Bellevue 1998, 23 years, Guadeloupe edition No. 2
The French Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe is home to nine rum distilleries. The Bellevue distillery is Guadeloupe’s largest exporter, producing in excess of 900,000 litres of rum a year. Their rums are treasured by rum connoisseurs for the high quality and most flavorful and authentic taste.
The Colours of Rum expression in a 23yo rum, aged in ex-rum barrels. Only 252 bottles have been bottled in 2022 at 54,3% ABV.
Guadeloupe 1998 edition no. 2
Region: Guadeloupe
Distillery: Bellevue
Age: 23
Distillation: 03-1998
Bottled: 04-2022
Cask no: 2
Cask type: Ex-Rum
Still type: Column
Maturation: 6 years in the tropics
ABV 54,3%
Vol. 700 ml
No bottles: 252
Tasting Notes:
“Colour: reddish amber. Nose: how and why would we complain about the fact that this baby is extremely similar? There's perhaps just a little more pencil shaving, cedarwood, perhaps red flowers (peonies)… And a little more ethanol, naturally. With water: old garage, spent oil, toolbox, tar, paint, carbolineum. It's amazing how our brains work, I'm reminded of the brand new Renault 8 that my godfather had just bought, sometime. Great little car but tricky to 'ride' – and pretty smelly indeed. Petrol, oils, tyres, leatherette... Mouth (neat): sublime, once more. And 'equivalent' indeed. With water: what a ride indeed. Someone may have smoked bananas using cane dregs or something. Finish: very long, very perfect. Very salty aftertaste. Comments: you can trust all these 1998s, unless some mad bottler would have inadvertently done a PX finish on it. Or there, a Laphroaig 'affinage'. Oh the horror…”
Note: SGP:562 - 91 points.
Source: whiskyfun.com
Nose: relatively mild, with aromas of leather and polished wood, as well as old metal tools and paint. Then some liquorice and rubber, plus olive oil and menthol. Black olives. Just a hint of dark molasses and toffee in the distance. Great balance.
Mouth: slightly rougher perhaps. Nice fruity notes (overripe banana as well as sour pineapple and berries) mixed with clove and nutmeg. A salty edge (salted caramel). Then sweet herbs, hints of lovage and old wood. A touch of rubber. and petrol Drying toward the end.
Finish: quite long and woody, with aniseed, salted liquorice and juniper.
Note: 88/100
Source: whiskynotes.be
Aromas of sugar cane, wood, leather
