Papa Rouyo Blanc L’Œilleton 2022

Papa Rouyo is a young Guadeloupe distillery, and this L'Oeilleton blanc from 2022 takes the less common route of pot still distillation rather than the creole column most agricole houses favour. Pressed from fresh sugar cane juice and bottled unaged at 51%, it carries Guadeloupe IGP rather than the Martinique AOC, and the pot still gives it a rounder, oilier shape than a typical column blanc.

The nose is citrus driven and floral with a clean freshness, and the palate follows with warmth and an oily texture that holds good presence and length. There is a faint copper, briny lift and a touch of banana that speaks to the pot still character, while the finish stays fresh and citrussy. Dry and cane forward, it works neat for its particularity and has the body to stand up in a mixer or Ti Punch.