Rum, Japan

At the end of 2023, upon taking over the family business, Yoshiharu Takeuchi made the decision to close the rum distillery he had founded in 2013, Nine Leaves. Six months later, he sold all of his aging casks to his Italian distributor, Velier, headed by Luca Gargano, one of the world’s leading rum experts. Aged in a cask that previously held red wine from the Wente estate, located in California’s Livermore Valley vineyards, this expression shines with its elegantly extroverted character. Radiant with brightness, its aromatic and flavor profile ventures into the world of Scottish single malts to better highlight its intensely fruity and floral character.

Nose: Both powerful and voluptuous. Noblely woody (oak), spicy (clove), and powdery (cocoa), the aromatic profile gradually reveals vanilla, resinous, and honeyed (acacia) tones that lend it greater smoothness. With aeration, heady floral scents (honeysuckle) and fresh fig permeate the air.

Appearance: Topaz.

Palate: Lively, taut. Peppery and fruity (pear, mirabelle plum), the flavor profile also reveals hints of lightly burnt cane sugar. This generous opening lingers with succulent notes of crème brûlée, rice pudding, and others with a more mentholated character.

Finish: Long and smooth. Evoking in many ways a Highland single malt, it is at once tropical (roasted pineapple, candied mango), herbaceous (cut hay), and creamy (coconut). Then, flavors of sugarcane and cane syrup draw us into a lush world. On the retro-nasal, captivating aromas of geranium and apricot-peach flavors extend the tasting experience indefinitely.