Alambique Serrano 3 Años – 2nd Edition
Introduction
Mexico is perhaps best known across the spirits landscape for Agave based spirits Tequila and Mezcal that quite rightly command respect worldwide. Even if some Tequila struggles with additives/deceptive marketing practices in the same way as Rum does!
However, if you have been paying attention over the last couple of years, you will know that the Mexican rum scene (or Charanda and Aguardiente de Caña) has quietly undergone a serious craft renaissance. Today we are looking at a producer and an expression that has sparked genuine excitement among cane spirit enthusiasts: the Alambique Serrano 3 Años (2nd Edition).
The brand itself is the creation of the Krassel family, who settled in the remote, rugged mountainous highlands of the Sierra Mixe/Zapotec region in Oaxaca. For generations, the Krassel family have been distilling cane spirits in the cloud forests of Santa María Tlahuitoltepec.
Rather than industrial bulk spirit, what they produce is rooted entirely in local terroir: hand-harvested native sugarcane grown at high altitudes without chemicals, crushed immediately, wild-fermented with indigenous ambient yeasts, and distilled using an artisanal hybrid method.
Distiller Max Krassel and his family utilise their proprietary “Krassel still” a custom continuous stainless steel and copper column still powered entirely by firewood, blended alongside copper pot still distillates.
Interestingly, these bottlings have received a massive wave of coverage across North America, particularly on Reddit’s rum communities, where the early single cask and unaged releases earned cult status almost overnight.
In contrast, Europe has been somewhat slower off the mark. The tide is finally beginning to turn. European specialist retailers like Excellence Rhum over in France have started stocking these bottles, offering them at remarkably competitive prices when you consider the arduous logistics of getting liquid from high altitude Oaxacan mountains into a Parisian bottle shop.
Bottled at 46.4% ABV and aged for three years (around 40 months to be exact) in a combination of ex Bourbon barrels and new French oak casks, completely free of chill filtration, artificial colour or sugar. On paper a lot of boxes are being ticked………
Tasting
As is standard practice here, the very first thing I did was run this liquid through the Hydrometer. I am pleased to report that the reading came back completely clean (0-5 g/L). Happy Days!
In the glass the rum has a light amber hue with vibrant polished gold/orange highlights.
Bringing the glass up to the nose, I was immediately stopped in my tracks. This is an extraordinarily distinctive, at times quite puzzling aroma that defies neat categorization. We are in the realms of those strange odditites from our friends in Taiwan at the Renaissance Distillery.
It doesn’t smell quite like a Rhum Agricole, nor does it directly resemble a Clairin or a funky Jamaican ester-bomb. Yet elements of all three seem to be in play.
There is a deeply vegetal, earthy foundation of Grassy Cane Juice and an almost savoury aroma of something like Chicken and Green Pepper in a Black Bean Sauce (I’m not making this up and no I’ve not been at the all you can eat buffet before reviewing), this is intertwined with a minerality and a slightly metallic Clairin like note.
Yet sitting right alongside that raw, wild distillate is the spicy, tannic elegance of new French oak. An almost softer Spanish style of sweet column distillate – tempering everything.
You pick up notes of Cocoa Powder, Nutmeg, and Vanilla followed by an unexpected savoury hit of Dry Roasted Nuts and something herbal. It keeps you guessing with every sniff; just when you think you’ve pinned it down to an eccentric burst of pulls you in the opposite direction.
Taking the first sip leaves you in no doubt that this is an intensely idiosyncratic rum. The entry at 46.4% ABV is assertive without being fiery. Its nicely balanced and lovely drinking strength.
The mid palate is where things become really fascinating. The natural sweetness derived from the Sugar cane and the ex Bourbon oak provides an initial lift of Vanilla, Dried Apricots and Banana but it never turns overly sweet.
Very quickly, the French oak makes its presence felt with a structured, grippy spine of baking spices, bitter Dark Cocoa, Hazelnuts, and Cloves. Lurking underneath is that wild Oaxacan spirit character: brine, Damp Moss, Green Olives and Cardamon. It is slightly confounding bordering on mezcal adjacent complexity in its earthy funk. It challenges your palate in the best possible way.
The finish is medium to long, warming and notably dry. The upfront Oak Char and Baking Spices recede slowly, leaving a lingering trail of White Pepper, Dry Leather, Fresh Cane stalk and a faint pinch of Salt that cleanses the palate and invites you back for another sip.
Verdict
Alambique Serrano 3 Años 2nd Edition is an ambitious, fiercely individual bottling. It is not designed to be an easy, mellow crowd pleaser; it is challenging, slightly puzzling and refuses to conform to tradition. The marriage between artisanal high altitude cane juice, hybrid distillation, and different wood smakes for a genuinely distinctive tasting adventure that rewards patience in the glass.
I honestly feel almost like I am reviewing a new spirit – something I’m not as familiar with as I would like to be. This has been a really difficult review to write and a tough rum to score. I like it but there are parts to it which my palate is still coming to terms with. I feel I may need to explore this produce more to really come up with scores which reflect what I am experiencing. As a result I may be being a bit stingy with this marking.
For the price being asked by specialist importers like Excellence Rhum, it offers remarkable value for anyone looking to explore unadulterated Mexican rum. Well worth tracking down.
Final Thoughts Perhaps not worthy of some of the Hyperbole on Reddit but this relatively new producer is producing something genuinely different and extremely interesting.
