Three rums today, from the French specialist Excellence Rhum. One of them is a joint bottling with Nobilis Rum.
We start with a name we hadn’t reviewed before. Espérance distillery is located in Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe. Founded by the Longueteau family, it is the smallest distillery on the island. They produce rum from blue and red sugarcane, grown in their own estate that was planted with bananas until the early 2000s. Distillation takes place on a Savalle copper and stainless steel column.
This could be the first independent bottling of Espérance, although Karukera also bottled something similar, if I’m not mistaken.
Espérance 6 yo 2016 (56,9%, Excellence Rhum 2023, cognac + French oak cask #B07, 249 btl.)
Nose: a good deal of aromatic wood takes up pretty much the entire nose (cigar boxes), along with vanilla and a gentle hint of burnt sugar. Lemony notes, some peaches and orange peels in the background. Then some agricole style grassy notes and dried herbs. Anise and candied ginger. Wee hints of mineral oils and medicinal camphor. Overall a nice composition.
Mouth: quite fierce, with plenty of gingery notes, aniseed, roasted almonds and grass up front. Some peppery heat. Syrupy fruits in the background (apricot?) as well as spicy honey. Lemon tartness and tangerines, nutmeg and plain wood. Then some molasses with the bitter edge of dark chocolate, herbal tea and medicinal notes in the end.
Finish: not as long as I expected. Warming, with a toasted oaky dryness, leaving herbal honey and oranges.
The wood is fairly loud, giving this Espérance a bourbonny side. In short: a nice discovery and a name to remember from Guadeloupe. Exclusively available from Excellence Rhum.
Caroni 25 yo 1998 (62,8%, Nolibis rum + Excellence Rhum 2023, bourbon barrel, 249 btl.)
Mouth: totally consistent but slightly sharper, with more liquorice, hints of motor oil and some salty notes. Camphory notes and eucalyptus oil, as well as hints of fermented pineapple. Hints of tobacco and oak char, with caramel sweetness in the back. Minty notes and some diesel throughout.
Finish: long, with polished oak, herbs and subtle tarry notes.
Good and lively Caroni, switching back and forth between rounder notes and the classic industrial hints. It loses some of the more funky notes and fills the gap with woody warmth. Even better with a drop of water. Available from Excellence Rhum. Score: 90/100
Next up: Bielle aged for only 18 months in an oak cask. It comes at cask strength, which means 74.5% ABV in this case. That’s a record, I believe the 2011 George T. Stagg was the highest proof I tried until now.
Bielle 1 yo 2021 (74,5%, Excellence Rhum 2023, 279 btl.)
Mouth: a nice fatty texture. Drinkable at full strength, if you’re careful. Peppermint and some bitter herbs. Green lemons, liquorice and caramel. Later some sweeter fruits like pear and orange, but always with a raw edge.
Finish: medium length, on sugar cane and vegetal notes.
I’m not getting the point of these youngsters at strengths that should be illegal – my sight is bad enough already. To me this belongs in an educational set with smaller bottles, much like the one from Hampden (in a way that is the case, as they released three Bielle rums simultaneously). I’m not doubting the quality of the spirit, it’s not that rough actually, but complexity and enjoyment are limited, so you’re mostly paying for excise duties. Available from Excellence Rhum. Score: 81/100