One anniversary can hide another. After the 70th anniversary of Velier , which will certainly mark this year, it is time for the 85th anniversary of Neisson and the overhaul of the range.

After an exhaustive overview of the white rums from the Carbet distillery, we leave the white rum cellar and its stainless steel tuns for the one for rums aged in wood (and old) and its oak tuns (and barrels). Exit stainless steel, an inert material but revealing cane and welcome to the work of wood and time, which will reveal a completely different complexity that will grow according to the number of years and the know-how of the cellar master.

The opportunity for a session that goes from the classic wood-raised to the impressive 105 profile, from the Special Reserve to the XO, between the old and new range.

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Neisson ESB / 50°

Amber rum (ESB – Élevé Sous Bois), AOC Martinique, made from canes grown around Domaine Thieubert. It has spent at least 12 months (for a total and average duration of 16 months) in 2000 and 5000 liter oak barrels. This vintage is made from white agricultural rums from the last two harvests. The ESB tasted here was made in July 2016 (lot 15/197).

The dress is golden, straw-colored with the appearance of white wine, shiny and oily.
On the nose, it is lightness that is in question, but a sustained and concentrated lightness. The 50° is very useful here, because rums aged in wood are often very soft and ultra-light, and wrongly suggest that this in-between age cannot be different and only give off a vanilla and spicy woodiness. Well this one delivers its share of lemony freshness, apricot in syrup, cane and intoxicating white flowers and is still clearly reminiscent of white rum from Neisson. Still very fresh and to which the passage in tuns polishes it with a nascent and vanilla woodiness, warm and already carnal spices. The Rolls Royce of ambers? The 50° goes down very well and the lemony notes resist and maintain a pleasant freshness from start to finish and over time.

On the palate, the attack is sweet, honeyed and sensual. Fleshy even! Sugar cane honey caresses the palate, vanilla, cinnamon and cocoa notes; and our citrus fruits between candied and tangy which bring pep to the palate. This ESB rum is in every way gourmet and slides in the mouth in a melting, very fine and elegant whole. As usual, Neisson masters his woodiness and shows it to us again here very well; the citrus fruits electrify the mouth and avoid boredom. The end is long and lively, elegant and marks the return of the citrus fruits for a last moment of gourmet freshness, a last warm and intoxicating dance.

A classic of the genre, with the good idea of ​​offering rum at 50° for a unique experience. If you think that amber rums have little interest, this one should change your mind quite easily. And always with a mastery - and a balance - that leaves you dreaming. Note: a good 80

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Neisson Profil 105 / 54,2°

An ESB 2.0 rum, or how to try to bring -finally- freshness, and above all real innovation in the world of agricultural rum (and not yet another bluff/finish to plug the holes). So out with the classic used bourbon barrels, the huge thousand-liter tuns, this wood-aged rum has passed into 'rum' barrels. This vintage is in fact the result of research and the acquisition of new special and worked barrels: with a capacity of 225 liters with fine grains, dried for 36 months with staves made up of equal parts French and American oak. The selected toasting profile will give the name of this vintage: profile 105

An initial passage of a white rum for 4 months allowed to reduce the tannins and bitterness of the new barrels. The aging began on February 23, 2015 in 15 barrels and in October 2016, 6 barrels were sent to the high count under wood and transferred to a 2000 liter tuns in order to market them at cask strength at 54.2%.

The color is a very pretty deep gold, all light and shiny, with an oily appearance. In other circumstances, one might already think of an old rum.
On the nose, we find mature citrus fruits, vanilla and embraced by warmly spiced acacia honey. We find an impressive concentration and richness for an ESB, generally much more 'simple' and light. We also find heavier and nascent empyreumatic notes that support the sweeter ones. The cask strength side brings a real interest that brings this rum closer to an old rum than to an amber rum, no less. Classy and gourmet, very nicely balanced, chocolatey and vanilla, apricot, caramelized (soft caramel).

Beautiful osmosis and impression on the nose, we have everything that pleases with Neisson with in addition an empyreumatic delicacy that grows with rest and mixes superbly with the fresher citrus notes. Very fair dosage of grilled notes and a woody already excessively well controlled and wonderfully vanilla (tending on coconut). It's simple, blind it would be impossible to think of a wood-aged wine and it is very impressive. It also suggests great things for the future, and the use of 'rum' barrels.

