Mhoba Bushfire

Další Mhoba, která mě uhranula svoji aromatikou. Když miluješ Mhobu není cořešit a bude ti to chutnat.

My first Mhoba! Mhoba is a rum distillery in South Africa 🇿🇦 putting out some uniquely funky rums that are getting a lot of attention from the afficianadoes (or "rum rascals" as Ralfy would say). This (batch 1) rum is made from cane juice, distilled in a pot still and matured with burnt sickle bush staves (a common local wood). Finally, it's bottled at 55% ABV. The final product was designed by the creator and owner Robert Greaves to capture the aroma of a traditional bush fire BBQ called "braai" in rum form.

On the nose there's rotting berries, ginger, medicinal notes, rotting peach, campfire and charred meat.

The palate is campfire ash, oak, subtle ripe peach.

The finish is dry, mint and pepper. The dryness lingers on the finish.

I can tell the underlying funky distillate is very nice, and shares some elements I love about Hampden. This experiment reminds me a bit of Shelter Point's Smoke & Oak, where the cask was conditioned over a fire. I can tell I will probably like other Mhoba, but the only aspect of this one I don't particularly enjoy is the lingering dry ashiness (which is perhaps a common theme when you mature with something that has been burnt).

Flower, molases, honey, fruits; sweeter start, spicy, pepper; mild warming tail.

Vůně: nahnilé ovoce (jak jinak :), nějaká podivná čistidla, spálenina
Chuť: suchá, ovocná, tabák, půda, kořenitá
Dochuť: dřevitá, ovocná
High Esterová mi chutná víc.
8/10

Jako všechny Mhoby je vyroben z čisté šťávy cukrové třtiny. Rum zraje ve skleněných demižonech do kterých se přidává dřevo jihoafrického keře "sickle bush" (Dichrostachys cinerea), který se v JAR velmi často používá jako topivo (či brikety) při grilování.

Aroma: Výrazná vůně bbq omáček, pečené i uzené maso, hořčice, alkohol. Úplně na pozadí závan trop. ovoce.
Chuť: Hutná, těžká, benzínová. Opět je velmi silně zastoupen šmak bbq omáčky. Příjemně štiplavá.
Dozvuk: Exotické dřevo, kouř, zemitost, popel. Dlouhý a příjemně nahořklý.
Sladkost: 0/3
Ochutnán vzorek
Další z velmi zajímavých a chutných plnění destilerie Mhoba.

není to zcela můj typ rumů, velmi specifický, intenzivní ve vůni i v chutí tóny grilování

I am not fan of Mhoba rums because of their ester smell and taste, so my rating is purely personal.

Being significantly darker than other "cousins" - awesome and fiery colored - it still shares some of their general characteristics of "core Mhobas". The taste is mainly woody or even charred, (very) meaty, (strongly) smokey and overall has promised "campfire mojo" (probably most valuable and interesting aspect of this rum). All in all, quite flavourful, specific rum, which is always a positive. The finish is pretty ashy and dry. I have no idea what other non-Mhoba rum to compare with. This is for sure one of the less sweet, less mainstream (sic!) Mhobas.
There is an apparent hint of bbq, wood, fruits and smoke in the nose (nose as usual very good, like typical Mhoba, follows the taste closely) so the proclamations and goals certainly didn't lie.
While the rum is perhaps little too dry and little bit smokey, I enjoy this one-shot purchase and have nothing serious to criticize. I still prefer some other Mhobas (for sure Pineapple, French Cask, 101 and 151 Strand and possibly Pot Stilled white as well) more but this particular one for sure does not put any shame on this awesome rumhouse.