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Cane Island Single Estate 5-year-old Thailand Rum
One of the many things I enjoy while exploring different rums is how it is a global spirit, and you just never know when you are going to discover a new product. While visiting a local store, I found this Cane Island rum on the shelves, and I could not resist picking it up to review. The Cane Island Single Estate line focuses on rums produced in a single distillery and region of the world. In this case, they disclose the country and region as the Pathum Thani province of Thailand. However, they do not disclose the name of the distillery on the label, but a little bit of research revealed the only distillery in that province is the Sura Bangyikhan Co. Ltd.-owned Pathum Thani Distillery. This distillery is known for being one of the most modern ones in the country. To create the rum, they ferment molasses and distill their products using a column still. The rum is aged for five years in used American white oak barrels and bottled at 43% ABV.
Cane Island Single Estate 5-year-old Thailand Rum
Appearance
The short-necked 750 ml bottle has a black foil security wrap that secures the synthetic cap and cork to the bottle. The labels provide a good bit of information about the product, and the Cane Island brand focuses on featuring single estate products. The liquid holds a dark amber color in the bottle that lightens when poured into the glass. Swirling the liquid creates a razor-thin band that slowly thickens and releases a single wave of tears.
Nose
The aroma of the rum delivers a strong note of vanilla front and center, followed by smoky oak notes and baking spices, punctuated by a hit of acetone.
Palate
The first sip matches the aroma with a strong vanilla note that forms the baseline of the experience. Robust dried fruit notes of banana, raspberry, and raisins take over the midpalate. As the flavors dance and merge on the palate, the oak notes drift with a light pepper pop that adds a pleasant smoky note that enhances the fruit flavors. These fruit and oak flavors form a surprisingly long finish.
Review
I have only sampled a few rums from Thailand, and this one was a pleasant surprise. During my evaluation of the spirit, I found indications that a small amount of sugar has been added, most likely to help tame the charred wood notes and the acetone note found in the aroma. The age statement states five years, but the flavor profile delivered something I would expect in a 7 to 9 year old Demerara rum. With this flavor profile, I see this rum as a versatile workhorse behind the bar, able to function in a full range of cocktails. Now I want to find other rums from this distillery and see how they compare to this one.
