S.B.S. Guadeloupe Red Cane Single Origin Rum.

S.B.S or Single Barrel Selection are part of the Danish outfit 1423 World Class Spirits. An Independent bottler that has spent the last few years building a reputation for doing things properly transparent rum, no additives, no nonsense and a portfolio stretching across more than 50 distilleries worldwide.

Their Origin line sits alongside the aged S.B.S bottlings. Instead of hunting for matured barrels, the Origin series aims to show rum “as it is”. So here we have white rums often fresh from the still unaged or simply “rested” rather than matured in oak. Without filtration or any other unnecessary fiddling about. The idea is simple if you want to understand a distillery’s raw DNA, you start with its “blanc”.

Guadeloupe is a good place to do exactly that. The island produces Agricole Rhum from Fresh Sugarcane Juice, much like Martinique, but without the AOC rules dictating every last detail.

That lack of tight regulation gives Guadeloupe’s producers a little more freedom. So when SBS picked up an unaged Cane Juice rum distilled from Red Cane on a traditional Creole Column Still, the expectation was always going to be something grassy, lively and characterful.

S.B.S. Guadeloupe Red Cane Single Origin Rum has been bottled at 57% ABV with no ageing, no finishing, and no cask influence whatsoever. In the UK a 70cl bottle will set you back around £50-55 there is still stock available here.

The actual distillery remains officially uncredited something independent bottlers do regularly. What we do know is that it was distilled on a traditional Creole column still somewhere on Basse-Terre, using fresh Sugarcane Juice from the Red Stemmed “Red Cane” varietal. This cane is prized locally for its aromatic intensity, producing distillates that are bright, vegetal, lightly floral, and naturally fruity.

I did take an educated guess and said Longueteau but I was wrong this rhum actually hails from the Montebello Distillery. If you wish to speculate, whilst I won’t say where and how I obtained this information. I know its right……

So that is all my information exhausted lets get on with the tasting.

Do I really need to explain how this appears in the glass? No I thought not

From the first sniff, this Red Cane rum hits hard in the right way. Fresh-cut grass leaps out backed by lime zest and a bright vegetal earthiness.

There’s a soft sweetness underneath Red Berries, Tropical fruit and a touch of brine. Further nosing reveals a hint of floral herbs and some mineral-ey ness.

It smells green, alive and energetic but never too aggressive. It’s more like a spring meadow than a machete through the jungle.

On the palate it delivers exactly what the nose promises. That classic Agricole Vegetal/Grassy  core is there. Citrus pops up as well alongside Redcurrants and other Dark Fruits.  A touch of salt keeps it grounded. Earthy undertones add a nice complexity.

The mid palate shows some of the Tropical Fruits that were on the nose Papaya and a touch of Mango. The 57% ABV gives it presence but it’s warm rather than heated. Fruity, grassy, a touch spicy this is a rhum that doesn’t need oak to impress.

The finish is medium to long, bright and clean. Grassy, citrusy freshness lingers alongside subtle mineral notes and a faint sweetness from the cane. This is pure cane juice and it leaves the mouth feeling fresh and clean.

This bottle is surprisingly versatile. Neat, it’s a revelation for fans of unaged cane juice rum honest, upright, and pure. Add a drop of water and the vegetal edges relax, revealing more fruit nuance. In cocktails, it’s a different animal entirely sharp enough to cut through citrus in a Ti’ Punch or Daiquiri but complex enough to hold its own without getting lost behind the sweetness.

If you’re chasing an honest look at Guadeloupe cane juice distilled with nothing more than water, yeast, and skill, this is one of the better examples out there. It doesn’t try to be the biggest, wildest, or fanciest agricole you’ll ever taste. It simply is something true to its origin. Bright, grassy, citrusy, and a touch salty in all the right ways.

I really enjoyed this one