1998 Leith Stillroom Bellevue Distillery 21 Year Old Cask Strength Rum (700ml)

Not stated but this must have been sourced from the Damoiseau distillery on the Bellevue au Moule estate. Tasted from a 30ml sample, it is a stunningly pure, fruit-laden rum that gets better with each sniff, mixing it up with allspice, (clove, cinnamon), light molasses, liquorice bullets as well as fresher notes of dried mango, plantain and papaya, surging through the mouth in a fabulously creamy attack that adds vanilla, ginger bread, banana fritter and grilled pineapple. There is a sense of Damoiseau's typical elegance and freshness here (possibly because it is largely agricole?), and the ride continues with molasses cake, brown sugar and caney / tropical notes combining with perfect sweet-dry balance and controlled alcohol. A cask strength beauty that exudes Caribbean character, distilled in March 1998 and matured in Guadeloupe until 2007 then shipped to the UK, it feels like it has been bottled at the optimum time. 220 bottles are on offer globally at a natural strength of 58.6% with no added sugar or filtration. Very limited stocks.

Other reviews... Very balanced and soft on the nose. A very fruity rum with fresh orange, dried tropical fruits a beautiful caramel sweetness and a fine wood note. On the palate, the rum comes with a creamy sweetness with caramel and roasted tropical fruits. The rum is gentle and balanced. It adds more wood and tannins and grassy earthy notes to the finish, which blend in wonderfully and give the sweet chocolatey finish some spice... - rumratings.com

Notes from the bottlers... On the nose, ripe bananas with spiced ginger sweetness; molasses and muscovado sugar, milk chocolate marzipan with nutmeg fading to sandalwood and fruit jam notes. In the mouth, pleasingly sweet bananas and roasted pineapples; fruit jam, dried figs and ginger with a long lingering dry peppery finish. A delight for lovers of sherry matured whisky.