Bielle 2004

Bielle is one of Marie-Galante's distinctive agricole houses, and this 2004 is an aged cane-juice rum matured a decade in ex-bourbon oak under the Guadeloupe IGP. It comes across as a slightly atypical Bielle, one where the distillery's usual fierce markers are softened, distilled in 2004 and drawn from wood ten years later.

The nose is fruity and citrussy with spice and a touch of solvent in the background, an ester lift that flags the cane-juice origin. The palate is balanced and well integrated, woody with vanilla and spice, the alcohol nicely absorbed, and the finish turns intense and woody with the sugarcane reasserting itself. Tropical ageing has given it depth without losing the cane. Bottled at 45% with no sign of added sugar, it is a composed, characterful aged agricole, the kind of bottle that rewards Marie-Galante enthusiasts while staying approachable for anyone exploring older French-island rum.