Bielle Blanc 40

... Sinon le côté iodé, ici "laqué" par une fraîcheur évoquant le plastique neuf et le chlore. Très inhabituel. La bouche est pimentée en douceur. Ravissant.

Swimming pool - mood rhum.

The Bielle Blanc 40% was a new arrival in Sweden the other week and looking at the description I knew I probably wouldn't like it. I have a hard time for those pot stilled sugar cane juice rums overall - I think they are just a bit to pungent and raw in both smell, palette and taste. But I was this new arrival and it was modestly priced compared to other rums of the same type so I figured, what the hell, lets give it a try!

So, first impressions is a clean, classy looking bottle. Screw cap which is fine in my book. And then the smell overwhelms you as you open the bottle. It's that oily, almost tequila-like smell. Instant flashback to my early teens where we shared a bottle of moonshine...

Ok, so this is not going to taste good I though. Turns out it's quite ok. Actually when you've poured a couple of cm into a tumbler, give it a minute or two, the smell dissipates and mellows out. The taste reveals beyond that first pungent and sharp ethanol a hint of fruity characteristics, namely ripe banana and perhaps a small touch of vanilla. But overall it's not that pleasant.

Of course, if you're into these kinds of rum, this could be a decent low-budget alternative, otherwise save your money and buy something made from molasses.

Moins puissant que son grand frère à 59 degrés, il reste très agréable à boire avec un parfum sur la canne à sucre