Valinch & Mallet The Spirit of Art 1998

Valinch & Mallet The Spirit of Art 1998 is a 25 Year Old Nicaraguan ron from the 1998 vintage, a single cask under the bottler's Spirit of Art line. Column distilled and matured in ex-bourbon oak, it is bottled at cask strength of 57.1% and listed with Belize character, sitting firmly in the dry, wood driven camp rather than the smooth Spanish style norm.

The long ageing and full proof give a deep, oak led profile: berries, coffee, vanilla and wood on the nose, then wood, roasted notes, vanilla and dried fruit on the palate, closing on wood, vanilla, roasted character and tobacco. There is a caramelised molasses, red berry and earthy espresso depth, with a faint smoky, almost whisky like quality that drinkers say could fool a blind taster. The cask is assertive and the sweetness restrained, making this a solid, characterful, dry old rum for experienced palates who like their single casks oak forward and robust.