Poisson Père Labat Single Cask 2009

Poisson Pere Labat Single Cask 2009 is a vintage agricole from the Poisson distillery on Marie-Galante, the small Guadeloupe island whose blancs are traditionally bottled high and whose aged rums are quietly admired among agricole drinkers. Distilled from fresh-pressed sugar-cane juice and drawn from a single ex-bourbon cask, twelve years is a long maturation for an agricole and shows the patience behind this bottling.

The defining note is brine, a wave of sea salt across both nose and palate that recalls the island setting. Behind it sits real depth, with green olive, tobacco, coffee, citrus, wood and a brown-sugar sweetness, closing dry, woody and vegetal. Tropical ageing has concentrated the spirit and pushed it to a powerful 61%, so a drop of water helps unpack the layers. This is among the older agricoles one is likely to encounter, a savoury, characterful pour for those who already love the style and want to see where long oak takes it.