Holmes Cay launches South African rum in the US

Drinks company Holmes Cay Rum has successfully launched a South African rum into the United States for the first time.

The Single Cask South African 2017 expression from the Mhoba Rum Distillery is the latest in a series of specially selected limited-edition releases from Holmes Cay, which also counts rums from the Caribbean and Fiji among its range of single-cask and single-origin expressions.

Based in northeastern South Africa, the Mhoba Distillery uses hand-cut sugarcane grown on an adjacent farm and distils from freshly pressed cane juice, using both commercial and wild African yeasts for fermentation.

The 2017 edition was aged for four years in South African whisky casks. Four casks were bottled for Holmes Cay in New York State at barrel strength of 59% ABV.

Holmes Cay founder Eric Kaye, said: "We are extremely honoured to be the exclusive importer of the first US edition of this entirely unique artisan-distilled rum from the Mhoba Rum Distillery in collaboration with master distiller Robert Greaves."

Robert Greaves added: "When I first began distilling, my goal was to produce a spirit like a single malt whisky but made from our own sugarcane, grown on our farm. From the growing, hand-harvesting and crushing of our sugarcane right through to distillation in our self-built pot stills and the ageing in ex-South African whisky casks, everything was done on our farm and distillery to create a pure rum which is truly unique."

The Holmes Cay Single Cask South African 2017 is now available for wholesale orders (RRP US$109 per 750ml bottle). It is distributed in New York, California, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, Tennessee, Illinois, Texas and Washington D.C., and is available across the US through online retailers.

20 September 2021 - Bethany Whymark