Rhumerie Du Simon The Duchess Rum Agricole Cask 14 61% 2004

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Serge Valentin (84)

This baby aged in the tropics for 4 years and was then shipped to Europe. Rather Holland, I suppose, since this excellent wee bottler is Dutch. Rhumerie/Habitation du Simon is the place where they make the new A170 rhums, and produce some new-make agricole for the brands Clément and HSE (Habitation Saint Etienne). Unless I’m mistaken! Colour: gold. Nose: burns a bit, with a lot of acetone, nail-polish remover, and simply varnish on top of fresh pear and pineapple juice. I believe watering it down’s in order… With water: a lot of aniseed, ouzo, pastis… I have to say I’m a sucker for these kinds of notes, even more so since fennel, dill and wild carrots are also part of this. I’ve found these aromas in some pretty artisanal pot-still rums in Cuba (aguardientes). Mouth (neat): feeling of cachaça and Cuban aguardiente indeed, pastis, vanilla… With water: gets firmer, a tad fizzy perhaps, with quite some grass and fruit peel. Always a lot of aniseed-like notes, and drops of Fanta or Orangina. Finish: rather long, grassy. Caraway and capsicum in the aftertaste. Comments: a little mysterious, very fresh, and even unpolished at 15 years of age. Not a style that’s very common, and probably more for connoisseurs and connoisseuses.