Review: Mhoba The Shaldon High Ester Overproof Rum
Rum is often synonymous with tales of empire — sugarcane fields and island colonies ruled by Spain, France, and England. Yet the story of rum stretches far beyond the Caribbean. Today, this spirit of exploration is produced in more than 100 countries across the globe, making rum one of the world’s most diverse and expressive categories. Still, much of that diversity has yet to reach American shores.
One producer leading the charge is Mhoba Rum, distilled on Strathmore Farm near Malalane in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, just shy of the Mozambique border. Mhoba’s journey into the U.S. market began in the fall of 2021, when independent bottler Holmes Cay introduced the Holmes Cay Single Cask Rum South Africa 2017, matured in casks from the James Sedgwick Distillery. Two more aged expressions followed, and soon after, Habitation Velier released an unaged Mhoba white rum of its own.
Fast-forward to late 2025, and Mhoba has taken the stage under its own banner with Mhoba The Shaldon High Ester Overproof Rum — a high-proof white rum that captures the brand’s terroir-driven identity. Founded in 2013 by Robert Greaves, Mhoba has garnered attention for authenticity, from home-built stills to organically grown sugarcane. The Shaldon, however, pays homage to another key figure: Shaldon Engelbrecht, a distiller whose scientific background in microbiology and immunology has uniquely informed his approach to fermentation.
Engelbrecht’s creation, The Shaldon (Lot No. 20225TS1), is single origin, pure agricole-style, heavy artisanal rum distilled from organic Nkomazi sugarcane — a blend of N49 and N57 varieties, harvested from the Mhoba Sugar Estate between August and November 2024 with a natural brix of 26–28. The juice undergoes a wild fermentation in open-top plastic vats, without any added water or yeast, before being pot-distilled on three stills designed and built by Greaves himself. The final blend combines two marques, GHE and GHE-1.5, resulting in a rum bottled at 126 proof with no additives.
The GHE represents the first high-ester marque developed by the distillery, originally formulated by Robert Greaves — hence the name Greaves High Ester. Fermentation typically runs for about 21 days, though depending on a range of variables, it may extend up to 28 days, but fermentation tends to lapse around 7 days. The GHE fermentation blend consists of approximately 30% dunder and 70% freshly pressed cane juice.
The GHE-1.5 marque is primarily distinguished by its modified distillation technique. In this variation, single-distilled GHE is used to recharge the pot still to about 50% of its capacity, with the remaining 50% filled with a fresh GHE fermentation ready for distillation. This process partially replicates the function of a retort pot still, allowing the interaction of spirit and ferment under heat to promote the creation of additional congeners.
GHE typically comes off the still initially at around 140–150 proof, tapering down to approximately 100 proof. While the precise blending ratios are undisclosed, the dominant component in the final profile is GHE-1.5.
Mhoba stands as one of the most distinctive voices in the global rum landscape—proof that innovation and authenticity are thriving in unexpected corners of the world. Is The Shaldon the white rum that can capture the imagination of American drinkers and ignite a new curiosity for rums born far beyond the colonial islands? Let’s find out.
Mhoba The Shaldon High Ester Overproof Rum Review
The nose opens with an arresting rush of caramelized ripe banana, expressive from the first whiff. As that sweetness settles, the aroma shifts toward wet limestone gravel, grounding the fruit with a clean minerality. A fleeting note of dried shiitake appears before a healthy dose of fermented pineapple takes command, tying the bouquet together. The high-ester character announces itself immediately: unapologetic and full of personality.
On the palate, Calvados-soaked golden raisins lead the way. Just as the rum could rest on that early note, it expands into savory notes of mushroom broth and fennel. The midpalate introduces a chalky minerality that pairs neatly with a medium-thick mouthfeel. The finish takes a surprising turn — plastic pool float gives a cheeky nod to its ester-heavy funk — before shifting to bamboo shoots and finishing with traces of lemongrass and chalk dust.
The Shaldon is a character-driven white rum that celebrates intensity and individuality. For those who appreciate the punchy style of high-ester Jamaican distillates, Mhoba will feel instantly familiar yet its own. Having tasted Mhoba in both Habitation Velier’s unaged release and Holmes Cay’s barrel-aged expressions, I found this unaged version the purest showcase of what makes the distillery special — its raw, expressive identity unmasked by wood influence. While the $70 price tag for an unaged spirit may raise eyebrows, a single sip will convince the curious that Mhoba The Shaldon is not just worth the investment — it’s a spirited adventure into what white rum can be.
126 proof.
A- / $70 (700 ml)
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