“Perfectly crunchy sugar cane, lots of vanilla and pastry notes—get ready for a complete change of scenery with American Oak Aged, the funkiest rum I’ve tasted recently!” says Nicolas Julhès, founder of the Distillerie de Paris.
Faced with such a statement, tasting was a must. This is a little gem, supple, easy to drink and complex at the same time. “Robert Greaves has done his thing! Its extreme fermentation, wild aging, and Jamaican-style profile transport us to the heart of the South African savannah, around a braai, but with less brutality than its other Mhoba counterparts,” he continues.
How can we not agree with this unconventional enthusiast? The author of these lines is equally convinced. When asked about its production, Guillaume Haye, Mhoba rum ambassador in Europe, agrees: “All the Jamaican markers are there. This ‘stave aged rum’ has the distinction of being aged in demijohns. Let me explain. As it was too complicated to import bourbon barrels from the US, Robert Greaves—the founder of the Mhoba distillery, editor’s note—“reversed the problem” by incorporating American oak staves from the Ozark Forest (Arkansas), cut to size, into demijohns.
Les planches ont été toastées sur place à même le braai. L’alcool vient saturer le bois pendant un an avant de subir un finish de 3 mois en fûts de «bain’s single grain« . » Pour pimenter le tout, sachez qu’avant tout cela, Robert Greaves avait démarré par une série de tests en 2012 à partir d’un alambic ménager capable de « cracher » seulement 12 litres d’alcool… Certains des whiskies Mhoba subissent une fermentation allant jusqu’à 24 jours!!!! Mais ça, c’est une autre histoire. Nous y reviendrons.
American Oak Aged, rhum pur jus de canne (Afrique du Sud), 43 % vol. alc., 47 € la bouteille de 70 cl, MHOBA. En vente dans toutes les épiceries Julhès.