Boardroom Spirits Ship's Cat American White Rum

It has been a while since my last review, so this seemed like an easy choice for my return; it's been long enough since I visited the distillery that I have no bias, yet it's fresh in my mind again, as I'll need to go back for work soon. I recall purchasing a full bottle of the navy strength white rum, but the flavor escapes me. If I know myself, the only reason I picked up this sample was to compare the effects of adding the maximum amount of water to reduce it to the standard 80 proof. I'm not a fan of low-proof spirits or unaged rum, so I'll be keeping the comparison I'm primarily focused on during this process in mind. The nose has a thick molasses note, but it's also very raw and vegetal, almost like Vegemite, but slightly diluted. There seems to be a very subtle spiciness as well, but it's also vegetal, like a green peppercorn. The alcohol level plays its part, making it not only light and approachable for the nose but also smelling watery, giving it an almost refreshing and thirst-quenching quality. Finally, there's a mix of bitter citrus peels present, but highly concentrated, like an oleo saccharum or strong amaro, but after dilution. The initial taste mirrors the initial nose, with the vegetal and molasses notes both well-represented. The body is easy and approachable, as anticipated, but the finish is both raw and strong, with the same concentrated vegetal notes previously noted making themselves well known here; it doesn't penetrate the gums, but the flavor adheres to the surface all around the mouth. Repeated sips create a blending effect on the more raw flavors, smoothing out the rougher edges and making things slightly more accessible to this novice rum drinker. There's only a very quick and minor hint of cleaning chemicals here, which I typically detect in inexpensive rums from mainstream distilleries. Instead, this fades into a surprisingly hot finish, although it doesn't linger extensively. Overall, this is not at all what I would call an American rum, at least in the USA style, because it truly embodies the raw sugarcane and molasses focus of many Central American style rums, yet still maintains a craft feel. I would comfortably say that most well-known white rum cocktails are fruit-forward and either don't allow or aren't designed for the rum flavors to stand out, but this is unique yet familiar enough to experiment with more rum-forward concoctions. I wouldn't want to drink this neat again, solely because I dislike this specific flavor profile, but what is perceived in smell and taste in this spirit is very consistent, and what it does, it does well and confidently, so if that works for you, drinking it neat remains a viable option.