Soltera Oro Barrel-Aged Cane Spirit (Batch 2)

Nose: Faint grassy and fruity notes, white sugar, barrel wood, very watered-down golden syrup. Subtle sunflower oil and a brief floral hint. With time, honey, brown sugar, and a touch of citrus emerge. Palate: Gentle and grassy with some wood tannin and vanilla at first, followed by sharp, hot tannic notes akin to fresh ginger as it develops. The texture is smooth and pleasing, but similar to the initial release of this spirit, a slightly bitter note appears near the end, though it's less prominent here. Finish: Not very long. Mildly woody, grassy, with a faint tannic, almost coppery, sensation in the aftertaste. This is my second bottle of this spirit, a Batch 2 release. I've created a new entry because there are noticeable differences between Batch 1 and 2. It's technically cane spirit by Australian law, though it could be sold as "rum" elsewhere. My bottle is hand-labeled "Batch 2, bottle 246". The distillery is located on the north coast of NSW. The owner and distiller manages all production steps, from fermentation to bottling and marketing, only excluding growing and crushing the cane. I contacted the distiller and learned that Batch 2 was aged in the same cask as Batch 1, a refill cask. This aligns with my tasting experience. The cask was originally a 200-liter ex-bourbon barrel, re-coopered to 115 liters and re-charred. Batch 2 spent more time in the cask than Batch 1, but much of the cask character was clearly extracted by the first batch. The stronger cask influence in Batch 1 made it more assertive, making it my preference for sipping neat or in a rum n’ Coke or richer cocktails. This Batch 2 is more delicate and better suited for light summer cocktails where it can harmonize with other components. For me, it sits between Batch 1 Oro and the Blanco version. I've successfully used it in place of moderate ester white rum and agricole blanc in cocktails. Aussies accustomed only to certain local rums might find the light, high-ester character of these cane spirit products a bit unusual initially. However, a short time with either the Blanco or Oro will reveal their quality, and I definitely recommend trying both. The distillery's first "proper" aged rum is anticipated soon, and I eagerly await its release. After extensive experimentation, a friend and I decided a Painkiller is the ideal way to enjoy this spirit: 45 ml of this spirit 120 ml pineapple juice 30 ml fresh orange juice 30 ml coconut milk (or cream) Combine in a shaker, shake dry, pour over plenty of ice, and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg. "Good": 83/100 (3.5 stars)