Trois Rivières Millésime 1999

This 1999 Millesime from Trois Rivieres is a 17 year aged Martinique agricole made from fresh-pressed sugarcane juice under the island's AOC. Bottled unsweetened at a gentle 42 percent, it shows how tropical ageing builds maturity, the long years in wood having shaped a refined, oak-led rum.

Column distilled and matured in ex-bourbon wood, it leads with elegant wood, vanilla and tropical fruit, with baking spice and a faint floral lift. The palate is balanced and dry, layering wood, vanilla and dried fruit, finishing on caramel, oak and a curious iodine note. The reduced strength makes it light on its feet and very easy to sip, the emphasis on poise rather than power. A graceful, mature agricole for drinkers who favour balance and a soft, oak-driven presentation.