Founded in 1930 (Carrère distillery) then closed in 60, the distillery narrowly missed being transformed into a cinema, before finally being bought in 1968 by Jean Marsolle who gave it a second wind; Today, Montebello is known for offering a notable difference in the rum landscape, by producing blends of pure juice rum and molasses rum (from sugar factories). In 1983, it stored 120,000 liters of this 50° blend for the first time. A range of very many rums followed (3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, etc.) including the first vintages from Guadeloupe.

Bottle photo credits: ExcellenceRhum.com

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Montebello 3 years / 42°

3 years old but a little more, since this rum was produced “thanks to the subtle and meticulous blend of 3 years old (70%), 8 years old (20%) and 12 years old (10%)”  .

The color is straw, oily and the tears are thick for such a young rum.
On the nose, the rum appears fruity and dry, but quite rich and concentrated. On dried fruits (plum, grape) and a broken exoticism (rotten and excessive) and touches of blond tobacco. The exotic fruitiness rocks the nose and sets the tone, with citrus fruits and always this tobacco. Typical and expressive, it defends itself very well for a 3 year old.

The attack is oily and relatively concentrated, on dry cane, green and bitter herbs, blond tobacco and dry wood; dried fruits appear, bringing a little sweetness and roundness, and peppery spices harden the mouth. The finish is medium long and dry, on tobacco and spices.

A great introduction, simple but already rich enough to make you want to discover more; the 6 year old for example. Rating: 76

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Montebello 6 years / 42°

6 years of aging in 180 liter American oak barrels that have contained bourbon. There is a 4 year old intermediate rum at Montebello.

The color is excessively bright, a strong amber, and visually oily. A disc on the surface suggests more maturity than the 3 year old, for a completely different dimension.
On the nose, the rum is more candied, more complex and very pleasant: candied fruit, macerated (raisins, prunes), liquorice and roasted and warm notes. Much heavier than the 3 year old and quite marked, black, with a touch of tar, leather, tobacco, and mature exotic fruits. A dark but candy rum and quite gourmet (on the orange). Very nice presence for an aromatic rum on which one would stay for very long minutes. Very nice.

The attack is initially quite soft but becomes fat and warm, with notes of hydrocarbon, olive, salt and anise. Melting in the mouth, almost sticky, the rum evolves in a beautiful concentration and on a phenolic and gourmet profile (candied fruits). The finish is long, and the persistence of the previously found notes lasts a long time, on notes of anise, spices (gray pepper) and on a menthol freshness.

A very well made rum, very pleasant from start to finish, heavy concentrate and almost resinous in the mouth. Surely the most beautiful expression in old rum from Montebello. Very good quality/price ratio. Note: 85

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Montebello 8 years / 42°

+ 2 years for an 8 year old account this time. Will the rum live up to the 6 year old?

Gold color, fat dress and legs of the same ilk.
The nose is warm and on a warm vegetal register: on the mature cane, citrus fruits gorged with sun and rotten, vanilla, and a woody touch tending towards blond tobacco. The exotic fruits take a little more space with the rest, in addition to a chocolatey side far from unpleasant.

The palate is warm and oily, concentrated on vanilla fruits, mint and a dry but classy woodiness. Beautiful presence in the mouth, spicy and always fruity and pleasant. We are in a less dark register than the 6 year old, lighter and fruity, but just as pleasant, and quite complementary. The finish is long and refreshing, on a gourmet fruitiness and a menthol taste.

A rum that is once again quite concentrated and very pleasant on the palate, complementary to the 6 year old, with a fruitier and less dark profile. Rating: 81

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Montebello 11 years / 42°

Aged in 1995 then drawn off in 2006.

The rum offers a slightly amber, oily and shiny color.
On the nose, it is quite dry, on dried fruits, a delicate woodiness and warm spices. Light and simpler than the previous rums, more classic we would say, the alcohol is slightly spicy on the nose, the citrus fruits stand out in the form of (candied) zest.

On the palate, the rum is once again concentrated. Very nice presence for a 42° that does more (and that's a good thing). The palate is sweet, aniseed and iodized, in a melted, warm and spicy whole. The finish is moderately long, dry on a slightly smoky taste (tobacco?) and still fruity (exotic).

Another rum, another age, and still a nice surprise, marked by aromatic richness and a nice length. Note: 83

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Montebello 1999 single cask / 40°

12 years old, from a single barrel (how many in total? mystery) and bottled at a small 40°. Specially made by Grégory Marsolle, the new Cellar Master of the House .

