Overview
Brand: Down Island Spirits
Origin: MiM, Ahafo, Ghana
Still: Pot
Age: 3 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon
ABV: 62%
This young rum from Ghana joins a rather small list of rums I've been able to review from the African continent, including rums from Mauritius, Réunion, and South Africa. I'm excited, though, as this is the first release I've tried from West Africa, whereas the others are from the distant south or islands thousands of kilometers from the mainland.
Down Island Spirits Ghana 2020 is a sugarcane juice-based rum that was column-distilled at the Mim Cashew and Agricultural Products facility in west-central Ghana. After distillation, it was sent to E&A Scheer in Amsterdam, where it was placed in an ex-Bourbon cask. After 3 years of aging, it was bottled by Mike Streeter, owner of Down Island, in Florida at a strength of 62% ABV.
Appearance
Pale gold, medium-low viscosity
Nose
Fresh-pressed sugarcane, honey, white wine vinegar, vanilla, roasted nuts, light butterscotch
Palate
Roasted nuts, vanilla, toasted sugarcane, underripe green grapes, lemon zest, Zebra Cake
Finish
Medium-long, nutty, warming; vanilla, cane juice, green grapes, lemon zest, hint of cinnamon
Rating: 8/10
Summary
Ghana 2020 is a fantastic release from Down Island. It shows a lot of unique qualities that you don't get from Caribbean sugarcane juice-based rums, while sharing other notes I get from Mhoba, distilled on the other end of the continent in South Africa.
This gives aromas that mix toasted sugarcane and nuttiness with honey, syrups, and a touch of vinegar; it practically reminds me of a freshly-baked cake. Roasted nuts, vanilla, and sugarcane are again found while tasting, with a touch of lemon zest and a mix of chocolate/frosting/vanilla that makes me think of Zebra Cakes. The finish follows the palate closely, with green grapes, lemon zest, and cane juice joined with a touch of cinnamon spice.
For my first exposure to rum from Ghana, I'll say I am impressed. The age and proof seem to work very well here, providing some cask notes without drowning some of the base spirit notes in too much oak. That said, I'd be interested to see an older– say 5 year old– expression of rum from MIM, to see how it holds up to extended aging.