L'Esprit Rhum Belize Travellers 2005 Cask Strength 67°.

This rum was distilled and put into a single cask in 2005 and aged for almost 12 years at Travellers Distillery before being bottled at its natural strength, without reduction.

Only 267 bottles were made from this cask n°BB27 (each bottle is numbered).

Nico's tasting notes

In short: nuts - coconut - woody - tobacco - vanilla - balanced - intense

On the nose, we have just filled our basket with a nice assortment of nuts. These are full and rich, like the peanut which shows all its fat. It is a well-dressed woody that greets us quickly, with a balance of tobacco, coconut and vanilla. This wood quickly rounds out, while maintaining a well-concentrated heart of solvent, it puts us at ease with its comfortable and mellow side. A few candied orange peels invite themselves to the autumnal basket, as well as a milk chocolate that soon joins the coconut milk.
On airing, the basket of nuts goes to the chestnut pan while the woody one also toasts over the flame. The orange peel has dried, the zest is more bitter, the wood releases all its solvent and the spices roast on its surface. When the wood is removed from the fire and allowed to rest, it gives off powerful notes of toasted coconut. Its warm heart then melts into notes of vanilla and caramel. It becomes more and more indulgent with time.

The attack on the palate is striking, the nuts are always well supplied, powdery and fat. The rum is as powerful as it is warm, as imposing as it is tasty. It is simply a block of rum, that is to say a simple but perfectly executed rum, just the way we like it. The woodiness is very nice, the coconut, tobacco and vanilla notes are nicely gourmet and concentrated.

The finish is long, it prolongs this simple pleasure of toasted coconut and woody flavours, one does not ask for more.

"A truly good rum that provides immediate and intense pleasure..."

In addition to our own tasting note, here's what Tristan Prodhomme, the bottler, has to say about it: rich, woody, fruity and slightly smoky nose, with leather, orange, caramelised brown sugar, honey, gingerbread and spices (cloves, cardamom); soft, finely woody and almost earthy palate, with cellar and old wood notes. Tense throughout, powerful and airy.