Ak Zanj 15 Year Old Haitian Dark Rum
Ak Zanj 15 Year Old Haitian Dark Rum is the oldest expression of Haiti's cane-juice rum revival — distilled from 100% Madame Mueze cane juice, fermented with wild yeast, and run through a 60+ year old Creole column still, then aged 15 years in a single 227-liter Limousine oak ex-Cognac cask. Bottled at 43% ABV in a 750mL bottle with no sugar, color, or additives. "Ak Zanj" means "With Angels" — the share the cask keeps. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 86 proof (43% ABV) — 750mL bottle
- Age: 15 years in a single 227L Limousine oak ex-Cognac cask
- Base: 100% Madame Mueze cane juice; wild-yeast fermentation
- Still: 60+ year old Creole column still
- Additives: none — no sugar, no color
Fifteen Years in One Cognac Cask
Haitian rum — rhum agricole's Caribbean cousin — is built from fresh cane juice rather than molasses, and Ak Zanj's 15-year expression is its most patient statement. A single Limousine ex-Cognac cask, one fill, fifteen years of tropical aging: the result is a rum of unusual depth and roundness, where the grassy, fruity cane-juice character of the distillate meets the spice and polish of fine French oak. Imported by High Road Spirits. Compare it against everything in the rum collection or browse all of Ak Zanj at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Aromatic and deep: dried tropical fruit, tobacco leaf, toasted oak, and molasses-like richness with a grassy agricole undercurrent. The palate is full and rounded — cocoa, clove, dried orange peel, and a long, dry, oaky finish. Complex without being heavy.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass — this is a contemplative sipping rum that rewards patience. A splash of water opens the fruit. Reserved for the serious rum shelf; not a mixing rum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Ak Zanj" mean?
"With Angels" — the angels' share: the portion of spirit that evaporates from the cask during aging. The unaged white rum in the line is called San Zanj ("Without Angels").
Is Ak Zanj rum agricole?
It is distilled from 100% fresh cane juice like rhum agricole, in the Haitian tradition — wild-yeast fermented and Creole-column distilled.
How old is the Ak Zanj 15 Year?
It spent 15 years in a single 227-liter Limousine oak ex-Cognac cask — no blending across casks, no added color or sugar.
A single-cask, fifteen-year Haitian treasure — order Ak Zanj 15 Year Old Haitian Dark Rum from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.