Depaz Private Cask 2015

Depaz sits at the foot of Mont Pelee on Martinique, distilling since 1917 with a strong volcanic-terroir story, and this Private Cask is a single barrel selection carrying the island's AOC. Bottled at full cask strength from the 2015 vintage, it concentrates eight years of tropical maturation into an undiluted pour.

Distilled on a creole column from fresh-pressed sugar-cane juice and matured in ex-bourbon oak, it shows the deeper, drier face of aged agricole. The nose is generous with dried fruit, fruitiness, barrel and vanilla, while the palate brings orange, sugarcane, more barrel and a toasted edge. The finish turns woody with dried fruit, allspice and a mineral streak that nods to the volcanic soil. Unsweetened and powerful at 57%, it is a structured, single-cask sipper for those who want Martinique agricole at full intensity, a splash of water optional.