Bologne VO

Bologne, a historic Basse-Terre estate, bottles this VO from fresh-pressed sugar cane juice under Guadeloupe's IGP. At six years old and 41%, it is the aged counterpart to the distillery's blancs, showing how the house cane character develops with some time in oak.

Matured in ex-bourbon oak, it noses on wood, citrus, tropical fruit and vanilla, with a palate that carries citrus, wood, tropical fruit and young wood and a finish of licorice and spice. The moderate strength keeps it soft and approachable, and the fruit and vanilla make it an easygoing aged agricole, though the finish runs a little lighter and less resolved than the nose promises. For the modest price agricole tends to command, it offers honest cane character with a gentle oak overlay. A reasonable everyday pour for drinkers who want Guadeloupe cane juice with a bit of age but no high-proof intensity.