Overview
Brand: S.B.S., Origins series
Origin: Undisclosed Distillery, Malacatos, Loja, Ecuador
Still: Column
Age: Unaged
Finish: n/a
ABV: 57%
S.B.S is back after a recent review of unaged TECC, featuring another unaged rum from around the world. S.B.S. Ecuador Malacatos is a cane juice-based rum, originally produced via column still at an undisclosed distillery in Malacatos, Ecuador. This was bottled unaged at 57% ABV.
This sample was provided to me by Andrew Hinton, a friend of mine and admin of the Friends of Rum Tennessee (FORT) group.
Appearance
Clear, low viscosity
Nose
Fresh-cut sugarcane, kalamata olive brine, kimchi, pine needles, ground mustard
Palate
Crushed sugarcane, red pepper flakes, sea salt, kalamata olive brine, lightly pickled cucumbers, oregano
Finish
Long, warm, simple, vegetal; sugarcane, green bell pepper, kimchi
Rating: 8/10
Summary
S.B.S. Malacatos is a really nice sugarcane juice-based rum, conforming to the experiences I get with rhum agricoles that I enjoy. It's herbal, savory, but still fairly light and simplistic, allowing the pronounced notes to shine.
Sugarcane is present throughout the tasting experience, with savory kalamata brine, fermented kimchi, earthy pine needles, and stinging ground mustard coming through on the nose. Crushed red pepper gives a slightly spicy introduction to the palate, joined by lightly pickled cucumbers and oregano. Malacatos finishes with a long, warm outro, but little complexity.
With only El Amparo to compare to as far as Ecuadorian rum goes, this expression tones down the herbs, and aligns with sugarcane juice r(h)ums of other origins.