Maison La Mauny Rhum Vieux Agricole 1979

Maison La Mauny is a heritage Martinique distillery dating to 1749, and this Vieux Agricole from the 1979 vintage is an aged AOC cane juice rum, pressed from fresh sugar cane juice on a column still and bottled unsweetened at 43%. It carries the character of an older era of island rum, less polished and more rustic than a modern release.

Tasters describe it as homemade rather than ready made, an honest natural agricole that trades perfection for character. The nose layers wood, sugar cane, dark chocolate and a fruity lift, while the palate turns earthy, grassy and nutty with a clear agricole core. The finish brings citrus, wood, a faint smoke and a minty edge. A touch thin in body for some, it is nonetheless a distinctive, characterful old Martinique vieux that recalls the traditional rums of its decade.