Poisson Père Labat Réserve Familiale

Père Labat is the rum of the Poisson distillery on Marie-Galante, a small, well regarded house, and this Réserve Familiale is its softer, more rounded face. Made from fresh pressed sugar cane juice rather than molasses, it sits at an approachable 42%, which makes it a fine first serious cane juice bottle for anyone curious about agricole.

Distilled on a column run low to keep the green cane character, then given light time in oak, it stays dry and lifted rather than rich. The nose is fresh and grassy with orange peel and a clear agricole snap, the palate turns peppery and vegetal over more grass, and the finish is dry with a little vanilla and fresh pepper. It drinks well neat for its gentleness and shines in ti' punch, where the herbal cane character does the talking.