HSE VSOP Reserve Speciale 4-Year

Cocoa, caramel and gentle vanilla touch in aroma, the body is mix of cocoa, barrel, etc (none of them is significant), very decent tail.

I get the whisky barrel smell right away.
& then the flavor is also very similar. But it’s smooth and clean. Not too smokey. It’s really nice after sip or two, it gets complex with mint, spice & the flan marshmallow etc

Spicy fruity agricole but not blended together well.

i compare this to clement vsop, color much darker, i don t feel the alcoholic
burn like clement, natural sweetness, candied fruits, banana is the predominant
fruit i feel , smooth rum, long, warm finsh, more expensive that clement vsop
but justified, also the proof is higher ...
it s incredible how good can be a just 4 years aged rum, it s because of tropical
ageing where 1 year its like 3 years in Europe ?
i rated this 9, tried a lot of rums after and decided to give it a 10 when i look quality/price, best agricole aged just 4 years, it s a must have in my home bar !

Toto HSE ma bavilo. V danej cene vek slušný agricole, znatelna stopa HSE. Ovocie,drevo, jemne vanilka a čokoláda. Stredne dlhý zaver

Today I got a sample of a cheap Agricole from HSE. Just 40€ in Germany at 45%.
I don't expect much, but let's see.

Nose: Sugar cane, grassy notes, wood (the cask influence is quite strong). The smell is very intensive and saturated for 45%. Peppery notes with some salty fruits, like star fruit, apples and apricots. Some orange zests. I would guess it's a JM or a more expensive agricole like Neisson/La Mauny. 80 to 100 Euro smell.

Taste: Diluted start with some sweetness, sugar cane, peppery melon, grassy aromas. It tingels in the mouth like sparkling water. In the middle when it became warm I get a lot of dry orange zests, then exotic fruits like star fruit with apricot jam, cask influence (wood with tobacco).
Wohoho, very good, at only 45% and for 40 Euro? I'm impressed, very impressed.
The finish is spicy, grassy aromas, fruits, slightly pepper, orange zests, wood, tobacco, sugar cane.

Conclusion: This was a very unexpected surprice. Holy Moly, what a great quality for the price.
It's complex, intensive, saturated and rich. Yes, the dilution is noticeable in the initial taste.
But at the price of 40 Euro... even if you don't like Agricole, this one is very good.

It earns 90 points. I haven't been so surprised by a cheap rhum in a long time.

Sweetness: 2/5
Fruits: 3.5/5
Spice: 3.5/5
Complexity: 4/5
Value 42 Euro: +5/5

Un agricole sec aux arômes complexes, un bout de chemin fait ensemble sans jamais de lasser. Une valeur sûre.

La vanille est très presente, c'est très classique rhum agricole mais ca reste très bon !

Smell: dried fruits, and orange, herbs, spice, barrels and caramel.
Taste: raisins, sitrus and marmalade, caramel and vanilla, good mouthfeel.

Là, on quitte les retours fruités pour du gourmand capiteux et liquoreux ! C'est si intense qu'on a l'impression de lécher le tonneau directement !!