Neisson 18 Years 1997

Neisson is a small family distillery founded in 1931 and one of Martinique's most quietly admired houses. This 18 year old from the 1997 vintage is an unsweetened AOC agricole, distilled from fresh-pressed sugar cane juice and bottled at 46.1%, and it shows the house at its most refined.

Matured in ex-bourbon oak through nearly two decades of tropical ageing, it has reached a poised, harmonious state: nutty, cinnamon-dusted sugarcane and florals on the nose, a palate of wood, orange, nutmeg and vanilla, and a long finish of dark chocolate, marmalade and orange. The tropical warehouse gives oak depth well beyond the equivalent continental years while the grassy agricole core stays elegant rather than aggressive. The strength is judged to let the detail speak. A serious, dry and beautifully integrated Martinique vieux for seasoned drinkers who want aged cane juice at a high level, best savoured slowly and neat.