Neisson Straight from the Barrel No. 258

Neisson is a small family distillery on Martinique founded in 1931 and long a favourite, and this Straight from the Barrel release, cask No. 258, is its classic character bottled at single barrel strength of 58.8%. Pressed from fresh sugar cane juice, it has spent roughly five years in oak, enough to pick up real wood without losing the grassy snap that defines the house.

The profile is firmly dry and savoury: fresh cut grass, citrus and green herbs lead, with brown sugar and a clean barrel tone underneath. The finish runs green and nutty with walnut and a fresh edge, and the oak makes itself felt without tipping into bitterness. This is Neisson with the strength dialled up rather than the style changed, a rewarding pour for anyone who likes their agricole dry, grassy and built with some oak grip.