First Impressions
Montebello is a Guadeloupean distillery that sources its sugarcane from the volcanic soils of multiple communes — Petit-Bourg, Goyave, Basse-Terre, Lamentin, and Sainte-Rose. This 1998 vintage, released as part of the Colours of Rum series, has been aged for twenty-three years, transforming the raw agricole spirit into something of extraordinary depth and refinement.
Tasting
The nose is rich and developed. Aged sugarcane retains its identity even after twenty-three years, with dried fruit and polished oak adding mature complexity. Leather contributes a savoury note, tropical spice adds warmth, and there's a distinctive volcanic mineral quality that speaks to the terroir of the sugarcane fields.
The palate is complex and refined. Aged sugarcane provides the foundation, dried tropical fruit adds sweetness and complexity, and oak tannins from the extended maturation provide structure without harshness. Leather, dark honey, and baking spice layer together beautifully, and the texture is elegant and mature. At 43.3%, it's perfectly balanced for contemplative sipping.
The finish is very long. Oak and dried fruit persist, sugarcane sweetness lingers, and the rum closes with a mineral, volcanic quality that is uniquely Guadeloupean.
The Bottom Line
At £286, Montebello 1998 is a rum for the serious agricole collector. The twenty-three years of ageing have produced something genuinely special — a rum that expresses both its terroir and its age with equal eloquence. A benchmark aged agricole from Guadeloupe.
