Bielle Rhum vieux de Marie-Galante 2003 14yr 52,8%

"The rum needs some water, otherwise it is too strong and a touch unbalanced. Sugar cane, brioche, great integrated wood maturity, tobacco. Very nice, pronounced peach notes. In the mouth complex spice bazaar. The finish is ultra great. Very nice licorice. A great, mature Bielle. Highest craftsmanship, powerful and perfectly balanced."

"Excellent Agricole rum in cask strength. I am fascinated. Addendum: Photo Addendum 2: after a year, I have emptied the last of the sample. Still super Agricole, beautifully complex aromas of wood, spices and a balanced sweetness."

"Simply terrific! I just love these agricoles that don't taste agricoley too much! Thank you, Leo, for the blind sample for the RumX Christmas giveaway!"

"Wow, das ist ein Brett! Alte Biellle enttäuschen irgendwie auch wirklich selten! Dunkel-röstig, das Fass kommt ordentlich durch, aber wird dann auch schnell zu gebranntem Zucker, Ahornsirup und Waldhonig! Dazu gesellen sich getrocknete Früchte, Rosinen und Pflaumen und eine Spur Zimt und Anis. Wirklich angenehm und lecker, der macht vielen großen Abfüllungen durchaus Konkurrenz!"

"Really nice rum that I was able to get a sample of through the Rum-X forum. This one was nice on the nose, showing off a range of delicate notes. On the first taste I was taken by the complexity but also the heat, which was a tick overpowering. I added a very small amount of water and it helped. Oak, spice, vanilla and caramel and a bunch more I just couldn’t quite put my finger on because it was a symphony of flavour and sensation. Only reason it doesn’t score a tad higher is that the balance was little off until water was added"

"A charming Bielle that opens with an array of spices (vanilla, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, licorice and anise). The woodiness blends perfectly with notes of nuts, dried fruit, tobacco and a hint of chocolate that rounds out the whole. After aeration, candied fruits, pastry notes and sugar cane are felt, adding greediness to a profile that is both complex, deep and very pleasant. The attack on the palate is no exception to the nose, with warm and sweet spices bursting forth from the first moments. Notes of coffee, chocolate, tobacco, leather and nuts accompany a toasty sensation that sharpens the rum's profile towards a very characterful, yet very gourmet empyreumatic side. Dried fruits, peach and sugar cane bring a welcome fruity and vegetal touch to this rather dark profile. The integration of the alcohol is excellent. All the flavors work together to form a very elegant and deep blend. The finish is long, woody and spicy notes dominate the proceedings with some dried fruits, tobacco and hazelnut. No real surprise but a continuity with the rest of the profile that allows to finish on a very pleasant note. Although it is not accessible for everyone in terms of price (which could be qualified as its biggest flaw), it remains a very great rum, of an impressive richness with a perfect harmony of flavors that only Bielle has the secret. Magnificent and terribly effective."

"Great rum, delicious nose immediately after pouring. Tasted good with and without a few drops. Spices on the palate more varied with a little water."

"Sehr angenehmer Bielle, für mich eher auf der trockenen Seite mit pflanzlichen Noten im Abgang. In der Nase war er nicht so beeindruckend wie angenommen, daher knapp an einer Top Bewertung vorbeigeschlittert."

"Aus gegeben Anlass 😉habe ich mir paar Tastings mit Agricole aus Martinique, Guadeloupe und Marie Galante vorgenommen. Heute ist Bielle dran. Trotz gleichem ABV schmeckt er stärker aks der Rasta Morris RX7116, aber im angenehmen Sinn. Auch fruchtiger in der Nase und am Gaumen. Toller Agricole!"