Transcontinental Rum Line Australia 2014 Rum 48% 700ml

Australia 2014  -  Transcontinental Rum Line by La Maison du Whisky

Here's one from the land of sunburnt plains and barrel-aged thunder - the Australia 2014 release from the Transcontinental Rum Line, bottled by the ever-curious spirit curators at La Maison du Whisky. This bottle proves what the rum faithful have known for a while now: Australia is no longer an emerging rum region - it's a force. And this expression is pure proof, neat and uncompromising.

Distilled in 2014, this rum hails from one of Australia's traditional pot still distilleries, likely Beenleigh, one of the country's oldest and most revered. Using molasses, long fermentation, and a robust pot still, the distillate is rich, heavy, and full of tropical swagger. It then spent time ageing under brutal Queensland heat, before shipping off for a finishing stretch in Europe - a split ageing process that's the hallmark of the Transcontinental line.

This rum was bottled with no sugar, no additives, no shortcuts. Just oak, time, and terroir. It's a love letter to Australia's unique take on traditional rum-making - somewhere between the boldness of Jamaica and the structure of Guyana, but with a sun-baked signature all its own.

On the nose, it's big and expressive: molasses, toasted nuts, dark vanilla, and a hint of eucalyptus. There's also a savoury edge - leather, spice box, a touch of varnish - balanced by stewed stone fruit and dried mango. You can smell the heat, the oak, and the patience.

The palate is robust and dry, with flavours of burnt sugar, fig jam, cinnamon, charred oak, and clove. It leans into its pot still heritage with that oily, mouth-coating texture, and finishes long, tannic, and herbal. No fake sweetness here - this is serious rum, aged with backbone and honesty.

This isn't for cola. This is for slow sipping, or a masterclass Rum Old Fashioned. It also holds up beautifully in a Rum Manhattan with a touch of cacao bitters, or alongside a strong cigar and some roasted macadamias, if you're feeling on-theme.

If you love the likes of Foursquare's pot-heavy bottlings, Hampden with a drier twist, or Velier's more cerebral releases, then Australia 2014 is going to feel like kin - different accent, same soul.

What La Maison du Whisky has done here - again - is spotlight a rum most drinkers would never think to try, and elevate it with care. This isn't about novelty. It's about depth. It's about showing the global reach of craftsmanship.

Australia 2014 isn't flashy. It's not riding on exotic flair. It's rum with grit, power, and oak-polished confidence. A distiller's rum, an enthusiast's pour, and a sign that the southern hemisphere is rum country - full stop.

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