Rum Nation Ilha de Madeira. Rum Nation are an independent bottler that we have covered a couple of times already on this site. They have been operating since 1999. Besides releasing rum under the Rum Nation label they also market rums such as Ron Millonario and Reimonenq.

Rum Nation and the Portuguese island of Madeira have been in the “rum news” quite a bit lately. Over the past year rum Nation began releasing their “Rare Rums” series and the emergence of the William Hinton brand from Madeira has alerted people to “Madeira Rhum” as a thing.

I’ve got a couple of Rum Nation Rare Rums lined up for reviews. I also met with representatives of William Hinton and attended a “masterclass” at the London Rumfest in October 2017. So I am not unfamiliar with Madeira rhum.

This rhum has been released as part of the “normal” Rum Nation line up and comes in their standard stubby bottle. The “stamp” type label is again in use and the bottle gives you a few details regarding the rhum inside. Madeira rhum is produced in a agricole style from Fresh Cane Juice. Rum Nation Ilha de Madeira is bottled at 50% ABV. A bottle, should you come across one in the UK should be around £50. I’m not sure anywhere in the UK stocked this though. Typically I have found this online for as low as 30 euros and as high as 45 euros.

Rum Nation Ilha de Madeira was released in 2017 there is no mention of any ageing (either age or what the rum was aged in). It may well be unaged. The Ru,m Nation website recommends using this as a mixer. They also note the rum is “crystal clear” which indeed it is.

So with little else to report on the rhum we may as well delve into this Cane Juice distillate………

As mentioned already this is a crystal clear spirit. Nosing and you don’t have to delve very deep reveals a pungent and very medicinal style of rum – similar to unaged Agricole and Jamaican White Overproof rum. It is perhaps most similar in style to the Haitian Clairin’s. It’s pretty robust to say the least.

It smells like sea air very briny and there is a note of sour milk running alongside it. Green olives, nail varnish and a touch of tar and petrol. There is a sweetness in there as well but its very grassy and vegetal – there is a lot going on.

Sipped the rum is actually quite approachable. Initial notes are mostly of pepper and spicy ginger. Not at all like the nose would suggest.

Rum Nation Ilha de Madeira has quite a rich sweetness running through it – cinnamon and licorice are very nicely developed and it has a very slight smokiness as you approach the finish. Which is spicy and warming and again not overbearing.

Despite the nose this rum is actually quite nicely balanced and very much at odds its own nose. Its flavourful but is surprisingly well balanced. Its no where near as funky or as overpowering as the nose might lead you to believe.

It’s quite a clean and almost clinical kind of spirit. All the flavour is delivered in just the right amount and I would imagine this would work very nicely in cocktails and in a Ti Punch. Its flavourful but has good balance. It’s almost as if it has “checked” itself to deliver enough flavour without throwing itself off balance or becoming to overpowering.

Really promising stuff.