Bielle Brut de fût 2016

Bielle is a Marie-Galante distillery known for its cane experiments and high proof bottlings, and this Brut de Fut is a single cask drawn from 2016 and aged seven years. Made from fresh cane juice rather than molasses and distilled across both pot and column stills, it is bottled unsweetened at cask strength of 54.2%, a precise, characterful agricole from this small island.

The pot and column combination gives it body, and Ex-Bourbon ageing layers honeyed pastry, nuts and dried fruit over the fresh cane core, with a faint iodine, briny lift adding interest. The palate turns woody and oily with dark chocolate and a vegetal edge, and the finish carries fruit, barrel and pepper. It is powerful but balanced, the strength giving it presence without losing the cane character. For drinkers who enjoy precise, dry agricoles and want one with cane freshness, nuts and honey at a manageable cask strength, this rewards with depth and a long, satisfying finish.