Fassbind AG Secret Treasures Old 1986

Secret Treasures Old is a Fassbind release, a 1986 vintage Barbados rum aged fourteen years and bottled at low strength. It sits among the gentler, understated island bottlings, a quiet and delicate pour rather than a punchy one, suited to drinkers who linger over the nose and prefer subtlety to intensity.

Distilled from molasses and matured in ex-bourbon oak without added sugar, it shows a light, soft frame. The aroma is thin and citrus-led with vanilla and young wood, the palate brings citrus, vanilla and honey with a diluted feel, and the finish carries pencil shavings, spice and more young wood. There is gentle honey, almond and a faint nutty smoke woven through it, and the fourteen years of cask sit lightly rather than asserting themselves. The nose is the most rewarding part, while the palate reads watery at 40%, a delicate bottling for quiet contemplation rather than weight or grip.