Mad Monkey Ex-Pinot Muenier

Description

Mad Monkey is back in the Rum Tribe house and this time with an EXCLUSIVE pure, single rum awarded 4 stars by the The Fat Rum Pirate! Welcome to the exceptional rum world of The Mad Monkey Ex-Pinot Muenier!

This remarkable rum owes its distinctive character to the careful maturation in an American oak Ex-Pinot Meunier barrel, from Uraidla Wines. The harmony with this exceptional wine barrel, with its infusion of volatile acids, is a stroke of genius that sets this release apart.

Fermented using wild yeasts [from muck and dunder] alongside commercial ale yeast, this rum is double copper pot-distilled and has no additives whatsoever – classifying it as a single pure rum!

Maturation was initially in an American Oak cask that was used to mature ex-Pinot Meunier at Uraida Wines. If you’re unsure (as I was) about Pinot Meunier – this is a variety of red grapes that is one of three used in the production of Champagne.

Bottled at 44%abv in individually hand-numbered bottled.

Mad Monkey is Adelaide’s first dedicated rum distillery, their passion is pure single rums and they also make a few other cane-spirit based drinks to help pay the bills. Not only do they make ‘em – but they mix-em up as well in their tiki themed cellar-door bar.

Cocktails are in the Mad Monkey’s DNA – and this translates not only into fantastic ‘flavoured products’ (like their sensational, award winning ‘Baked Apple’ and Saccharum) – but into their pure single rums as well.  Not only do their pure single rums sip well neat, but they also lend themselves well to mixing.

Being big fans of natural, local yeasts – Mad Monkey aren’t shy about using open fermentation and incorporating muck and dunder into their fermentation. They are even currently experimenting with using bees to collect local yeasts which can be added to their wash. The use of such wild yeasts means a bigger, rounder tasting profile in the finished product – and the Ex-Muenier cask rum is no exception.

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: On the nose, the volatile acids from the wine cask are really apparent, and this is some textbook stuff! First whiff is notes of paint-thinner and nail polish remover – but sweet, over-ripe fruit cuts through, along with mashed banana, almondine, marzipan and some creamy ‘Werther’s Originals’ notes too.

Palate: Wow – this hits big for 44% abv. There’s an initial wave of dry, toasted notes with a decent hit of pepper too. Those VA notes so powerful on the nose are very much subdued on the palate. Whilst there’s definitely pings of sweet fruity funk lurking there, this is a surprisingly dry rum overall. It’s most certainly not without complexity though – rich leathery notes abound along with a smoky tang and a definite salty umami note thrown in for good measure.

Finish: A lovely smoky finish is a bit of a surprise – I was not expecting that! Long and chewy, warming but not too hot or spicey.

I’m constantly amazed at the turns and twists a tasting can throw at you and this is a perfect example. This amazing rum gives you a definite ride from nosing onwards – constantly evolving notes and flavours, wild notes on the nose that don’t seem to manifest on the palate, sweet yet dry and crisp as well. The boys at Mad Monkey have really created a memorable rum with this one!