Amber color, oily and very bright, tending towards orange.
On the nose, it is fruity, on the candied exoticism, on white-fleshed fruits, pear in particular, and tobacco. The rum appears round and gourmet, slightly aniseed and on brown sugar.

On the palate, it is mellow, concentrated on notes mixing candied fruits and smoke (tobacco), rather black and always in a melting and melted whole, thick in the mouth but without nausea, but quite sweet. It would almost stick to the palate (honeyed), it is warm and gourmet, for a relatively short and expeditious finish. It started well, but the finish seems almost non-existent. Is it the addition of sugar? Maybe, in any case it is a shame to have left such a rum at a small 40°, where the others are at least 42… one wonders why.

A rum that starts well, but ends too timidly or even incognito. Releasing all the rums in its range at 42° and releasing this single cask at 40 is a total mystery. Does this new cellar master have a sweeter tooth than the previous one? Or is it to meet a certain demand? In any case, the result does not live up to expectations; it lacks character and identity. Rating: 77

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Montebello 14 years / 50.6°

A “Grande Réserve Spéciale” rum that marks the arrival of a new bottle at Montebello, square and imposing; It is a 14-year-old vintage rum (2000) , from unique barrels, and bottled here at 50.6° . “Limited” edition of 1250 copies.

Amber color, fat, with ultra-thick legs.
On the nose, the rum is quite simple and even flat, to wonder where the concentration and the 50.6° have gone. Fruity like 'candied', but which seems mixed with a past (humid) and bitter woodiness, and tobacco. The nose is quite strange, neither very balanced nor complex, with this impression of acidity that persists. The rum, despite its advanced age and especially its degree, seems quite flat and much too tamed.

The mouth is very bitter and acidic, with a not very pleasant sensation in the mouth. Poorly balanced and rather focused on this acidic and sweet, acrid side. The woodiness is burnt, with notes of leather and failed rum. It evolves on the sugar, and the rum appears literally drowned but the bitterness persists nevertheless. The finish is ultra short and even non-existent, surely the fault of the sugar. The measure of this rum can be found right here , and gives the answer to the tasting…

Why waste so much rum? The announced strength is non-existent, and the sugar and acidity drown out any interest in the product. The youngest rums from the distillery are much better worked (and much cheaper too). Sometimes it is surely better to release nothing than to release this kind of rum. Rating: 67

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Montebello 1982 / 42°

A Hors d'âge, prestige vintage, in a carafe, but unfortunately of unknown age .

Mahogany color for this 1982 vintage, tending towards copper, bright and very classy. The tears are thick and suggest a rum with a certain maturity.
On the nose, we find broken citrus fruits, candied even, with a heavy smell of exoticism, and a dry woodiness, steamed vegetables (artichoke, cauliflower), tobacco. Not the most complex rum there is, nor the best balanced, but different. Heavy with rest, heavy and 'steamy'.

The attack is oily, warm, on a woody hint of tobacco, quite bitter and acidic, supported by spices, but without great complexity. The fruits are not very present, especially a rather humid and always bitter woody, slightly acidic, and tobacco. It lacks something to dream about, and the finish will not change things much more, average and quite fast, and quite simple. Montebello has accustomed us to better, more complex, but as if the oldest vintages are not necessarily the best. The finish ends on dry notes of tobacco and woody but without relief or aromatic persistence.

Montebello can do better, much better even, but the year and the carafe will be the end of many people. Note: 80

The cross-tasting of different rums from Montebello showed a very unique style, and far from the standards of Martinique for example. Rich, very tasty and interesting rums; The 6 year old appears to be the perfect example of what the distillery can achieve. The latest releases, however, are hugely disappointing; especially the latest one, the 14 year old which seems to defy the laws of logic, whether in terms of price or quality with an unpleasant acidity despite the dose of added sugar... Let's hope that Montebello moves forward without forgetting its roots, by once again offering very good rums.

To help you (and me) find your way around, regarding the notes:

90 and + : exceptional and unique rum, it is the best of the best
between 85 and 89 : highly recommended rum, with that little something that makes the difference
between 80 and 84 : recommendable rum
75-79 POINTS : above average
70-74 POINTS : in the low average
less than 70 : not very good

Review courtesy of DuRhum.com.

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