Providence 3 Years Old 2019 Haitian Rum 700ml, ABV 52%

The Port-au-Prince distillery is one of the Caribbean’s last remaining distilleries and has been operating since 2018 in the Haitian capital. The project is a result of collaboration between the Barbancourt-Linge family (descendants of the famous Barbancourt rum dynasty) and La Maison & Velier. The fruit of this partnership is the rum Providence. The distillery’s first bottling is called First Drops, a white rum produced from cane syrup and fresh cane juice. The succulent Cristalline variety of sugar cane used is sourced from Michel Sajous in the north of Port-au-Prince. Distillation is completed in a steam-heated pot still.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Lively and refined. The very complex first nose reveals superb notes of sugar cane and cane sugar. Particularly fruity (orange, prune, pear), floral (geranium, vetiver, rose) and spicy (star anise, clove, ginger), it becomes increasingly rich (frangipane) and luxurious (reseda, freesia, bougainvillea flower) once allowed to breathe.

Palate: Clean and precise. Cane sugar and the juice of a perfectly ripe William's pear flood the palate. The very mineral (lava, ash) mid-palate is floral (peony, carnation) and fruity (apricot, mango). Next, really taking the helm, sugar cane dominates a creamy (strawberry yoghurt) end of the palate.

Finish: Long and silky. Carrying on from the end of the palate, the start of the finish invites us to enjoy still-warm cane sugar. A mix of spices (turmeric, ylang-ylang), the flavour palette takes on the floral character (geranium, French marigold) of the nose.Flavours of vanilla and slightly damp earth bring lots of softness to the very end of the palate. The empty glass is divinely liquorice and closely reflects the sugar cane.