Habitation Bellevue : Hors d'Âge 12 Ans

Tasting characteristics and advice for Habitation Bellevue Hors d'Âge 12 Years Old

Tasting

Appearance

This rum displays a deep coppery amber hue, thick and oily in the glass, reflecting its twelve years of maturation in oak barrels.

Nose

The nose reveals rich, heady aromas marked by freshly pressed cane, juicy fruits such as lychee, stewed apple, almond and lilac. Notes of fresh caramel and subtle old damp wood join in, bearing witness to the patina of time.

Palate

The attack is first fluid, then oily, unveiling stewed-fruit notes, gingerbread and pastry lifted by pink peppercorn. Stewed banana meets fresh tobacco, old wood and almond. Roasted pineapple and hazelnut express themselves generously, alongside exotic fruits, candied fruits, honey, sweet spices, dark chocolate and caramelised notes. A hint of smoke, leather and toasted wood rounds out this complex profile. The cane strikes an intriguing dialogue with the tannins, coating the palate with a very pleasant woody base. Exceptional freshness remains despite its age, and the finish lingers on.

Pairings and tasting occasions

This exceptional rum is best enjoyed neat, at room temperature, to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity and remarkable persistence on the palate.

Mixology

Given its exceptional character and very limited production, we recommend enjoying this rum without embellishment, to savour its full richness.

A rum from Marie-Galante from an unmissable Caribbean distillery

Habitation Bellevue: tradition and innovation in Guadeloupe

Founded in 1769 in Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante, Habitation Bellevue began distilling Guadeloupe rum in 1821, the year its iconic windmill was installed. Owned by the Godefroy family for several generations and run by the Damoiseau brothers, this 140-hectare distillery is the largest on Marie-Galante, producing 900,000 litres annually. Habitation Bellevue stands out as the only eco-positive distillery in the world and is home to the last working windmill in the Caribbean.

The Hors d'Âge 12 Years Old: an exceptional limited edition

The Hors d'Âge 12 Years Old is a very limited production of fewer than 400 numbered decanters per year, hand-bottled at the estate. Made from a unique blend of agricole rum from pure sugarcane juice and molasses rum from the island of Marie-Galante, this spirit was distilled in 2008 in a Creole column still. It then aged for 12 years in French and American oak barrels in a tropical climate, from 2 July 2008 to 18 November 2021. Bottled at 45% alcohol, this rum is presented in a numbered decanter labelled 1821, in tribute to the year the historic windmill was installed. Until September 2022, this exceptional cuvée was available exclusively in the distillery shop before being marketed in mainland France. At the time of bottling, it was the oldest rum ever bottled by the Marie-Galante distillery.