Esprit Rhum Small Batch Beenleigh 2014-2020 is a new find from the Rennes and Vannes-based bottler/cellar-maker. He has once again sourced some barrels from Australia's Beenleigh distillery, the country's oldest still in operation. This distillery produces molasses rums, which it distills in columns and/or pot-stills. Aging takes place in old bourbon casks.
This rum was distilled in April 2014, then bottled in October 2020, brut de fût.
Nico's tasting notes
The nose is surprisingly fruity, leaning strongly towards strawberry or cherry bubblegum. The wood is light and, above all, full of vanilla, bringing with it almost milky, sweet notes, like fresh coconut milk.
With a little air, the vanilla woodiness tries to make a place for itself in the sun, but it doesn't fight for long against this cheerfully fruity and tangy atmosphere. Love apples and candy cane are in the mix, and have no intention of leaving their place.
The mouth is very powerful, and the rum takes hold of the palate without giving it a chance. It grabs the taste buds with a woody bite, firm but not burning. Then the fruity notes come naturally, with a funky, full-bodied edge that we hadn't seen coming. Red and black fruits are no longer bubblegum; they're there and all there, from their sweet flesh to their tannic skins and tangy pips.
The finish lets a little varnished wood clean up the place, and gently drifts away on a background of vanilla and toast.
"A surprisingly unique profile, somewhere between bubblegum and very ripe red fruit..."
