BAIE DES TRESORS - Old Rum - Brin d'Amour 2019 - 52.2%
Baie des Trésors is a young Martinican house that has chosen to tell the story of the island through its micro-terroirs, relying on the agricultural operation of Le Galion, the last sugar factory still in operation in Martinique. The range highlights the Caravelle peninsula, with precisely identified plots where the cane expresses differently the influence of the climate, volcanic soils, and humidity. Brin d’Amour belongs to this collection of single-plot rums and focuses on the lush and humid heights of Dufferet, a hillside where rainfall nourishes particularly juicy canes. The philosophy of the house is based on pure cane juice, the absence of added sugar or caramel, and precise aging intended to reveal, rather than mask, the imprint of the terroir. Brin d’Amour 2019 thus represents the older and deeper side of the work started with Fruits des Pluies, of which it extends the reading of the same humid terroir.
Baie des Trésors Brin d’Amour 2019 52.2% is an aged agricultural rum AOC Martinique made exclusively from pure cane juice from the Dufferet plot, on the humid volcanic lands of the heights of the Caravelle peninsula. Distilled in a Creole column still, the vesou is then aged for about four years, a little over four years for some batches, in small carefully selected French oak barrels. This aging under tropical climate concentrates the aromas while preserving the natural roundness brought by the humid terroir, in a high-expression VSOP style. The choice of bottling at 52.2% allows maintaining the density of the juice and the tannic structure of the wood without losing elegance or drinkability. True to the house’s charter, the cuvée is bottled without artifice, without added sugar or caramel, to deliver a raw but perfectly controlled expression of the 2019 vintage. Limited and numbered edition, Brin d’Amour 2019 is clearly aimed at terroir rum enthusiasts looking for a strong and singular signature.
On the palate, Brin d’Amour 2019 displays a deep amber robe with golden, almost coppery reflections, announcing serious and well-aged maturation. The nose is of beautiful complexity, mixing delicate woody notes, red vermouth, old port, and raisin brioche, joined by prunes, dried mango, dried flowers, honey, and fine chocolate touches, with a subtle iodine hint recalling the proximity of the sea. On the palate, the attack is ample and caressing, carried by a natural sweetness of candied cane and ripe fruits, quickly structured by very civilized woody tannins. The texture is rich, almost velvety, but remains energized by a spicy framework, nuances of roasted coffee, cocoa, candied orange, and a fine salinity that stretches the rum without heaviness. The finish is long, warm, marked by honey, soft spices, blond tobacco, and a return of roasted and woody notes that persist with elegance. At the table, Brin d’Amour 2019 is ideally enjoyed neat or with a simple splash of water, accompanying a dark chocolate fondant, a banana tart, spiced roasted pineapple, a pressed aged cheese, or a well-made cigar, where its humid terroir sweetness finds an ideal playground.
