Review #812; Rum #222: Mhoba French Cask

This rum comes to us from South African rum distillery Mhoba. This fresh pressed sugar cane juice rum was distilled on a pot still before being aged for over 2 years in a French Oak Cask that previoiusly held Cape Red Wine. Bottled at cask strength with no additives batch 2019FC3 had 1200 bottles.

ABV: 65%

Nose: Nutmeg, Figs, Dates, Slight Cinnamon, Allspice, Black Pepper, Lime and Lemon Zest, faint Vegetalness

Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel, Nutmeg, Black Pepper, Lime Zest, Vegetalness, Earthiness, Cinnamon, Allspice, Figs, Dates

Finish: Medium length finish, Nutmeg, Black Pepper, Tannins, Vegetals, Cinnamon, Earthiness, Lemon Zest, Blueberry

Rating: 7/10

This is a great release from Mhoba. It leans heavily into the cask influence, but I feel like it plays well with the distillate. It walks the edge of overpowering, but I think the raw distillate helps reign it in. A delightful mix of savory and fruity notes this is a real winner of a release for me from them. I’d rank it a firm third behind High Ester and Strand 101 in the Mhoba lineup.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect