Valinch & Mallet The Spirit of Art 1993

Valinch and Mallet bottled this 30 year old Grenada rum under its Spirit of Art label, a single cask drawn from a 1993 distillation and released at cask strength, 57.7 percent. It is a long aged column still molasses rum, the oldest sort of release that trades on the appeal of decades in wood, though the high strength stays assertive even after extended ageing.

Three decades have built a deeply wood driven profile, with a nose of roasted oak, leather and oak, a palate of wood, vanilla, roasted notes and clear alcohol, and a warm finish of pineapple, ginger and lingering heat. There is a sweet streak of toffee, vanilla and subtle spice across the middle. The cask strength remains dominant and the integration can feel firm rather than seamless, so it benefits from a long rest in the glass. It suits those drawn to old, wood forward rum who take the proof in their stride.