Velier Neisson Cuvée Chai 4 MainMain 2016

This Cuvee Chai 4 is a single cask of Neisson, the small, much-admired family distillery in Martinique, selected and bottled by Velier, the Genoese name regarded as the most prestigious in collectible rum. Drawn from the 2016 harvest at four years old and bottled at full proof without added sugar, it pairs a much-admired distillery with a bottler known for tropically aged, additive-free single casks.

Distilled from fresh cane juice on a column still and matured in ex-bourbon oak under tropical conditions, it shows the freshness those few years can carry: cane, citrus and stone fruit lifted by floral and coconut notes. The palate turns drier and more structured, with hay, cinnamon and licorice over firm oak, closing long and gently tannic. At 54.1% the power stays elegant rather than aggressive, with a natural sweetness that owes nothing to dosage. One for drinkers who want a dry, characterful agricole with depth and grip.