A.H. Riise Non Plus Ultra comes from the U.S. Virgin Islands, located next to Puerto Rico, between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
This rum is A.H. Riise's top-of-the-range product. Its name refers to the inscription "Non Plus Ultra" engraved on the pillars of Hercules which, in mythology, were built near the Strait of Gibraltar, marking the limit of the known world.
The pillars bore the Latin inscription "Non Plus Ultra", meaning "nothing beyond". This reference illustrates the fact that "Very Rare" is the best of the range, and that there is no rum in the A.H. Riise house that surpasses it. It's the highest quality and the oldest.
A.H. Riise Non Plus Ultra is hand-blended by the master distiller, who personally selects the casks used to make the blend.
Production is reduced to 3,000 bottles a year.
Nico's tasting notes
The nose is highly perfumed, in the manner of exotic pepper berries and ginger seeds. Cinnamon adds to this impression of sophisticated candy. It is also vegetal and even floral at times. Fruit is represented by a rather acidic red plum, balanced by a creamy side, the whole reminding us of a clafouti where a few cherries would also have fallen. Then comes something darker, more roasted.
Aeration dissipates the burnt, roasted side, replacing it with a small solvent that recedes onto the cinnamon, which is present at every level. The orange peel nuances the candy idea we had at the outset. Even if it's still quite sweet, this expression seems to stand out from the rest of the range. The Christmas gingerbread aspect is still there, but brand afficionados can rest assured.
The attack on the palate is soft, with a winey, slightly rancio quality. The sensation is warm and oily, with aromas of chocolate, orange and vanilla. The woodiness is licorice-like, coated in molasses where rather rich, complex spices would be caught.
The finish is sweet, reminiscent of a liqueur or sweet wine.
"This rum is undoubtedly one of the most complex and refined in the range..."
