Grays New Grove Savoir-Faire Belle Vue 2005

New Grove is the rum brand of the Mauritian producer Grays, and this Savoir Faire Belle Vue is a molasses based rum from the 2005 vintage, aged fifteen years on a column still. Mauritian rum sits outside the agricole appellations, and this is a softly fruity molasses style that leans on age and balance rather than intensity, bottled at 45%.

The long ageing brings polished oak and a clear peachy character, the nose showing caramel, peaches, dried fruit and vanilla, the palate fruity and spicy with peach to the fore, the finish woody with a faintly bitter edge. The famous New Grove red fruitiness is gentler here than in younger releases, the profile mellow and easy to follow. At a comfortable strength it makes a relaxed everyday sipper, well suited to drinkers who like a fruit heavy rum with some age but no cask strength bite.