That Boutique-y Rum Company Labourdonnais Distiilery Mauritius. Here we have a 5 year old from the wonderfully named Labourdonnais Distillery on the island of Mauritius. Pronounced Labour-don-nais, so I am told. I can’t actually find a translation  for what it might mean, so we’ll move on from this lesson in French and talk rum again.

Or is it rhum? I’m never quite sure, once I start venturing into these far away countries and islands. To be honest, I have little or next to no idea where they are. Luckily the Boutique-y Rum Company are a bit better at geography and generally getting some facts together. So I can share with you all the important things about this bottling.

First up though I have some information about Labourdonnais Distillery to share with you. In 2006 Rhumerie des Mascereignes was built at the Domaine de Labourdonnais Estate. In 2014 the name as changed to Labourdonnais. They produce a number of rhums under the Labourdonnais brand such as Classic Gold, Spiced Gold and more premium offerings such as XO Vintage 2010. They have a website which covers the whole estate’s activities which is well worth a look.

As the name would suggest this is not an “official” Labourdonnais bottling but an independently released bottling under the Boutique-y Rum Company banner. The Boutique-y Rum Company are linked to The Master of Malt site and Atom brands here in the UK. They have also been lucky enough to get Peter Holland (The Floating Rum Shack) – the most famous face in the UK rum scene, on board as their rum ambassador.

This rum is a 5 year old rhum made from fresh sugar cane juice, which is then distilled on a traditional column still in an “Agricole” style. A 50cl bottle will set you back £51.95 from our friends at MoM. The label is produced by internet sensation “Jim’ll Paint It” and features a rum barrel covered in vanilla leaves. Mauritius’ most famous export.

It has been bottled at 49.8% ABV and there are 1200 bottles available, of this first batch. So it isn’t single cask. It was aged in Europe in ex Pedro Ximenez casks.

In the glass we have a rum which is a golden brown with orang an yellow tinges. The nose is spicy and warming. It smells like Christmas cake and reminds me a lot of Bristol Spirits Black Spiced rum.

Juicy raisins and sultana mingle alongside mixed peels, chocolate and light toffee. It’s quite a sweet nose but it holds enough spice and oak from the wood not to be cloying or smell confected. The sherry influence on the spirit does seem big but not over done. We aren’t in Dos Maderas territory with this one.

Sipped we get much more the actual distillate. It is nowhere near as fruity as on the nose. Complex aged spice comes to the fore giving a very citrus and orange forward profile. Ginger and nutmeg give this added complexity and add to the rich tapestry of flavours that abound with this rum.

The actual rum underneath all this, is probably very delicate but it has taken on so much from the casks to make it almost unrecognisable as a column still rum. There are no grassy or vegetal notes which would mark it down as an Agricole – even though it is made from fresh cane juice.

The work done by the Boutique-y Rum Company on this rum really shines and this is a rum which, I admit I would never have bought but having tasted it a bottle or two are sure to ordered.

This is a complex, admittedly sweet (but not sweetened) but pretty complex rum which I believe will interest a lot of rum drinkers. It’s something quite different and refreshing.

The mid palate on this rum is drier and spicier than the fruity entry but it is beautifully balanced and really warms you up nicely for the finish – which is long and delicately spiced – notes of vanilla. ginger and a touch of coconut mingle with the delicate woody notes giving a really nice mouthfeel.

It is a rum which improves upon each sip. I’ve got a few more of these Boutique-y Rum Company offerings to try and I must say this has been a slightly unexpected surprise. So they are off to a good start with me!