HSE - Habitation Saint-Etienne : Extra Vieux "Grand Millésime" Single Cask 2003

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Extra Vieux "Grand Millésime" Single Cask 2003 by HSE - Habitation Saint-Etienne

Tasting

Appearance
A beautiful mahogany hue with amber highlights.

Nose
Intense, the nose opens with empyreumatic notes, roasted cocoa, coffee, and blond tobacco. Prune, quince, and stewed fruit aromas then emerge, while hints of burnt wood and fruit paste round out the aromatic palette.

Palate
Broad, elegant attack offering a sense of depth. The palate combines softness with an oily texture, highlighting indulgent exotic flavors. The aromas detected on the nose are harmoniously echoed on the palate, striking a balanced chord between power, roundness, and complexity. The finish, fruity and delicately spicy, lingers with notes of fruit and fine spices.

Pairings and tasting moments
This exceptional rum is best enjoyed neat, without embellishment, to fully appreciate the complexity of its 19 Years Old of tropical aging.

Other characteristics
Agricole rum with exceptional concentration and balance, at 47.8% ABV and presented in a 50cl format. Its intense profile marries power and finesse with remarkable harmony.

An exceptional 19-year-old Martinique agricole rum

L'Habitation Saint-Étienne, a historic Martinique distillery
The Habitation Saint-Étienne - HSE, an exceptional Martinique rum, was founded at the beginning of the 19th century on the site of the former La Maugée sugar refinery. In 1882, Amédée Aubéry transformed the estate into a distillery and erected the emblematic building with 28 arched windows. After the Simonnet family (1909–1980) and a period of decline, Yves and José Hayot, the current owners, acquired the property in 1994 and brilliantly revived the brand. Located between Gros-Morne and Saint-Joseph, this distillery, listed as a Historic Monument, produces AOC Martinique agricole rum by directly distilling fermented pure cane juice, offering the island’s widest range of rums.

The Single Cask 2003, an exceptional vintage in a limited edition
This Extra Vieux "Grand Millésime" Single Cask 2003 comes from a single 400-liter French oak cask, distilled on December 30, 2003 at the Distillerie du Simon in Le François, Martinique. After 19 years and 3 months of tropical aging, this Martinique rum was bottled in 2023.
The edition is strictly limited to 1,000 numbered and signed bottles, making each bottle a rare and unique example of this exceptional cuvée. Produced using the agricole method from fermented pure cane juice, this rum benefits from official bottling by Habitation Saint-Étienne. The bottle comes in a wooden case in the rum’s colors, showcasing this collector’s jewel intended for the most discerning enthusiasts.