TimberCoast Avontuur Junger Wilder 2017

TimberCoast bottles this Avontuur from Marie-Galante, the small island off Guadeloupe whose distilleries make agricole from fresh-pressed sugar cane juice, here aged just a year in ex-bourbon. At one year old it is barely out of the blanc stage, with only a light touch of wood over a youthful, lively spirit.

The name promises something wild, and it delivers fruit-forward energy: dark berries, dried figs and pear on the nose, then a palate of strawberry and raspberry over a treacly, slightly sweet base. Unsweetened, the sweetness reads as fruit rather than dosage. At a low 38 percent it is soft and gentle, an easy, berry-driven young agricole that trades intensity for approachability, suited to relaxed sipping or a fruity mix where its berry character can lead.