Tasting Notes
MHOBA Franky's Pineapple - South African Rum Infused with Real Pineapple
Forget everything you know about "flavoured rum." Franky's Pineapple isn't a syrupy gimmick or a cocktail shortcut - it's sunshine in a bottle, built with integrity, cane juice, and fruit that's been kissed by the Lowveld sun. This is real pineapple, real rum, and real soul - all courtesy of the mad-genius minds at MHOBA Distillery, South Africa's boldest voice in pure single rum.
Let's start with the base: MHOBA's rums are made from fresh-pressed Nkomazi sugarcane juice, grown and harvested right there on the Greaves family farm in Malalane. Fermented wild, pot distilled in hand-built stills, and aged and infused with care - this is craft at its core. Franky's Pineapple is no exception. It's named for Franky, a beloved figure in the MHOBA crew, and the flavour profile reflects that same warmth: vibrant, joyful, a little wild.
The magic? They infuse their rum with dried, homegrown pineapple, allowing the fruit to steep and soften in high-proof cane juice distillate - not artificial flavouring, not concentrate. The result is fruit-forward, yes, but with backbone. This isn't candy. This is a tropical spirit with serious legs.
On the nose, it bursts with ripe, sticky pineapple - grilled, caramelised, maybe even rum-soaked - followed by a punch of fresh cane, citrus peel, and grassy funk. There's a floral lift too: like pineapple blossoms and wild herbs after rain.
The palate is where it all comes alive. Juicy, tart pineapple wrapped around green sugarcane, white pepper, and a hint of oak. It's got zip and zing, but also depth - the fruit is bold, but not overripe, and it dances beautifully with the dry, earthy rum underneath. The finish is clean and zesty, with a lingering echo of citrus, clove, and cane juice.
This bottle is built for cocktails, but it's no slouch neat. Shake it into a pineapple Daiquiri or a South African Mojito with mint and lime. Try it in a Highball with soda and a wedge of grilled pineapple, or drop it into a tiki riff where you'd usually lean on falernum or spiced rum - it holds its own, with style.
But above all, Franky's Pineapple is a statement: that flavoured rum doesn't have to be fake. It can be crafted, cane-forward, and joyful. It's what happens when a distillery with deep roots and wild ambition decides to make something fun - and still keep it honest.
For those who've tried Plantation's Stiggins' Fancy and want something rawer, realer, and way more tropical, this is your bottle. It's farm-to-glass. Fruit-to-spirit. Lowveld to the world.
Franky's Pineapple is a celebration - of flavour, of craft, of South Africa's place in the rum renaissance. Drink it with friends, under sun or stars. This isn't just a rum - it's a good time waiting to happen.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Sweet
- Dry
- Smooth
- Complex
- Delicate
- Full Flavoured
Classification: Spirits
Variety: Rum
Vintage: None
Bottle Size: 700ml
Country: South Africa
Region: Malalane,
Alcohol %: 43.0%
Cellaring: Ready, but will Keep