Bielle 2009 brut de fût n°106 la confrérie du rhum 52,6°

Bielle distilled this agricultural rum twice in 2009, first in column and then in an iron still.

Four barrels were bottled without reduction for this ninth cuvee from "la confrérie du rhum", the well-known facebook group for rum lovers.

Nico's tasting notes

In brief: wood - fruit - vegetable - roasting - sweet spices - complex - round

On the nose

These 4 pretty Bielles from the same distillation still have some very interesting differences:

Barrel 101 is the driest and woodiest. Roasted nuts become increasingly gourmand, then the stone introduces an exotic fruit brandy.
Barrel 107 is lighter and fresher. It retains the vegetal character of the white rum, with some medicinal accents. Waxed exotic wood brings balance.
Barrel 54 is elegant and tropical. The woody, mellow tannins are imbued with tobacco and mellow exotic fruit. Nuts hide behind a slightly oxidized rose syrup.
Barrel 106 is more powerful, the woodiness fresh and moist, the beeswax introducing a rich, gourmand cane.

With a little aeration, the rums come together while retaining their character:

Barrel 101 is still nicely oaky, but the nuts are now plump. Almond and amaretto melt over the chocolatey oak.
Barrel 107 seems to be the youngest. Citrus fruits and the floral side of white rum rub shoulders with new wood, which is about to become more toasty and complex.
Barrel 54 becomes more toasted, bringing spice and licorice. Concentrated exotic fruit juices and round cane then come into their own.
Barrel 106 shows a luminous woodiness with ripe exotic fruit. The dried fruits are dark and candied, spicy and resinous, and a little solvent gives a sensation of concentration and maturity.

In the mouth

The barrel 101 is lively, with a very Bourbon vanilla woodiness. Tannins mingle with dried fruit, the wood is well-spiced and a little smoky.
Barrel 107 is rounder, the spices don't sting, the cane is fruity, a little candied, and coated with black tea and tobacco.
Barrel 54 is complex and complete. Rather round, it has a fine balance of stone, ripe exotic fruit, tobacco, black tea and sweet spices.
Barrel 106 is straightforward yet balanced, the woodiness bringing its spicy, honeyed ripeness without distorting a fine, gourmet agricultural rum with hints of brown sugar.

The final

It will complete the reconciliation of the 4 barrels:

Cask 101 remains woody, with bitterness and tannins, but without leaving too much lasting impression.
Barrel 107 is mellow and gourmand, with tobacco, tea, yeast and nuts.
Barrel 54 is long on the palate, with tobacco and black tea, pepper and still very ripe exotic fruit. The finish is very agricultural, with bagasse and a hint of lime zest.
Fût 106 is round and mellow, with a clear agricultural identity and whole cane, from bark to flesh.

In a nutshell

"To sum up, cask 101 will have been greatly influenced by toasted oak, cask 107 is the most measured and delicate, cask 54 is very gourmand and tropical, and cask 106 is certainly the one that synthesizes all 4.
In any case, these four selections are very interesting and are sure to delight Bielle enthusiasts..."