Karukera Cuvée Anniversaire 235 ans

Karukera Cuvee Anniversaire 235 ans is a celebratory single-cask rhum agricole from Karukera, the Guadeloupe estate relaunched in 2002 and known for its single-cane Canne Bleue bottlings. Distilled from fresh-pressed sugar-cane juice rather than molasses, it marks 235 years of the estate with a rum chosen from one barrel.

The nose is the elegant, fruit-forward side of aged agricole, with dried fruit, apricot, floral lift and a faint metallic note. The palate turns to ripe fruit, allspice and a vegetal cane thread with a touch of sweetness, while the finish brings toasted coconut, roasted almond, fresh cane and a peppery edge. The profile is fine and polished rather than heavy, the grassy agricole core softened by oak into something rounded and aromatic. Bottled at 45%, it makes an approachable sipper that still keeps the dry, spice-forward character that sets French-island rum apart from sweeter molasses styles.