Overview
Brand: Habitation Velier
Origin: Renegade Rum Distillery, Upper Pearl, Saint Andrew, Grenada
Still: Pot
Age: Unaged
Finish: n/a
ABV: 55%
This weekend we'll be running a blitz through Habitation Velier's recent series of unaged rum releases, starting with a rum from a now-defunct distillery in the Caribbean (no, not that one).
Habitation Velier Renegade is a pure single rum, produced from sugarcane juice at the Renegade Rum Distillery in Saint Andrew, Grenada. This juice was pressed from a sugarcane varietal called Cain, which was grown on the Old Bacolet estate on the south coast of the island; it was fermented for an extended period of time: 195 hours, or over 8 days. It was bottled unaged at a strength of 55% ABV.
For transparency, this bottle was provided to me by a brand representative, with no obligation other than to enjoy the rum.
Appearance
Clear, low viscosity
Nose
Black olive brine, roasted garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh cane juice
Palate
Fresh cane, black peppercorn, fennel, garlic-infused oil, stewed English peas
Finish
Long, savory, herbal; black olive brine, spent sugarcane, mint, English peas
Rating: 6/10
Summary
This unaged Renegade rum is quite good. The nose really sets it apart from other cane juice/syrup-based rums, while the palate fits more in line with that style.
Right off the bat, I get bombarded with strong, umami aromas of olive brine, roasted garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil; perhaps even some fermenting rice? Really excellent, although the palate does not offer as much excitement, even if it is good: cane juice, black pepper, and a hint of that oil infused with garlic.
The back palate gives some mushy, stewed English peas, which carries on to the long, savory, and somewhat herbal finish. Peas are joined by black olive brine, spent cane stalks, and mint to round it out.
Habitation Velier did good in grabbing some unaged stock from Renegade, as this is a fun pour. Is it wildly different from rhum agricole or cane juice rums? Not really. Is it different enough to give it a try? Absolutely. Regardless, it's nice to have another cane juice rum from Grenada that we can enjoy.