William Hinton Natural Branco Especial is an agricultural rum from Madeira Island. With this range, the Engenho Novo da Madeira distillery pays tribute to William Hinton, a great figure in Madeira's sugar industry.
This limited edition comes from the 2018 harvest. After natural fermentation, the pure cane juice was column distilled, then bottled after a few weeks' rest. It is therefore a brut de colonne, showing all the specificity of the distillery and its terroir.
Nico's tasting notes
The nose is lively and fresh, with an almost metallic vibrancy and sharp acidity. This is enhanced by notes of citrus zest and lime pulp, accompanied by aromas of fresh redcurrant berries.
Aeration gives way to tangy red and black fruits, revealing a lovely basket of raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants, with a few sprigs of mint adding to the vegetal freshness. The cane has concentrated into a bitter zest of combava, with pepper and a touch of olive.
Powerful, full-bodied on the palate, with pronounced acidity. Initial coppery flavors give way to light, floral and finely fruity notes. The mid-palate is equally powerful, underpinned by pepper and hard cane bark.
The finish is slightly acidic, with hints of fermented cane juice lingering on.
"A powerful, dry white rum for lovers of brandies with character...".
Stéphane Ti'verre
On the nose 👃🏻: this is a full-bodied, powerful rum. I find it very minty and vegetal. The cane is pure, fresh, mineral and almost metallic. Aeration confirms a nice touch of lime, pulp with a slight acidity rather than the bitterness of zest.
On the palate 👅: it reveals absolutely everything we can distinguish on the nose. There's indeed a green, herbaceous and very minty side, it's very fresh. The lime asserts itself even more here, it's really very concentrated as I've never had it on other rums. The cane juice has a nice sweetness and fatness on the palate (as on the sides of the glass), it's very round and slightly peppery.
The finish is long, with a tangy, minty lime note. We enjoy a refreshing tasting that never ends. It also reminds me a lot of fir scents, like on a walk in the forest 👌
Verdict ⚡️: avis aux amateurs de rhums blancs très aromatiques et rafraichissants! This William Hinton has a lovely personality, both vegetal and gourmand 😀 The power is there but I never find it really aggressive for a brut de colonne, it knows how to take you gently.