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Our December Rum of the Month is Dead Reckoning Mhoba – South Africa. CASK STRENGTH, LIMITED EDITION and EXCLUSIVE to the Tribe in Australia! This is the first Dead Reckoning release of a cane-juice based rum.

Wow, we can’t quite believe it’s December already! What a rummy year it’s been…Another year of sensational rums from all around the world, and from our own backyard. Tropical aged, European Aged, Dry aged, un-aged, and even demijohn aged! Port cask, sherry cask, wine cask, no cask! Historic brands, cult brands, new brands and even ‘one-offs’ from non-rum brands!’ Easy-listening, classical, hard rock, rap and some punk rums to boot! PHEW!

So… how do you finish a year like that? Well, with another exceptional rum, really! MORE DEAD RECKONING!! was a pretty clear sentiment from the feedback this year and so, who are we to argue?

Dead Reckoning indy bottlings need no introduction to the Rum Tribe. They have dazzled us with release after release from distilleries all over the world and the man behind it, Justin Boseley, has a knack for finding sensational spirit in far flung places, bringing it to Adelaide and matching it to the perfect cask where it’s aged further in a unique dry heat environment that actually increases the ABV of the spirit in the barrel over the years. Weird but true!

Now at 2 years, 5 months this is a fairly young rum by Dead Reckoning standards. It was initially expected to be around 18 months – 2 years in the finishing cask but Justin was surprised at just how ‘active’ the ex-bourbon cask has been with the rum. So active, in fact, that he elected to bottle it after just 5 months in the finishing cask. Its job was done!

This latest Dead Reckoning spent it’s first two years in a South African red wine cask (from the Vrede em Lust estate in the Franschhoek wine valley) in the sub-tropical South African climate at the Mhoba distillery. 

Justin describes finding this cask in Mhoba’s bond-store as an explorer describes finding an undiscovered ice cavern or the like. An ‘A-HA!’ moment where he knew he’d found what he was looking for.  The culmination of a long journey.  All he needed now, was some time in Adelaide to add ‘his touch’ to it, which came in the form of an especially active ex-bourbon barrel. After only 5 months, it was exactly where Justin wanted it. A perfect amount of vanilla, custard and caramel from the high-char American oak added to the rich fruity decadence of the red wine aged Mhoba.

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: Tart fruit salad and raspberry jus at first with a rich sweet caramel sauce on the side.

Palate: Wonderfully mouth coating. More of those sensational fruit notes – but more stewed now, nice and sweet,  and the vanilla comes through in a crème brulee creaminess.

Finish: Delicious mixture of fruit, vanilla, citrus peel and salted caramel lead you onto the next pour… in just a sec, I’m still enjoying this one!!

This is a delicious rum that is perfectly weighted with the abv to give it real ‘oomph’ on the palate – but the alcohol is very well integrated at 56% ABV. A little pepper there – but the massive creamy fruitiness dominates and continues to do so as you chew that utterly satisfying finish!

  • PRICE : $149


  • ABV : 56%


  • BOTTLE: 700ml


  • REGION: South Africa / Australia (South Australia)

  • NO Added Sugar/ NO Added Colour / Non-Chill Filtered


FROM DEAD RECKONING

Upon tasting Mhoba rum for the first time this was a revelation and also a rewriting of the Rum flavour profile rule book, it reminded me of the first time I tried a Jamaican Hampden. After tasting the Vellier Mhoba release I knew I had to get my hands on something of similar quality. 

I hand selected this individual single barrel release, chosen for its deep rich and unique flavour profile which was aged for 2 years in Africa in a ex Sth African red wine cask. To put my own signature on the release it underwent Australian dry ageing in Adelaide South Australia. 

Tasting notes: It’s time in the red wine cask has given this rum layers of flavour profile, not only do you get crisp red apples and cranberry juice, A heavy level char bourbon cask introduced hints of vanilla caramel and custard tart. 

ABOUT DEAD RECKONING

Justin, has immersed himself in rum for the past 20 years; a journey starting as a deck scrubbing lad with a thirst for Rum and adventure culminated in him becoming a Chief Officer; driving billionaire’s mega yachts around the world. This life of salty seadog adventure took him to Rum’s heartland, the Caribbean islands for 6 months a year, every year.

When he wasn’t at the helm of a mega-yacht he could be found hanging off a bar or at a distillery sampling the best the Caribbean rum scene had to offer. Upon ending his days at sea there was only one thing he knew better that navigating around the world’s oceans- that was Rum. For 10 years Justin has scoured the globe discovering & importing the world’s best rums into Australia.

Dead Reckoning is Australia’s first independent rum bottler, and this is the second expression from Justin’s brand. We know there’s more in the works from Dead Reckoning and we can’t wait to try more and more of these fabulous independent bottling from a true rum legend.

ABOUT MHOBA

Nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Onderberg district of Mpumalanga and amidst our own sugarcane fields, you can find The MHOBA Rum Distillery: An artisan distillery where we make 10 different types of Pure Single Estate Sugarcane Rhum or Pure Single Sugarcane Rhum.

Unlike most traditional rum, which is made from molasses which is the by-product of refined sugar production, MHOBA rum is made from pure sugarcane juice. Our rum is 100% pot distilled from fermented sugarcane juice and contains no additives, colourings or flavour modifiers and is therefore termed Pure Single Rum; The rum equivalent of Single Malt Whiskey.

