Bologne La Batterie 2020

Bologne is one of Guadeloupe's oldest distilleries, and this La Batterie is a single-harvest blanc made purely from a plot of black cane, pressed fresh and distilled on a creole column. Guadeloupe falls under IGP rather than the Martinique AOC, but Bologne works in the agricole tradition, and the single cane variety makes this a terroir bottling.

Unaged and unsweetened, it shows the cane in full: a balanced nose of fresh sugarcane, basil and passion fruit with a green, herbal edge, then a fuller palate carrying cinnamon, pepper and a saline note. The finish turns to grapefruit, citrus and an oily, rounded close. At a hefty 58.6 percent cask strength it stays bracing without losing its fruit, the black cane lending a slightly more aromatic, exotic lift than a standard blanc. Built for a Ti Punch where lime and cane syrup balance the proof, or a stirred drink that keeps its dry, vegetal snap.