Equiano Light

ABV: 43%

Country: Mauritius & Barbados

Price: £35-40

Distillery: Gray’s Distillery & Foursquare Distillery

I’ve been meaning to spend some proper time with Equiano Light, and finally had the chance to sit down and take it in without distraction. It offers a distinct perspective within the Equiano lineup—lighter in style, but still with depth and purpose. Unlike the Original this is not a molasses rum, at least not all of it.. 80% of the blend is an unaged (rested for 6 months in stainless steel), columns still, sugarcane juice rum from the Gray’s Distillery in Mauritius; the other 20% is the expected pot & column blend from the Foursquare Distillery – a molasses based rum aged for 3 years in ex-Bourbon American oak.

Nose

Opens with a very refreshing Citrus top note that sticks around. Beneath that we get very warm vanilla and light baking spices that make me think of brioche or a croissant. Ripe apples, juicy pineapples and fresh nettles are all present. This smells young with minimal wood presence.

Palate

A very light profile, as the name suggests, with lots of green apple, pineapple, citrus, creamy vanilla and some pepper with a bottom note of chewy toffee. There is a tad more wood than the nose would suggest but again this is very minimal. I find this one a little confusing as the blend sits firmly in the middle of a lot of things; for example it’s not quite an Agricole in profile but equally it doesn’t feel like a “typical” molasses rum.

5/10 – Not something I would see myself reaching for as a neat sipper but one I would feature heavily in cocktails, especially at the price.