Kō Hana Kila Aged Hawaiian Agricole Rum (Dagger Club pick)

Reviewer: Tashtego (with notes from Pickwick)

Distillery: Kō Hana
Origin: Oahu, Hawaii
Bottle Size: 375 ml
Bottle Count: Unknown
ABV: 61.2%
Distilled: Unstated
Base Material: Sugarcane juice (Mahai’ula cane variety)
Still: Hybrid pot still
Aging specs: Aged for an undisclosed amount of time in American oak barrels
Bottled: Unstated; purchased February 2025

Nose: Almond, jasmine, perfume
Palate: Custard, yogurt, chai spice, tropical flowers, macadamia nuts
Finish: Orange sherbet

If you asked me what my favorite American distillery is, I’d probably say Kō Hana. Their stuff is hard to come by on the mainland, but it’s fascinating cane juice rum if you’re willing to pay the shipping to get it here. This rum, “KILA,” is an agricole-style rum made in partnership with a bar in Honolulu. It’s a cask-strength aged expression of a particular native Hawaiian cane variety, “Mahai’ula.”

The nose is nutty and perfume-y. Reminiscent of a Westin hotel lobby, it’s sophisticated and potent. The flavor is custardy with some mellow spices, and again there’s the floral notes of the perfume. It drinks below its high proof. I’ve noticed a pronounced nuttiness in other Kō Hanas (pecans, for instance), but here I get macadamia nuts. That could be because I’ve got Hawaii on the brain when I’m sipping this, but it’s a mild nutty flavor. Some fruit comes in on the finish and you get orange sherbet. It’s surprising just how much creaminess there is on the palate here — a real dairy-forward rum.

I think Kō Hana could do a whole dessert series of rums. This one to me is crème brûlée, with its core of custard and the burnt sugar from the cane juice. I’ve noted pecan pie on a previous aged Kō Hana rum. It’s a real meal as a sipper — a lot of rich flavors that meld together into a decadent treat. For Taste, we’ll give it a 4. It might not blow you away, but it’s got a lot going on for what appears to be lightly aged cane juice rum. For Haste, it’s a 3. If this were available in the lower 48 and you wanted a fun sipper, it’s worth paying a premium. But since it’s a costly shipment, you might consider other aged cane spirits that are a bit easier to find. It’s worth noting how cool the bottle is. The square glass bottle stands out — not something you see every day. This distillery is one to watch as they release more bottles and hopefully expand their distribution.

Taste/Haste Scale: 4 / 3