In the United States, rum consumers have not had the opportunity to purchase many rums from South Africa. Due to this, the Mhoba rum line has had a bit of added mystique due to the limited opportunities to experience it. Recently, through a strategic partnership with Weyside Spirits, parent company of Holmes Cay, and Mhoba Rum, the U.S. will now have access to some of the rums in the line. The Shaldon High Ester Overproof Rum is the first Mhoba rum to be imported and released in the United States. The rum is named after Shaldon Englebrecht, who is the distiller and blender of this rum.
All rums in the Mhoba portfolio are produced at the Mhoba Distillery in Malalane, located in the Nkomai region of Mpumalanga, South Africa. For this expression, two cane varietals were harvested between August and November of 2024. The harvested cane is pressed, and then the juice goes through a month-long fermentation process using airborne yeast while stored in plastic vats. The juice is then distilled using custom-built pot stills. One portion of the blend is from a single distillation, and the second portion goes through a second distillation. The rum is then blended and bottled at 63% ABV. No color, sugar, or flavor additives were used to make this product.
Appearance
The 700 mL short-neck bottle has brown and white labels that display a great deal of information about the rum on the front and back labels. The security wrap holds a synthetic cork to the bottle.
The rum is clear in the bottle and glass. Swirling the liquid creates a super thick band around the glass that unleashes a large wave of fast-moving legs before beading up and evaporating.
Nose
The aroma of the rum has an earthy, mineral-rich opening, followed by butterscotch, mint, tropical fruit notes, and vanilla.
Palate
The first sip comes in with a punch of the high proof of the rum and a funky vegetal swirl that mutes the other flavors of the spirit. Each additional sip revealed a new note during the evaluation: candied apples, mango, fresh-cut banana, and tart papaya. An earthy vanilla emerges in a buttery finish that lingers on the palate for quite some time.
Review
When I review high proof/high ester rums, my evaluation approach is different than a regular review. The process involves careful evaluation of the aroma while trying not to burn out the nose and taking tiny sips to find the flavors without getting overwhelmed by the volatile esters and alcohol content. As advertised, this rum is a hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners overproof experience. If you enjoy high-ester rums with this particular flavor profile, this product is for you. It is like high ester Jamaican rum with fewer flavor hooks for the palate and drink ingredients to lock on. If you do not enjoy this kind of flavor profile, please look elsewhere. During the evaluation process I took tiny sips to discover the flavors but found that too big of a sip and the proof of the rum would overwhelm the flavor profile and palate, and I would have to take time to let my palate recover. When using it in a cocktail, the rum will have to be matched carefully with other ingredients to help balance the flavor experience. I will be curious to see what other products are released to the United States from this distillery.
