Neisson 1997 18-Year

I recently got a promotion, so I wanted to buy myself an expensive rum to celebrate. Plus, this is my 400th rum review. I already own most of the expensive rums that I can obtain locally, and so this one stood out for me at about $600/bottle. So I figured 'what the hell, I'll give it a try'.

I need to disclose that I'm not a fan of Neisson rhums. All of the Neisson rhums I've tried before this I rated either a 5 or a 6, and those weren't cheap. Neisson just isn't my style (too dry for my taste).

But I definitely like this a lot more than the other Neissons I've had. The aging really makes a difference. It has a nice and smooth feel that goes down easy for 44%abv. Like other Neissons it lacks the sweetness that I like in rum. Nonetheless, if you like Neisson rums, I'm fairly certain you'll like this a lot more than the others.

Smells and tastes of sugarcane, burnt oak, and pepper. Easily the best Neisson I've ever tried.

Visited the Neisson distillery while vacationing in Martinique. Self guided distillery tour ended with an open tasting bar. Neisson 18y was priced at EUR 375 per bottle at the distillery. Very nice and sturdy bottle design with a great old school label. Deep mahogany color. Super dry Rhum Agricole flavors complemented with plenty of grass, very strong oak and a lot of citrus notes to the nose and palate. I think this would be a phenomenal rum if only a tad sweeter.

Really smooth (makes sense at 18yr) but there’s a bitter metallic finish taste, i dont like rums that are too sweet but this one could use a bit more sweetness in the end, it has a short finish, awesome for a collection surprising for this brand.