Neisson Reserve Speciale

Sampled at South Seas in Louisville. With age, the agricole aromas are muted. Rich amber in color. Toffee aroma. Big oak explosion of flavor. Finishes smokey.

Nose: Old Furniture, Nail Polish Remover, Cantaloupe, Black Pepper, Custard, Vanilla
Palate: Lemonade, Black Pepper, Mint, Star Anise
Aftertaste: Tobacco, Old Furniture, Black Pepper, Marzipan, Lemony mouthfeel but dry

This rum was originally recommended to me by our very own Scott here in my search to track down the profile of a rum that I had been searching for for a long time. That rum ultimately ended up being Barbancourt 15, but Scott's description of this rum definitely made me want to try it despite having located my original target. And I can see why this ru was highly recommended for the profile notes for what ended up being Barbancourt 15. In many respects the rhum is very similar to Barbancourt 15. Both are cane juice rhums long aged in French Limousin oak. Both have the citrus and old furniture notes to them that I absolutely love. Both are very different most aged rums and yet both are extraordinarily smooth sipping rums. But while they share a similar profile, there are some differences.

So to start, this is a Martinique AOC Agricole rum tropically aged between 8-10 years in French Limousin oak and bottled at 42%. Like all AOC Agricoles, it contains no additives.

The nose on this rum is quite pungent and decadent. It is sweet and rich but also spicy. Nosing it from the glencairn I get the smell old furniture much like that found in Barbancourt 15, then a little bit of an acetone smell, which is then washed away by faint notes of Cantaloupe, and stronger notes of Black Pepper, Egg Custard, and light Vanilla. It is a complex mix of sweet, tangy, spicy and almost savory but altogether rich.

On the palate, I get a huge wash of lemonade, indeed so strong that for a brief moment it almost literally tastes like lemonade which gradually fades into notes of Black Peppercorns, Mint and light notes of Star Anise. It reminds me of a Lemonade that someone has spiced with Mint, Star Anise, and a touch of Black pepper and left out for a couple hours and then mixed with brandy - its an interesting and delightful combination. I can absolutely just keep sipping this, no need to put it down.

The finish is also interesting, and nice and also refreshing, but maybe not in way you might traditionally think of. The finish starts with the hint of plug tobacco with hints of old furniture and black pepper which give way to building notes of Marzipan and a lasting lemony mouthfeel. It leaves the mouth feeling light and refreshed with a slight hint of funkiness.

Altogether this rum is somehow fruity and rich and also spicy. It is sweet and decadent like a fine dessert; but also dry and almost tangy with notes of old furniture, marzipan, and lemonade. In many ways it is like a cognac, but it's richer and funkier than any of the cognacs I have had to date. A while back I tried the Neisson Reserve Speciale's younger brother, the Eleve Sous Bois, and my complaint then was that I liked the notes but thought they would do much better with longer aging...and well, that assessment was spot on. With 8-10 years of aging this rum is a rich, intense, decadent, spicy, unique work of art. And it was definitely worth the long wait. I will be enjoying this bottle for a while and will likely stock another.

Short description: Barbancourt 15's eccentric but sophisticated AOC cousin.

Nose: Old Furniture, Nail Polish Remover, Cantaloupe, Black Pepper, Custard, Vanilla
Palate: Lemonade, Black Pepper, Mint, Star Anise
Aftertaste: Tobacco, Old Furniture, Black Pepper, Marzipan, Lemony mouthfeel but dry

Country of Origin; Martinique

ABV: 42%

Final thoughts: Cheers Scott, for finding my definitive aged AOC Agricole of choice. This is an excellent pick.

I am not very knowledgeable concerning agricole rums so I will offer my thoughts:

The flavor has a noticeable mild sweetness but that is quickly replaced by a marked oak flavor that is not overwhelming. There isn't a harsh burn but more of an overall warmth. It is a very good dry rum.

This was the full-bodied sample on a French tasting I did, and I by far preferred this to the light and medium bodied samples. Much smoother and easier to enjoy as a sipper. I had to add water to the others to make them more palatable, but the Neisson stood on its own. Still not my favorite and not one I would rush back to, but it did at least leave me curious enough to try more agricoles.

Un bon blend raffiné, doux avec juste assez de punch pour me plaire.

I’m just starting off down the Martinique rabbit hole and this was my first proper aged bottle I’ve bought. I’ve tried a few others, but this one is the best of them thus far. Really quite smooth, with some bourbon-y notes at first (vanilla, baking spices, etc), but followed by the unmistakable flavor of raw cane and grass. Really nice sipper, especially to introduce people to vieux agricoles.

Definetly taste the french Cognac influences in this one.

Un bon agricole qui a le goût d'un agricole. C'est un rhum sec sans cette surdose de sucre qu'on trouve dans la plupart des rhums, sans pour autant enflammer les gencives. On ne boit pas du sirop ou de l'alcool à bruler mais du rhum. On retrouve en bouche la chaleur et les saveurs typique d'un agricole qui plairont a ceux qui aiment ce type de rhum mais peut être pas aux amateurs de rhum doux.
This is a good agricole that taste like it should. It's a strong and dry rum without the extra added sugar you can find on most rum but it doesn't burn your mouth either. You don't drink syrop or pure alcool here, it's rum. On the mouth you can feel the typical warmth and flavor of the agricole's rum. It will please the one's who like this kind but maybe not the sweet rum lovers.

Très bon rhum agricole. Boisé et floral. Pas déçu du voyage

I'm not sure i've ever tasted a rum quite this dry and "green" tasting. Not for everybody. Decent agricole though, if you are in the mood for something dry and french.