On the palate, the attack is frank, striking and mellow, on candied citrus fruits and toasted, spicy and chocolatey notes; the balance is impressive and the concentration is matched only by the alcoholic strength! It is powerful, a bit too much perhaps, but well blended and above all very smooth, where the oak stands out but without overdoing it, accompanied by delicious and gourmet notes of toasted coconut. Very ample on the palate (almost resinous), the rum is explosive and enjoyable, in gourmet mode. The finish is long, rather dry (alcohol) but refreshing, on toasted notes, coffee and dried fruits; and our faithful citrus fruits which bring a saving freshness and generate an undisguised pleasure.

For an ESB it's a slap in the face, as if the 'youngest' products are not necessarily the least interesting, quite the contrary. Releasing this rum in cask strength is a genius idea with a very beautiful nose and a mouth already very concentrated and melting, clearly bringing it closer to much older rum; only small downside, the alcohol is a bit too present. But (very) curious to see the evolution and to discover the same rum at a more advanced age; full of promises so much this 20-month-old rum already has many qualities. Note: 87

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Neisson Réserve Spéciale / 42°

The rums at the origin of the Special Reserve have aged between 50 and 60 months in barrels of less than 650 liters, with an average of 4 years and 5 months.
The color is amber, classy and oily, revealing many plump legs.
On the nose, the rum appears vegetal with notes of straw and hay mainly. Even much more vegetal than the rest, earthy and dry; we will like it or not but it delivers a faithful image of the cane and its environment (stem, grass): rural and rustic. Fairly fine or even powdery oak, vanilla and nuts (walnuts) mingle. With the rest of slightly bitter fruits (peach skin).

On the palate, the rum is quite sweet, round and still shows concentration; we are on pepper, citrus fruits, a contained woodiness and warm spices (cinnamon, 4 spices), vanilla. Pepper enhances the aromatic palette in a beautiful balance. The sensations are very different from the nose, with a generous and powerful rum, for a moderately long and dry finish, light and which will go away much too quickly.

A different rum, especially on the nose with very present vegetal notes (hay); we find the Neisson touch in the mouth but the 42° quickly shows its limits despite a good hold. Note: 78

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Le Rhum Vieux par Neisson / 45°

Exit the Special Reserve, here is Le Vieux by Neisson. From now on, the blends will benefit from a greater range in terms of ages and each new bottling will be accompanied by a technical sheet provided by Neisson, always in a constant concern for transparency.

For this first attempt, the rum was assembled on February 8, 2017 in a Limousin oak barrel; approved as AOC on February 15, 2017 and bottled on February 20, 2017, its composition is as follows:

40% barrels from French red oak aged on November 20, 2013;
40% barrels from American oak aged on July 30, 2013;
and 20% barrels of 190 liters of American oak aged on December 28, 2007.

The color is an old gold, tending towards orange; it is oily, shiny and visually imposing (greedy and nonchalant tears).
On the nose, we are on a warm candied (yellow fruits, apricot, peach) and empyreumatic, prepared with a fine woody film subtly vanilla. It is warm, sweet, deep, complex. We are on an old rum rather dry and roasted which occasionally makes a freshness resonate under a citrus background, just hidden behind a cocoa powder and the smoothed peel of a cinnamon stick. More exotic and fruity than the Réserve Spéciale and even the Extra Vieux.

The more time passes, the more the rum opens up, and the more exoticism settles in, but always accompanied by this precious and regular woodiness; Neisson, the Swiss watchmaker of the Antilles. Beautiful symbiosis and complexity for an old one that deserves to be lingered over (to be breathed).

The attack is warm and oily, concentrating the dried fruits with a woodiness that is a bit spicier than the nose (toasted wood), with roasted and almost liquorice notes. The vanilla is still there and gives a certain roundness and ease to the whole. The palate offers a nice amplitude (and power for 45°), and moves towards a spicier profile (pepper, nutmeg) while keeping an assumed vegetal kinship. We even find citrus fruits for a much more "pleasure" rum than the Réserve Sépciale. The finish is long and dry, spicy with a return to the dried and toasted fruits at the very end. We would even ask for more.

