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Mhoba Sihhenge Pineapple Rum
The Mhoba Rum distillery in South Africa, in partnership with Holme Cay Rum, collaborated to create Sihhenge Pineapple Rum. Sihhenge is the Siswanti word for pineapple, which is the dialect spoken by the Swati people who live in the Mpumalanga province that the Mhoba distillery is located in. The company harvests locally grown sugarcane, which they crush, and use the fresh-pressed cane juice to ferment with wild yeast. They then distill the liquid in their two custom pot stills before blending it with the juice of locally sourced Natal Queen pineapples. The blending and maturation process lasts two weeks before it is bottled at 43% ABV.
Appearance
The rum bottle is in a short-necked 750 ml bottle with an interesting label that combines the imagery of sugarcane and pineapples. The liquid in the bottle holds a dark pineapple juice color and lightens slightly in the glass.
Swirling the liquid creates a thick band that releases a wave of thick legs before evaporating.
Aroma
Pouring the rum in the glass generates a strong aroma of vegetal matter and pineapple cane. As the aroma settles, the pineapple note intensifies, with a salty, savory mineral note coming into play along with a vanilla note to complete the experience.
Palate
It would be an understatement to say that the first sip delivers “the expected” pineapple flavor. The sip delivers an extremely robust cooked pineapple flavor with a rich spicy salty caramel component that lingers throughout the experience. Like the aroma, the vanilla note comes in at the end and helps deliver a flavorful, mineral-rich finish.
Review
Over the years as a reviewer and judge, I have experienced quite a few pineapple rums. This is by far the most robust one I have had, which was a pleasant surprise from the nose to the finish. The savoriness of the flavor profile creates the potential for this rum to be a hearty cocktail component and presents an interesting tool for cocktail creators to work with.
Personally, I have no problem enjoying this rum neat but even mixing it with lemon-lime soda created an interesting flavor-filled experience. Currently this product is limited to a few states, but it’s worth tracking down if you want to try something truly unique in this category.
