers Holmes Cay.
Holmes Cay have grown slowly however certainly since my first encounter with Eric and their merchandise again at Rumfest in 2019. Their mantra is “No Components. No Adulteration. Simply Rum”……and it’s one which I totally help and may get on board with. Spanning Australia, Barbados, Belize, Fiji, Guyana, Jamaica, Mauritius, South Africa and Trinidad, they’ve not been too shy to encourage exploration past the Caribbean. Sadly, they’re additionally unavailable right here within the UK exterior of Rum public sale web sites and that could be a actual disgrace.
How due to this fact have I come to amass this bottling. That’s all due to a espresso and a ham & cheese toastie on the Starbucks across the nook from Crewe railway station in October final 12 months. Eric had been in Liverpool exploring the delights of the Important Rum warehouse and uncovering some new treats to bottle. Eric had kindly agreed to satisfy me in a cease off on his approach all the way down to London. I duly collected him from the station and we seconded to the sterile wasteland that could be a Starbucks in a railway city on a weekday mid morning. I took some samples of fairly coveted bottles for Eric to try to he kindly gave this bottle in return…..and a reasonably cool hat too. I additionally bought to strive a few samples, straight from a plastic Starbucks cup, of some insanely good upcoming bottling’s. Even then, they shone by means of their dire, drab environment and supplied a short journey to a different place, if just for a second.
So sufficient discuss of trains, hats and sterile espresso store environs, let’s transfer into the Rum.
Holmes Cay Mhoba 2017 4 Years Outdated – 59% abv – 0g/l components
Because the identify would recommend, this can be a Mhoba bottling distilled in 2017 and bottled in 2021. It was bottled at its barrel energy of 59% abv and drawn from an ex-South African Whisky barrel (quantity 49). The barrel was considered one of a batch obtained from the James Sedgewick Distillery in Wellington, South Africa. Sedgewick’s produce Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky which is a Grain Whisky (could be produced from any grain together with unmalted Barley, Wheat, Corn & Rye) and Three Ships which is a Single Malt Whisky (Malted Barley). That parcel of barrels contained each malt and grain whisky barrels, all barrels had been outdated and due to this fact very nicely used, and Robert being Robert, he refurbished round 2 in 10 barrels by eradicating materials and re-toasting. As a result of losses to evaporation (the temperatures are at Caribbean ranges however with larger fluctuation of highs and lows) the casks had been consolidated, due to this fact it’s probably that any releases from the 2017 ex-South African Whisky barrels might have seen time in each ex-malt and ex-grain whisky barrels.
Tasting Notes
Nostril: We regularly say that distilleries have a signature aroma, honed from their methods crafted and perfected over various years, Robert has undoubtedly achieved that in a brief house of time with Mhoba. It’s like a novel mix of excessive ester Jamaican output, unaged agricole from the French West Indies, the heavier and massively interesting (to me) pot nonetheless aspect of cane juice and the glue-y output from Fiji. However that amalgamation is quintessentially Mhoba.
Vibrant, brilliant, ester laden sugarcane juice. Gentle acetone. Plastic. Mannequin glue. Lingering gasoline aromas in your hand following filling up the tank. Earthy notes of turmeric, saffron, ginger root and freshly foraged mushrooms creep in. Layers of complexity preserve constructing and revealing themselves because the glass sits. A fruitier aspect reveals itself with sticky caramelised pineapple, pineapple the other way up cake, manuka honey. Think about oily lemon and lime rind lined in powdered sugar. White wine. A extremely unshakable candyfloss word. Wafts of chocolate coated raisins, toffee pennies. Advanced and rewarding……and extra unnervingly, approachable.
Mouth: Initially there may be an unmistakable and distinguished liquorice root……these little picket sticks that rewarded fixed chewing with earthy, rooty, bitter and infrequently candy liquorice. Sturdy, oily and possessing loads of grip on the palate. As you sit and take repeated sips that sweetness grows with toffee pennies, pineapple cubes and tinned pineapple juice. Superbly managed acidity. Citrus oil. Sticky and nearly damp muscovado sugar being added to a spiced fruitcake combine. Liquorice. Honey on toast. Sugared almonds. A drying and spiced mid palate which is the place the barrel affect first reveals itself, and it brings white pepper, ginger juice, baking spices. The end is a contact shorter than I’d’ve favored but it surely builds in the direction of it on the previous sips to go away that drying candy, bitter and woody liquorice root, sugared almonds, peaches and possibly a touch of espresso on the loss of life.
In conclusion: This rum is on the lighter aspect of the Mhoba output. Method much less wooden affect than their standard choices and it feels extra approachable for it, however don’t let that make you consider that it’s missing in any approach. Fairly the alternative. It’s complicated, rewarding and reveals nice growth from nostril to palate and into the end. Robert has once more produced an exemplary distillate and Eric has been sensible sufficient to snap it up and bottle it. An ideal match.
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