The Rums of Mexico Caña Dura Rum (70cl, 46.7%)

A traditional Mexican sugarcane juice rum from the Rums of Mexico project, made by fourth-generation aguardientero Marcos López in Cosautlán de Carvajal, Veracruz, from the pale yellow-green Caña Dura cane variety. Fresh-pressed juice undergoes a long fermentation and distillation on a five-plate continuous still of copper and stainless steel, with nothing added after distillation. It is bottled at 46.7% ABV in a 700ml bottle. The producer also cultivates coffee, limes and citrus honey, and the rum is crisp, fruity and refreshing. Tasted alongside his Caña Cristalina, it shows how cane variety shapes a rum. The nose is salty and savoury, with tapenade, cucumber, watermelon, capers and lime. The palate brings nectarine skin, golden apples, honey, oat bran and wet rocks, with a saline edge, and the finish is medium-length and earthy.