Carrere Montebello Rhum Vieux Agricole (Batch Année 2022) 2016

Montebello is a traditional Guadeloupe agricole house on Basse-Terre, run by the Marsolle family and distilling under the Carrere site. This Vieux Agricole, a 2016 vintage from the 2022 batch, is pressed from fresh sugar cane juice on a column still, aged six years in ex bourbon oak and bottled unsweetened at 42%, a classic dry Guadeloupe IGP aged rum.

The profile is exactly what the island does well: dry, woody and aromatic with a peppery bite. The nose carries wood, pepper, a light smoke and ginger, and the palate turns salty and fruity over a sugar cane base, with a pleasing pastry like note. The finish stays spicy, saline and smoky. The 42% is perfectly integrated, and the result is a slightly smoother sibling to the younger three year old. A dependable, characterful Guadeloupe vieux at a sensible strength.