Depaz Single Cask 2011

A single cask from Depaz, the Martinique estate at the foot of Mont Pelee with a strong volcanic-terroir story. This is a vintage 2011 aged eleven years, an unusually mature age given tropical ageing accelerates extraction, so it shows depth well beyond its number. As an AOC agricole it is fresh-pressed cane juice with no added sugar, run off a creole column and bottled unsweetened at 45%.

The extended tropical maturation in ex-bourbon oak pulls it toward the gourmand end of the agricole spectrum. The nose is rich with dried fruit and candied orange alongside spicy wood, tobacco and chocolate. The palate is round and generous, leading with dried fruit, wood and sugar cane, with grape and plum adding to the fruit. A warm, woody, tannic finish closes it. Notably soft and mellow for its strength, it is a polished, dessert-leaning aged agricole that drinks beautifully neat after dinner.