A.V. Wees Ciguena Carta 1975

A.V. Wees Ciguena Carta 1975 is a long aged molasses rum bottled by the historic Amsterdam house A.V. Wees, the firm behind the Old Eve Hoboken bottlings. Carrying a 1975 vintage and twenty five years of age at 45%, it is a piece of old stock with the poise that long, gentle maturation can bring.

Matured in ex bourbon wood, it shows a surprisingly light and elegant profile for its years. The nose offers caramel, a cappuccino like coffee note and a fresh, almost lively edge, and the palate is round and light with a soft woodiness and a whisper of smoke. The finish keeps that gentle wood, ripe fruit and caramel with a lingering smoky touch. Rather than the heavy oak some expect from a quarter century old rum, this stays refined and easy, a graceful old sipper for those who favour elegance over intensity.