O Reizinho Aged 3 Years 2018

O Reizinho is a small Madeira producer working in the cane-juice tradition, one of the few places outside the French islands legally allowed to use the agricole name. This 2018 was distilled on a column still from fresh sugar-cane juice, matured three years in Madeira casks and bottled unsweetened at a fiery 54.4%.

Youth and strength define it. The nose is fresh and grassy with honey and young, sappy wood; the palate stays vegetal and honeyed, the oak still raw rather than rounded, and the finish brings vanilla, raisin and a peppery snap. Tasters compare its mix of green agricole notes, orchard fruit and barrel character to a cross between fine Calvados and rhum agricole, fun and unusual rather than smooth. It is best approached neat in small measures or opened up with a little water to tame the edges.