Rhum JM Agricole White Rum, 70 cl

Product Information

Martin had recognized the quality of the sugar produced at this plantation and decided that they should switch from trying to mass produce raw sugar and instead focus on producing sugar cane for use in French agricultural rum. He built a distillery on the plantation and to this day, his initials (JM) have been branded on every barrel of rum produced at that location. To make the right choice among the extensive selection of JM rums, several criteria should be considered:

It’s reasonably complex and its certainly a very competent and enjoyable white agricole. It could perhaps be a bit more vivid and punchy but it has enough to entertain and it becomes surprisingly addictive. On the equally lush and verdant but arrestingly French territory of Martinique, Habitation Clément epitomises the character of agricole rhum, which is made using sugarcane juice. The distillery is doing some interesting experiments with cask finishes, which are more common in whisky ageing than rum ageing). They’re using the likes of Pedro Ximénez, Sauternes and even Scotch whisky. In the nose delicate and sweet. Wood toasted with love and doused with caramel previously rubbed with apple peel. White fruits, yellow flowers and freshly pressed sugar cane fully beguile you. The island is calling ! An excellent homage to the spiced rum tradition of St Lucia, this expression of Chairman’s Reserve is a blend of Coffey and pot still rums aged in ex-bourbon casks and infused with local fruits and spices, such as orange peel, cinnamon and nutmeg. We’re talking Jaffa Cakes with Chairman’s’ recognisable dark chocolate note coming through, as well as Christmas cake, while all those spices give a beautiful warming finish. Alc 40% Price estimate statistics ---- J.M 5 years 2000 Of. Single Cask n°10259 Limited Edition 299 Bottles C.Collins Heritier Crassous de Médeuil ----

the sugar cane

The history of Rhum Agricole is closely tied to the economic shifts in the Caribbean sugar industry. In the late 19th century, as European beet sugar began to dominate the market, cane sugar prices plummeted, leaving Caribbean sugar producers in a bind. Distillers on the French islands turned to distilling rum directly from sugarcane juice as a way to pivot from the declining sugar market, thereby birthing Rhum Agricole. Sipped the rum is quite difficult to get down. It’s very spicy and quite grassy. With a few further sips it does get better. There is quite a lot of flavour – spicy almost ginger beer like notes alongside the banana from the nose and some strong tart citrus notes. I wouldn’t go as far as to say its unbalanced but it is certainly a little on the challenging side. As for the size, the label is large… and normally I’d complain about that, since such a huge label would prevent you from seeing the spirit inside the bottle. But the dark green glass used here already means there really isn’t much to see. For all mixology enthusiasts, JM has created the L'Atelier des Rhums range, which brings together rums specially designed to express specific aromatic profiles: Grands crus, older vintages, large formats, Champagne, whiskies, cognacs, armagnacs, rare wines, or simply a good bottle More info

In fact, the volcano is probably responsible for some of JM’s typical style. The volcanic soil on which the the distillery’s estate is built is incredibly fertile, making it perfect for the growing of sugar cane. Indeed, the distillery grows all the sugar cane it uses in the Habitation Bellevue estate, found a little further up mountain. Habitation Bellevue is the perfect location for growing cane, not just because of the soil, but also because of the warm climate, humid sea air and altitude. Despite this, volcano life has its downsides: prospective disasters aside, the added altitude means that whilst there is a greater yield of cane crop, the sugar content is lower, meaning that more crop has to be used when making the rum.

This smells like a delicious mix between a rum and a bourbon, taking the best components from each. Rhum JM matures its spirit in charred and scraped ex-bourbon barrels, employing a solera system within each vintage to ensure that the rum maintains continuity. The distillery even chars through igniting high-proof rum! The heat of the tropics and the humidity of the island means that the rum loses more rum volume to evaporation than distilleries in colder climes, though this may also speed up maturation times. Rhum JM has also been known for its single and multi vintage releases, and finishing in Armagnac and Cognac barrels. Rhum JM follows the Cognac system of age-statements, using V.S.O.P. and X.O. on their bottles. In the glass we have a translucent spirit which is likely to have benefited from some filtration to give it a clear appearance. The Bellevue distillery (also incorrectly noted as Belvedere on some Indie bottlings) is located on the flanks of Mount Pelee. The producers claim the rich volcanic soil give the rhum its unique flavour profile. They are very keen on using terroir (the land on which the sugar cane grows) to identify and highlight the uniqueness of their agricole rhum. Rhum Agricole is a distinctive style of rum originating from the French Caribbean islands, most notably Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Marie-Galante. Its name, which translates to "agricultural rum," distinguishes it from molasses-based rums, emphasising its creation from freshly squeezed sugarcane juice rather than from by-products of the sugar production process. Rhum Agricole holds a prestigious position in the world of spirits, celebrated for its expressive terroir-driven character and the adherence to rigorous production standards.

