Duckett Blue Rum

Small startup distillery outside St. Louis. Strong focus on a craft approach and authenticity, no additives, everything done onsite - fermentation through bottling. Agricole-style reportedly using fresh cane and occasionally even dunder (perhaps not universally). Easy to get behind that level of commitment and business model. Unaged. 100 proof. Batch 007, 2019 bottling. A unique bottle shape with a sturdy look and attractive labels, albeit not particularly conveying "rhum" visually. A few re-directed photons shy of being totally vodka clear. Thin body with lots of thin legs. A "proofy" nosing experience with plenty of ethanol to spice the nostrils amplified by some punchy Agricole zest. Not harsh, but the nose is a detractor when sipped neat. I think a number of elements add up to a less than aromatic combination: a tropical fruit undertone of pineapple and papaya, jasmine flowers, bell pepper and cut vegetation that takes an unwelcome turn into flat and musty cereal grain with a few rubbing alcohol notes. Hopefully something that can be improved along the way for a distiller still honing their craft. Hints of sweetness up front on the tongue, then white pepper tingles the sides and cheeks. Creamy. Minerality and yellow squash gives way to resonating coppery notes that dry the mouth and aggressively draw saliva. Absolutely a fresh cane style untempered by the lack of aging. There is a lot to like on the palate, and the sweetness becomes more prominent with subsequent sips and teases an ethereal kinship with Scottish grain whiskies. Honeysuckle. White grappa. Honeydew. Pencil wood. Not a glowing review, but a hopeful one. I think there is huge potential here, and they really have no business doing this well at an extremely assertive spirit that wouldn't surprise me if it took generations to truly get dialed in. Don't know how often I'll sip this, but I think it has the flavor and oomph to shine in a handful of cocktails, and I'll be keeping my eye on Nobleton's House in the future and not afraid to try something new from them.