Romdeluxe Barbancourt Collectors Series No. 5 BMHC 2004

This is an aged Haitian rum from Barbancourt, distilled from fresh pressed sugar cane juice, here selected as a single cask by the Danish bottler Romdeluxe for its Collectors Series. Distilled in 2004 and aged just over seventeen years at a robust 60%, it offers a more mature, oak shaped take on Haitian cane spirit than the raw village clairins the country is known for, while keeping that dry, herbal island character.

Matured in ex bourbon wood at cask strength, it has grown balanced and layered: vanilla, caramel and ripe fruit meet vegetal and liquorice notes, with herbs, dry oak and a floral, slightly astringent finish. The cane juice base keeps it lively and a touch grassy beneath the age. Unsweetened and full proof, it is a rum for experienced palates who appreciate dry, characterful Haitian and aged cane juice spirits, best sipped neat with a few drops of water to open the herbal layers.