Bielle Rhum Vieux Agricole 2011

Bielle is a distillery on Marie-Galante, the small island off Guadeloupe known for muscular cane-juice rum, and this Rhum Vieux Agricole is a ten year old from the 2011 vintage aged in ex-bourbon oak and bottled at 45%. Marie-Galante sits under the Guadeloupe IGP, and this is a genuine agricole distilled from fresh cane juice.

The creole column keeps the cane character in the spirit, and a decade of tropical ageing has built a balanced, woody-fruity profile, honeyed sugarcane and dried fruit with vanilla, licorice and citrus over elegant, well-judged oak. The finish runs long and dry, the wood integrated rather than dominant, a harmonious aged agricole that shows the island's reputation for quality. The added-sugar status is not stated, though aged agricole of this kind is typically dry. Best enjoyed neat, it is a rewarding cane-juice sipper for anyone who likes their agricole mature and composed.