For an old wine, it is a very good old wine, all in concentration and complexity; and even if the comparison with the Extra Vieux is not really relevant (the average age is certainly different), it will still be more interesting to make than with the Réserve Spéciale which will quickly be forgotten. Concentration, balance, empyreumatic and exotic notes, it's all there. Score: 85
> In direct comparison with the old Extra Vieux, the nose of cherry appears lighter, less complex than this new Vieux. We even find a more metallic side on entry, spicy (on the alcohol). More complexity and concentration for the Vieux by Neisson, better balanced too (more exotic and vanilla, even easier to access). In the mouth it's another story: the Extra Vieux appears more complex and concentrated and the age of the blend will surely give it a big advantage. It releases a beautiful aromatic power that ends in the lengths, where the old struggles to compare (less fat). Conclusion: the Vieux by Neisson is a more pleasure rum where the Extra Vieux appears more 'cerebral'. The Vieux by Neisson will therefore be more comparable to the Réserve Spéciale, but it will crush it without batting an eyelid and will impose itself and quite naturally.

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Neisson Extra Vieux / 45°

After undergoing an initial softening – aging in oak barrels of 5,000 to 10,000 liters – the Neisson rums at the origin of this vintage are aged in barrels of less than 650 liters; part of the aging is even carried out in American oak barrels of 195 liters.

This is a vintage of rums aged for 6 to 8 years (and therefore rightly considered an XO) in barrels then for 12 to 24 months in oak tuns.

Oily and very shiny dress, beautiful legs and beautiful ballet for a rum that exudes authenticity: a rum without artifice where the cane is queen. Cooked fruits and a good dose of cocoa, vanilla and warm spices (pepper, cinnamon) are mixed in. The woodiness is very fine, just enough to remind us of the incidence of the barrel, subtly vanilla and punctuated with notes of toasted coconut. A roasted, empyreumatic, agricultural nose in art. The rest reveals a little more fruit (peach) and always a little more toasted notes for a resolutely complex and warm rum.

The attack is soft and creamy, round and rich in flavors. We find all the notes present on the nose in a very nice balance, with a cane that explodes in the mouth and above all nothing that breaks this osmosis in the mouth. It is powerful, full-bodied but subtle and this reduction to 45° seems perfect. We find the cooked fruits, spicy, notes of grilled wood, character but once again all in subtlety. The finish is long and tasty, warm and subtle. The fruits come back one last time and remain in the mouth, for a delicate exit. The empty glass is still as complex and that, it rarely deceives.

A very well crafted rum, authentic and with character, but all in subtlety and delicacy. Once mastered, the magic happens: no 'masking' aroma, the rum is laid bare in what it offers best, most true and authentic. A rum that rewards your patience and flatters it. Note: 86

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Neisson XO 3éme Millénaire / 45°

Created in 1999 to mark the start of the new millennium, it is a blend of the best barrels of Extra Old rums, rums aged for over 6 years (around 2000 bottles per year).

After a brief softening in oak tuns, the Neisson rums of this vintage are aged in barrels of less than 650 liters for a minimum period of 6 years during which their degree is very gradually lowered thanks to the different tools. Removed and then assembled, the aging of these Neisson rums continues in 2000 liter tuns for several months before their drawing.

Beautiful bright amber color for this oily-looking vintage with beautiful thick legs.
The nose is rich and ample with a dominant roasted note, with a classy and smoky woodiness (cigar box), candied and exotic fruits (peaches, apricots) and vanilla, warm and sweet spices that caress your nostrils (cinnamon and cloves, gray pepper). A very beautiful picture, full of colors and with intense and concentrated tones. But also - and this is a big plus - a nice vegetal freshness (grass, mint?). Always in a balance without reproach, a complex and warm nose, which invites tasting. We find a buttery, milky, gourmet (vanilla) and roasted side and coconut which comes out quite a bit with rest. We could stay there for a long time, and always with the same intensity (and the same pleasure). Gourmand, a rum to nibble, pastry (coconut, cocoa, caramel).