What makes MHOBA rhum even more unique is that the whole rum making process occurs on our sugar estate. From planting our own organic sugarcane right through to hand filling and labelling our bottles after distilling in our self-designed and self-built stills, MHOBA Rhum is 100% rum that is made by us.

MHOBA RUM. FROM FARM TO BOTTLE AND PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN!

Well this is HUGE R(h)um news! Following on from the hugely popular Members Extra release in August and the HUGE cult following in Europe, we are very excited to release a true in-house paddock to bottle rhum from the fields of South Africa – Mhoba American Oak Aged Rhum! Plus its very exclusive in Australia to your favourite Tribe!

Mhoba Rhum is a South African ‘paddock to bottle’ producer that is making some mighty big waves around the world with their fantastic cane-juice based funky rhums! Completely hand-crafted, and using some interesting and unique maturation techniques, Mhoba is truly an artisanal producer by any standard!

Mhoba grow, cut and de-trash their own ‘Nkomazi’ sugarcane on-site. They then crush it in their own unique hand-built, manually batch-fed crusher.  Yes, I did say hand-built. In fact, the founder/owner Robert Greaves (an ex-mechanical engineer) has had a hand in manufacturing much of the equipment on the property.

We premiered the Mhoba brand in Australia a few months ago (our August ‘Members Extra’) with their ‘Strand 101’, a blend of aged, and un-aged agricole-style spirit. And the feedback from members was, frankly, amazing!

So good, in fact, that we knew we had to get this out to the whole of the tribe, ASAP! Getting the numbers we need to make a ‘Rum of the Month’ has been stopping us, but now the boat has landed!

They make use of dunder in their ferments and are not scared to utilise wild yeasts and looong fermentation times (their ‘High Ester’ expression ferments for an incredible three weeks!). They use traditional copper pot-stills – hand made by the founder Robert Greaves (of course).

By far though, the most unusual aspect of the Mhoba Rhums is their preferred aging technique. Instead of aging in oak barrels – instead they primarily age in 30L glass Demijohns (like a large bottle).  They add charred white American Ok staves to the Demijohns and then fill them with spirit to age.  I’m not sure why they do this – but I assume it may have something to do with preventing (eliminating?) angels share.

The Mhoba American Oak is aged in the Demijohns for just over a year – and then is switched to an American Oak ex- South African whisky cask for further ‘traditional’ maturation for around another year.  It is then reduced to 43%abv, hand-bottled and labelled, then packed for distribution – all done, in-house, by hand, by the crew at Mhoba!

This rhum has absolutely no colour, sugar or additives of any kind. As they say on the label – just passion, time, love and attention, fermented and distilled sugarcane juice, crystalline water and congeners from American oak. Nothing Else!

Now, in our championing of transparency in the Rum industry – we must point out that this isn’t – in Australia – technically considered a rum.  Hence the Australian-only branding as Mhoba Rhum.  It is branded ‘Mhoba Rum’ everywhere but in Australia. Unfortunately, the Demijohn aging technique used by Mhoba does not qualify – not being aged IN an oak barrel.  It’s kind of the opposite, really – the oak is IN the rum.

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: Funky esters ( lipstick, nailpolish remover and paint thinner) swirl over last nights  campfire fire charcoal.  There’s also mashed over-ripe banana and over-ripe fruit

Palate: Nice oily mouthfeel (pot still!). Lush tropical fruits in spades – paw-paw, banana, pineapple and a tangy passionfruit kick. The funk is subdued but definitely still there – adding an over-ripe sweetness to the mix. A very approachable, sweet palate on this one.

Finish: Nice long and chewy finish. More of those funky esters play out as the fruit slowly fades. Very minimal pepper throughout and just a touch of wood-smoke re-appears as it’s done.

  • PRICE : $149


  • ABV : 43%


  • BOTTLE: 700ml


  • REGION: South Africa

  • NO Added Sugar/ NO Added Colour / Non-Chill Filtered


FROM MHOBA

This rhum is made purely from the fresh juice of our own Nkomazi sugarv\cane grown on the Mhoba Esate, near the small village of Malalane in South Africa.

Our American Oak Aged Rhum is made by aging the distillates from our unique, self-built, artisanal pot stills. Yhis ruhum is initially aged in large glass demijohns with American White Oak staves which we cut and char on woof-fire coals at the distillery. Our ‘’Glass Cask Rhum’  is then transferred to ex- South African whisky casks for secondary maturation.

Ingredients: Passion, time, love, and attention, fermented and distilled pure sugarcane juice, crystalline water and gongeners from American oak. Nothing Else!

ABOUT MHOBA

Nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Onderberg district of Mpumalanga and amidst our own sugarcane fields, you can find The MHOBA Rum Distillery: An artisan distillery where we make 10 different types of Pure Single Estate Sugarcane Rhum or Pure Single Sugarcane Rhum.

Unlike most traditional rum, which is made from molasses which is the by-product of refined sugar production, MHOBA rum is made from pure sugarcane juice. Our rum is 100% pot distilled from fermented sugarcane juice and contains no additives, colourings or flavour modifiers and is therefore termed Pure Single Rum; The rum equivalent of Single Malt Whiskey.

What makes MHOBA rhum even more unique is that the whole rum making process occurs on our sugar estate. From planting our own organic sugarcane right through to hand filling and labelling our bottles after distilling in our self-designed and self-built stills, MHOBA Rhum is 100% rum that is made by us.

MHOBA RUM. FROM FARM TO BOTTLE AND PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN!