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"...on its own level altogether. The Shaldon is, quite simply, a singular expression of white rum. There's nothing else like it." - Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer
If you're a rum fan, you've no doubt seen South Africa's Mhoba appear in recent years on various independent bottlings, most notably from Holmes Cay and Habitation Velier, but their distillery bottlings have yet to reach the the states, until now. We're thrilled to be the first to introduce you to Mhoba's official entry into the U.S. market. The Shaldon is an astonishing white rum expression that should immediately have this distillery on every tiki head's radar.
Founded in 2013 by Robert Greaves, Mhoba is a true farm-to-glass operation. The distillery hand-harvests two varietals of cane exclusively from the surrounding farm in Mpumalanga province then subjects them to extremely long, wild-yeast fermentations to draw out the most esters possible. One varietal is single-distilled and the other double-distilled on a custom pot still designed by Greaves himself, with only the heart of each distillate making it into the bottle at a full still strength of 63% ABV.
The Shaldon is "arguably the most impressive rum distillery debut of recent memory" according to Andrew, thanks to its "wildly complex nose" and "incredibly racy texture." It brings some serious funk for those who get down with that, but it's extraordinarily balanced with well-defined tropical character and a refreshingly bright finish. An overproof rum of huge personality, it'll make any classic tiki cocktail take off like a rocket, but it's just an undeniably fascinating specimen on its own. More than anything, it's just a smash-hit introduction to the rum scene's next cult star.
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