Alambique Serrano Single Cask #32

Alambique Serrano Single Cask #32 is an Oaxacan rum distilled from Java varietal cane sugar grown between 2,500 and 3,800 feet above sea level in Santa María Tlalixtac. Rommel Krassel distilled this single-cask expression in copper alembic pot stills in March 2022, then aged it 28 months in virgin French oak. Only 284 bottles exist, each tasted and selected by Lucas Assis for Off Premise Chicago, making this a bottling that won't reappear. Alambique Serrano operates in the mountains of Oaxaca, where elevation and climate shape how cane sugars develop in ways coastal distilleries cannot replicate. Krassel ferments with ambient yeasts in pine vats, a choice that introduces resinous character and microbial complexity uncommon in Caribbean rum. The distillation happens in traditional copper alembic pot stills, the same equipment used for centuries in mezcal and brandy production across the region. The 28-month maturation in virgin French oak adds tannic structure and oxidative notes without the vanilla heaviness of ex-bourbon cooperage, pushing this rum closer to agricole territory than molasses-based Caribbean styles. Expect toasted grain, dried apricot, and a faint pine-sap lift on the nose, with a dry, almost tea-like finish that carries grip rather than sweetness. The virgin oak contributes structure without masking the cane itself, making this a rum for sipping neat or pairing with grilled pork, mole amarillo, or aged manchego. A few drops of water open the mid-palate and soften the tannins, revealing more fruit and floral complexity underneath. This is a bottle that rewards slow attention and asks you to reconsider what rum can be when distilled at altitude. In stock at Off Premise in Lincoln Park.