The attack is ample, oily, harmoniously mixing fruits and spices; it even becomes raspy (rough) and slightly acidic (citrus fruits), and a little spicier (pepper, cloves). The fruits are passed with a slight rancio and a bitterness marked by the barrel, with a saline/marine side supported by peppery notes. Very nice presence in the mouth for 45°, the rum twirls and delivers all its richness as it goes, all in complexity and in a balance that commands respect. The finish is long and in the continuity of the mouth, and we would almost like more watts; the rum is persistent on spicy and saline notes that slightly dry the palate, and roasted.

A very seductive and complex nose, with an insolent balance; a full and very well-balanced mouth which offers a more raw and authentic facet of rum, raspy and saline (citrus fruits), with a very beautiful persistence. But also very gourmand, on coconut and cocoa. Note: 88

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Le XO par Neisson / 48,5°

New rum in the range, and new information always very complete:

Part of its aging is carried out in French oak barrels – 220 or 350 liters, the other in American oak barrels of 190 liters.
The reduction in the degree to 48.5% is carried out throughout the aging process thanks to the different toppings. After nine years of aging, the rums are selected by the cellar master who determines a rigorous blend. This XO cuvée at 48.5% vol is the symbol of the Neisson tradition and its renewal.

Its blend is determined as follows:
– 10% of 12 years old aged in French red oak barrels, aged on July 9, 2004;
– 70% of 11 years old aged in American oak barrels, aged on May 17, 2005;
– 20% of 2007 aged in American oak, aged on December 28, 2007.

An XO with a deep, sustained amber color tending towards a conquering bronze. The legs are straight and slender, pulpy.
On the nose, it is deep, straight and very elegant: the woodiness is triumphant, always perfectly mastered and roasted notes are now released in surgical doses and come to caress the nose, like powders, falling in love with citrus zests candied with pleasure and deliciously cocoa. As with the Vieux by Neisson, this XO will take time to reveal all its charms, but what a reward at the end! The zesty side combined with an ever-present cane brings a beautiful freshness and an unparalleled complexity. And the more the rum breathes, the more complexity it offers and becomes melting: the woodiness, cocoa and roasted notes blend together until they become one in a perfect and almost religious osmosis. With the impression of touching a piece of sky while keeping your feet on the ground, you would like to spread it everywhere and keep its scent until bedtime.

On the palate, the entry is like a caress, a kiss full of the mouth: the rum is warm and sensual, carnal and whole; it is in perfect continuity with the nose and forms only one in a pure juice aged and matured to perfection and of an astonishing concentration. Sunshine in the mouth with a presence worthy of the best vintages of the brand, nothing less. Everything is there, between empirical woodiness, pharaonic roasting and conquering fruitiness; and nothing, but nothing, that exceeds one iota, everything is perfectly dosed in an overwhelming intensity. The finish is long, the persistence of the aromas interminable, and even long after tasting it, we feel the rum as if engraved on the palate, still releasing its echoes.

It's simple, don't be fooled by the generic term XO, because this rum is as well mastered, complex and intense as some of the house's vintages. And for such a ridiculous price (editor's note: at least on site) that it's already a classic in itself. A rum to make angels stiffen, who nevertheless have no sex (at least according to the latest news, because that could change). Rating: 89

Compared to the XO cuvée 3ème millennium: the new XO seems more closed and requires much more rest to burst into the open, but it will prove to be much more complex, more on citrus fruits than the cuvée of the 3rd millennium which is on a much gourmand profile (coconut, cocoa, caramel). The two end up being quite complementary. On the palate, both are ample and rich, but the advantage goes to the latest XO which offers much more concentration and length. In the end, the late cuvée of the 3rd millennium is a pleasure and gourmand rum, where the new XO seems more cerebral, concentrated and complex.

To help you (and me) find your way around, regarding the notes:

90 and + : exceptional and unique rum, it is the best of the best
between 85 and 89 : highly recommended rum, with that little something that makes the difference
between 80 and 84 : recommendable rum
75-79 POINTS : above average
70-74 POINTS : in the low average
less than 70 : not very good

Review courtesy of DuRhum.com.

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