Holmes Cay MHOBA South Africa 2017
For curious explorers ready for funk at barrel proof. This 4‑year Mhoba cane-juice rum brings fermented tropical fruit, butterscotch grass and mid-range esters, with a drier, slightly bitter finish. Widely praised as wild, unique and exciting.
- Unique funk profile
- Intense tropical fruit
- No additives
Details about Holmes Cay MHOBA South Africa 2017
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How does Holmes Cay MHOBA South Africa 2017 taste?
Aggregated from 29 community reviews.
Wild, funky Mhoba cane-juice blast For curious explorers ready for funk at barrel proof. This 4‑year Mhoba cane-juice rum brings fermented tropical fruit, butterscotch grass and mid-range esters, with a drier, slightly bitter finish. Widely praised as wild, unique and exciting.
Fans of high-ester, funky cane-juice rums who enjoy intense 59% sippers with tropical fruit, grassy notes and a drier, slightly bitter finish.
Beginners or those sensitive to high ABV and funky, fermented aromas who prefer smooth, sweet, easygoing rums.
How is Holmes Cay MHOBA South Africa 2017 rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict — 8.4 lands squarely in the "Very good" band. 93% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Rum reviews
A selection of the most popular reviews from our community. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Kayla Roy
Phenomenal, how delicious! This is not for everyone, but if you like funky, almost gross smelling rum (if you know, you know) this is the thing. It smells like white dog and fights like a much younger distillate. Wonderful!
Review by Anton Krioukov
Will blow your socks off! Just wow! If you like high ester rum, this is for you. Intense, fruity, and exciting.
Review by ChrisPro
I think this is my rum of the year from 2022. Just trying to drink the bottle as slow as I can. Delicious!
Review by Kieron Wood
Tasting 23-03-2023 The nosing on this is quite weird as it's really heavy ina butterscotch grass note which confuses the brain . The tasting is just as insane that's a beautiful blend of agricole notes with a sweet rum .. This is an excellent bottling from Eric that's so unusual it blows the mind
Review by Peter Bosel
very unique and wild. This is a fun one! It's great, but not something you can drink casually every day.
Review by Frank
From the very first Mhoba, I have loved this distillery with its very own rum profile. This one matured for the whole 4 years in a South African whisky cask - maybe Bains? Nose: clear Mhoba profile, fermented fruit with honey and yogurt. Overripe banana and papaya and slightly vegetal towards olive. There is also the typical funk, which is noticeable with fruit esters and vinegar. To be honest, I don't notice the whisky cask here. But, as always, good. 8.4 Palate: yes, now the whisky does stand out. The classic Mhoba seems a little more tannic, coarser. But the basis is again fermented fruit and honey with a slightly bitter-salty attack. Ester and banana. It does seem a little dry. Am I deceiving myself or is there a little soap in the finish? 8,0 I actually don't like the whisky cask that much, even though it adds a distinctly different note to the usual Mhoba flavor.
Review by Henry Davies
Unusual and very distinctive nose - really great strawberry and overripe pineapple. A bit of heat on the tongue but nothing crazy given the age profile, tropical fruit, Indian spices, treacle and caramel. Light slightly flat finish with a bit of pepper and green hay. It’s different, interesting and an exciting early release - keen to try more from Mhoba
Review by Jakob
Lots of youthful freshness, accentuated fruity notes with some sweetness on the nose. On the palate, there is a spicy, roasted aroma reminiscent of cigar smoke - heavy tobacco aromas combined with smoke. For me, it could have a little less of a roasted note, but that is a matter of taste. All in all, a good overall package.
Review by Abrahan Reyes
I was given a sampler for this to try. The color is very clear and that may be because is aged for only four years. Nose: Sugarcane, pineapple, very pleasant. Taste: The first impression is that kicks hard, that's because is bottled at 59% ABV. After letting rest you can get more from it. Banana, coconut, sugarcane. The aftertaste is prolonged and pleasant. Very good indeed will probably be better with some extra time in the barrel. Will I buy it, not so sure the price is a bit stiff for me, and in that price range I can get some excellent rums.
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by The Secret Rum Bar
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Community purchases
30 bottles logged by 52,000+ RumX members. The ratio of closed / opened / emptied, indicates whether this rum is meant to be drunk or is a collector's item.
Also on the wishlist of 15 members.
About the MHOBA distillery
The MHOBA distillery is located in South Africa. Rums from MHOBA have been reviewed 2,265 times with an average of 8.2/10.
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