CDI Secret (Bottled for Perola) 2009

Compagnie des Indes is a France based bottler known for terroir led single casks across a broad range of origins, and this secret Cuban, bottled for Perola, is one of its fuller proof Caribbean offerings. Distilled in 2009 and aged eleven years, it is a single cask drawn from a column still molasses spirit and bottled at a meaty 56.9% cask strength, a long way from the soft 40% face of most Cuban ron.

Maturation in ex-bourbon has pushed it well past the sweeter Spanish style template into darker, drier territory. The nose carries tobacco, caramel and a whisky like edge, the palate runs to tobacco, leather, cocoa and fudge, and the finish stays savoury with oak, malt and dark chocolate. Tasters liken it to a stout aged spirit, rich in tobacco and roasted barrel, with the alcohol noticeable but rewarding. This is a Cuba for drinkers who want power and structure rather than easy sweetness.