I was looking through my shelves looking for a rum to get back on more regular writing and tucked away I found these 2 bottles that were made in New Zealand. Unfortunately, from what I can see, they are not available in the UK, but I’m excited to add New Zealand to the list of countries I’ve reviewed rums from.
LWF (Life Worth Funding) Distilling is a project started by Janet Charteris and is based in Oakura, a small township in the New Plymouth District, Taranaki, New Zealand. Charteris worked in sales and marketing around the world for 15 years before coming back to New Plymouth and launching her distillery along with her very first white rum on the 13th of October, 2019.
LWF Distilling uses a 500 litre hybrid still that’s placed in a former utility shed on Janet’s family farm. Thanks to the location, they are collecting and filtering rainwater which is used in their rum production. It’s also worth noting that a part of the distillery’s profits go to Kiva, a non-profit organisation that offers microloans to people who would otherwise be unable to access finance.
LWF Distilling White Rum
This is their very first release, a white rum made with molasses from Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia and fermented with a specialty yeast. Despite not being readily available in the UK, this rum has won silver at the 2021 London Spirits Competition.
Molasses based, batch distilled and bottled at 40% ABV without any additives.
On the nose it feels clean and fresh. Toffee, grapefruit peel, dill and wasabi. Ground coffee with earthy notes. It isn’t very intense, but there are some flavours here. Coconut, rose and damp cardboard. Some peach tea as well.
On the palate it isn’t as clean anymore. Black coffee, guava juice and grapefruit oils. Stone fruits, toffee and cardamom. It almost tastes like an aged rum. There are some earthy and floral notes mixed with some tropical undertones. Pineapple juice, cayenne pepper and hints of rose jam. The finish is medium with ground coffee.
It really does taste like an aged rum, with the coffee and earthy flavours being quite prevalent. The palate was more full bodied than the nose led to believe – I wasn’t expecting this, but I’m pleasantly surprised.
LWF Distilling Spiced White Rum
This is one of their flavoured offerings. There’s not much info available on the ingredients so I’ll just try to use my palate to see what’s going on.
Molasses based, batch distilled, bottled at 40% ABV and flavoured with various spices, but no sugar added.
On the nose it feels quite citrusy. Tangerines, triple sec, jasmine and rose. Guava, pineapple and apple juices. Smells quite bright and fragrant. Sandalwood, bubblegum and grapefruit zest.
On the palate the citrus makes a comeback. Tangerines, oranges, ground coffee and rose. Bubblegum (but not sweet) and guava. Now I can feel the base rum as well as the spices are not too overpowering. Grapefruits and a touch of cayenne pepper. The finish is short with citrus and ground coffee.
Nothing too out there, it feels like they added some more fruity, bright flavours to balance the earthiness of the base. I’m not big on the flavour combo and if I didn’t know I wouldn’t have been able to say this was flavoured. It’s alright, but I much prefer the pure white rum.
LWF is very interesting, showing a lot of potential, and I hope I’ll get to try more of their offerings some day.
While not available in the UK, they are priced at around £29 in New Zealand for a 50cl bottle which is not bad at all, I’d definitely get some more of their white rum.
LWF Distilling White Rum:
Flavour/taste: 47/70
Value for money: 15/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 77/100
LWF Distilling Spiced White Rum Rum:
Flavour/taste: 44/70
Value for money: 14/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 73/100
Cheers!