Neisson Straight from the barrel No. 279 2018

Neisson is a small family distillery in Martinique with a strong following, and its Straight from the Barrel series bottles single barrels at full cask strength, here 54.2% and undiluted. Made from fresh-pressed sugar cane juice on a creole column and unsweetened under the island AOC, barrel No. 279 carries five years of tropical ageing.

That heat driven maturation gives more depth than the age might suggest. The nose is intense and fresh with raw sugarcane and citrus, the palate fresh and oily with an unexpected seam of chocolate cutting through the cane, and the finish runs warm, dry and peppery with a woody grip. The strength is well integrated, carrying aroma rather than burn. A serious, full-proof Martinique vieux that shows what Neisson and tropical ageing can do with a single cask.