Rhum Vieux Prélude Longueteau
€59.00
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Product Details
- Format
- 70 cl
- Region
- ANTILLES
- Appellation
- GUADELOUPE
- Degree
- 49,8°
- Country
- FRANCE
- Author
- Adrien
Aged agricultural rum from Guadeloupe, Maison Longueteau. Ripe fruits, caramel, vanilla and noble wood, with ample, well-balanced depth.
The Rhum Vieux Prélude from Maison Longueteau is the opening movement of the Collection Harmonie, a musical score composed by the master distillers of Guadeloupe's oldest independent family distillery with the same rigour as an orchestra conductor. The Prélude is a revelation: an amber rum, produced in limited numbered series, bottled cask-strength without reduction, whose disarming freshness and aromatic tension impress those expecting a traditionally wood-aged rum. It is the ideal gateway into the world of Longueteau's old agricultural rums, at once accessible and stunning in its precision.
The cane, the terroir and the distillery
Maison Longueteau has been rooted since 1895 at the Domaine du Marquisat de Sainte-Marie, in Capesterre-Belle-Eau, on the windward coast of Basse-Terre, at the foot of the Soufrière volcanic massif. Founded by Louis Philippe Henry Longueteau, it remains today Guadeloupe's oldest independent family distillery, managed by the fifth generation with the same uncompromising vision: total control of the production chain, from field to bottle. The distillery works its own 100 hectares of cane spread across twelve parcels, separately cultivating two complementary historical varieties, the red R579 cane for its aromatic generosity and richness in natural sugars, and the blue B69.566 cane for its elegance and freshness. The Prélude is crafted from a precise blend of 65% red cane and 35% blue cane, distilled in the distillery's traditional copper column, producing a distillate rich in esters. Ageing, lasting one to three years, takes place in new French oak casks, a deliberate choice that sets the Prélude apart from its two siblings in the Collection Harmonie: where the Symphonie and Concerto marry new casks and ex-cognac casks, the Prélude expresses itself solely in new oak, fully embracing the power and vivacity of fresh wood on an agricultural distillate still at its peak brightness. Bottled without reduction at its natural strength, between 53 and 54% vol depending on batch, each numbered series is a precise portrait of a unique, unrepeatable vintage blend.
Tasting profile
The colour is deep gold with amber and copper reflections, luminous and of fine intensity. The nose strikes with disarming freshness and aromatic tension for a wood-aged rum: fresh, resinous woody notes unfold with precision, accompanied by a subtle aroma of hot caramel, fresh red fruits, raspberry, red berries, and freshly pressed sugarcane that directly recalls the distillate's agricultural origins. After a few minutes of air in the glass, the palate enriches with light floral notes, hints of mint and a delicate vanilla spice. On the palate, the florality and fruitiness of the cane assert themselves first, carried by a lively, dynamic texture, then the caramelised and resinous notes of new oak gradually take the lead, bringing structure and warmth. The texture is both taut and generous, with that contemporary, precise character that cask-strength rum enthusiasts recognise immediately. The finish is long, unctuous and indulgent, stretching across notes of cocoa, fine praline and toasted wood that meld into a persistent, elegant sweetness. A rum at once structured and subtle, ideal neat or in a characterful Ti-Punch.
The Collection Harmonie
The Collection Harmonie is Maison Longueteau's most demanding and narrative range, three expressions built like a concert, each numbered by batch, bottled cask-strength and produced in limited series of 1,400 bottles. The Prélude is the opening, fresh, floral and fruity. The Symphonie is the development, more complex and profound. The Concerto is the apotheosis, very old, smoky and of rare sophistication. Three movements, one philosophy: Maison Longueteau's commitment to restoring the distillate in its purest form, without artifice or reduction.
Tasting and pairings
The Prélude is best enjoyed neat, at room temperature, in a tulip glass left to air for a few minutes to allow the woody notes to harmonise with the fruity character. It will also shine in a Ti-Punch made with amber rum, a few drops of lime, a pinch of cane sugar, and the Prélude's vivacity does the rest. With food, it finds beautiful harmony with a well-aged 24-month Comté whose tyrosine crystals answer to the rum's richness, a caramelised apple tarte Tatin that emphasises the vanilla and woody notes, or a square of 70% dark chocolate whose bitterness creates a savoury balance with the cane's natural sweetness.
The cane, the terroir and the distillery
Maison Longueteau has been rooted since 1895 at the Domaine du Marquisat de Sainte-Marie, in Capesterre-Belle-Eau, on the windward coast of Basse-Terre, at the foot of the Soufrière volcanic massif. Founded by Louis Philippe Henry Longueteau, it remains today Guadeloupe's oldest independent family distillery, managed by the fifth generation with the same uncompromising vision: total control of the production chain, from field to bottle. The distillery works its own 100 hectares of cane spread across twelve parcels, separately cultivating two complementary historical varieties, the red R579 cane for its aromatic generosity and richness in natural sugars, and the blue B69.566 cane for its elegance and freshness. The Prélude is crafted from a precise blend of 65% red cane and 35% blue cane, distilled in the distillery's traditional copper column, producing a distillate rich in esters. Ageing, lasting one to three years, takes place in new French oak casks, a deliberate choice that sets the Prélude apart from its two siblings in the Collection Harmonie: where the Symphonie and Concerto marry new casks and ex-cognac casks, the Prélude expresses itself solely in new oak, fully embracing the power and vivacity of fresh wood on an agricultural distillate still at its peak brightness. Bottled without reduction at its natural strength, between 53 and 54% vol depending on batch, each numbered series is a precise portrait of a unique, unrepeatable vintage blend.
Tasting profile
The colour is deep gold with amber and copper reflections, luminous and of fine intensity. The nose strikes with disarming freshness and aromatic tension for a wood-aged rum: fresh, resinous woody notes unfold with precision, accompanied by a subtle aroma of hot caramel, fresh red fruits, raspberry, red berries, and freshly pressed sugarcane that directly recalls the distillate's agricultural origins. After a few minutes of air in the glass, the palate enriches with light floral notes, hints of mint and a delicate vanilla spice. On the palate, the florality and fruitiness of the cane assert themselves first, carried by a lively, dynamic texture, then the caramelised and resinous notes of new oak gradually take the lead, bringing structure and warmth. The texture is both taut and generous, with that contemporary, precise character that cask-strength rum enthusiasts recognise immediately. The finish is long, unctuous and indulgent, stretching across notes of cocoa, fine praline and toasted wood that meld into a persistent, elegant sweetness. A rum at once structured and subtle, ideal neat or in a characterful Ti-Punch.
The Collection Harmonie
The Collection Harmonie is Maison Longueteau's most demanding and narrative range, three expressions built like a concert, each numbered by batch, bottled cask-strength and produced in limited series of 1,400 bottles. The Prélude is the opening, fresh, floral and fruity. The Symphonie is the development, more complex and profound. The Concerto is the apotheosis, very old, smoky and of rare sophistication. Three movements, one philosophy: Maison Longueteau's commitment to restoring the distillate in its purest form, without artifice or reduction.
Tasting and pairings
The Prélude is best enjoyed neat, at room temperature, in a tulip glass left to air for a few minutes to allow the woody notes to harmonise with the fruity character. It will also shine in a Ti-Punch made with amber rum, a few drops of lime, a pinch of cane sugar, and the Prélude's vivacity does the rest. With food, it finds beautiful harmony with a well-aged 24-month Comté whose tyrosine crystals answer to the rum's richness, a caramelised apple tarte Tatin that emphasises the vanilla and woody notes, or a square of 70% dark chocolate whose bitterness creates a savoury balance with the cane's natural sweetness.