Review by: Raygun

A quick note before anything else for the sake of transparency. This review was done with an industry sample provided free of charge, with no expectations beyond drinking them. As always, I do my best to provide my unbiased opinion, and readers can decide how they want to take this review. For more information, see our Ethics & Transparency statement.

Another series from LM&V showcasing rum from different parts of the world. I’m not too sure on how they differ from the Transcontinental Rum Line bottles, except the Flag Series seem to be older and single casks rather than vattings, with both tropical and continental aging. The Fiji entry is a pot still molasses rum. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: South Pacific Distilleries

Bottler: La Maison & Velier

Region/style: Fijian pot still molasses rum

ABV: 64.5%. Cask strength. 

Age: 2 years in Fiji and 10 years in Europe.   

Cask type: Ex-bourbon, 241 bottles

Color: 1.4 tawny. Natural color and free of additives

Price: Can’t find a local price, but seems around $125

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Nose: Very herbaceous, in an almost medicinal kind of way. Reminds me of some Chinese ointments. Mint, camphor, and citronella. Sort of solvent-y, too.  

Palate: Not as hot as I’d thought it would be. Again very herbaceous and somewhat floral, but not a perfume kind of floral. Reminds me again of citronella and other insect repellant plants. Not in a bad way, just different. Maybe glue as well. Gotta appreciate the diversity of rum. With time, I get some custard and cherimoya. 

Finish: More custard and still quite herbaceous. A bit of solvent. Kiwi fruit and cherimoya again. Good length to it. There’s a lot going on here, I’ll say that.      

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Conclusion: Innnterestinnng. It’s very hard to beat rum for diversity, and this is a great example. One of those that is hard to pin down, seeming to bounce around quite a bit. Feels like it shouldn’t work, yet somehow it does. I wondered what I’d find in each sip, which was a little different each time. That’s a fun kind of experience.

Score: 83

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent rum worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.