CDI Kaiman

CDI Kaiman is a blended rum from Compagnie des Indes, the terroir-minded French house run by Florent Beuchet, drawing chiefly on Guadeloupe with support from Jamaica and Guyana. It carries an extraordinary forty-six year age statement and is bottled unsweetened at a soft 46%, an old-school pour whose appeal lies in its evolution in the glass rather than any single dominant note.

Matured in ex-bourbon oak, it offers a slowly unfolding nose of red and tropical fruit, burnt sugar, leather and pastry that needs time and air to fully reveal itself. The palate is elegant and dry, slightly bitter and woody, with tea, menthol, anise and toasted notes leading to a leathery, allspice finish. Some drinkers wish for higher strength to carry the age, yet the gentle proof suits its delicacy. Best given plenty of time in the glass, it is one for those who enjoy well-aged blends and the quiet, layered character that decades in oak can bring.