Rum, Japan

To craft his rums, Yoshiharu Takeuchi uses kokuto—a traditional Okinawan brown sugar sourced from Taramajima Island, part of the Okinawa archipelago. Fermentation, triggered by carefully selected local yeasts, lasts around four days—much like agricole rum production. Echoing the small batch also aged in Pedro Ximénez casks from this Itinéraires release, this single cask stands out for its extraordinary depth of field. Unveiling notes of lightly burnt black sugarcane, its aromatic and flavour profile journeys through medicinal, floral, fruity and honeyed realms, all radiant with maturity.

Nose: Rich and profound. Medicinal (balm), chocolaty, softly spiced (cinnamon, ginger), green (sugarcane fields), and heady (tuberose, iris), the aromatic palette continues to rise in intensity. With aeration, scents of blood orange, linden honey, and undergrowth (mushroom, chestnut) fully occupy the nose.

Appearance: Deep orangey copper.

Palate: Lively yet layered. Fibrous (sugarcane), empyreumatic (ash, burnt wood), and simultaneously fruity (date, fig) and honeyed (lavender), the flavour profile is strikingly concentrated. Over time, flavours of marmalade, quince jelly, and Bourbon vanilla compete for intensity.

Overall: Silky and fluid. Coated in a fine layer of salted butter caramel, the finish quickly shifts toward lush tropical territories (mango, persimmon, guava). At this precise moment, the influence of the Pedro Ximénez cask reaches its peak. Long after, the empty glass recalls—in exquisite detail—the medicinal, chocolaty, and herbal character of the initial nose