Our team will advise you on your bespoke wine collection, whether it's a ready-to-drink cellar you're seeking, or bottles for ageing. MORE INFO Martin had recognized the quality of the sugar produced at this plantation and decided that they should switch from trying to mass produce raw sugar and instead focus on producing sugar cane for use in French agricultural rum. He built a distillery on the plantation, and ever since his initials (JM) have been branded on every barrel of rum produced at that location. It was a rematch of 2021, when the same two rum houses faced off for the title, and again Neisson came out on top, another win for Neisson, arguably the most sought-after boutique rum distillery on earth. GBH’s portfolio of spirits includes the Rhum Clément, Rhum JM, Bounty, Chairman’s Reserve and Admiral Rodney rum brands. The brands are produced by Saint Lucia Distillers, which GBH acquired in March 2016.Rhum agricole primarily differs from the majority of rum in the American marketplace by being distilled from a slightly different product. Whereas the vast majority of rum produced throughout the Caribbean and Central America, in countries such as Barbados, Panama, Nicaragua or Cuba is fermented and distilled from molasses—the by-product of sugar production—rhum agricole is instead produced with pure sugar cane juice, the base product that eventually becomes BOTH sugar and molasses. In other words, it’s basically rum that results from an earlier state of sugar cane production, and this impacts the eventual flavor of rhum agricole. Compared with rums made from molasses, typical agricole offerings retain more of the terroir of where they come from and the plant-like flavors of the sugar cane itself—they are grassier, more herbaceous, and are often described as significantly more “funky,” with notes that remind one of the land from which they are derived. Once cultivated and crushed into a juice, the sugar is added to some water and fermented for no more than five days to an alcohol content of 7.5% ABV. (The idea here is that the lower-than-usual alcohol content will allow more flavorful rum to be produced in the end.) On the standard edition bottles, the label is paper with the “Rhum JM” name in big red letters, but here the label is actually made out of saddle leather. The important facts are all stamped into that leather, including the typical illustration of the old distillery. It’s a nice touch that once again sets this bottle apart and conveys the time and attention that went into this product. Made at the highly revered Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados, Doorly’s XO is a blend of column and pot still rums, aged for a minimum of six years and finished in oloroso Sherry casks. This rum is bursting with notes of toffee, tarte tatin and vanilla, with a warming, dark sugar note that makes it not too sweet but deliciously moreish. Great as a sipping rum. Alc 40%

After 2 years of various Covid travel interruptions ourfestival has taken a triumphant step forward,” said Davis, global rum expert and co-founder of the event. Now off my art critic soapbox. Let's look at the rum itself. It is a deep amber color with a hint of bronze. It has nice legs and beads of the rum cling to the sides after settling from a swirl in my snifter. It has a recognizable agricole aroma but nothing harsh. I’m still getting that dark and rich component from the oak, but it isn’t quite as loud as before. Instead, the fruit flavors get more of the spotlight, with the pineapple and banana specifically coming through strong. To be fair, it doesn’t have quite the same level of flavor saturation as before — it’s a little more towards the watery end of the spectrum at this point. Fizz (Dark and Stormy) Im Abgang bleiben Karamell und Vanille sehr lange, Früchte und Holz bleiben auch für länger. Du musst auf die Insel !

This year’s Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth jury included judges Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal; Guy Britton, managing editor and EVP of Caribbean Journal; Christopher Davis, global rum expert and proprietor of the Rhum Room St Barth; rum expert and international cigar sommelier Jose Antonio Hernandez-Solaun; Peter Berntsen, COO of Empire Social Lounge in Miami and founder of Miami Rum Month; Guy Ferdinand, renowned Caribbean chef and owner of Martinique’s Le Petibonum; Myssi Davis, founder of Rum Traveler; Cuban rum expert Ivan Jivkov; and editor-in-chief of Cuba Journal, Simons Chase. JM continues to innovate and regularly offers limited editions or collaborations with other producers to provide unique flavor experiences. One of the most notable examples is the series of aged rums that have undergone finishing in Calvados casks, creating unexpected encounters between Norman and Antillean terroirs. Choosing the Right Rhum J.M for You Distilling the juice of sugar cane gives birth to this white agricultural rum. All Rhum J.M. AOC rums are produced exclusively from sugar cane grown entirely by the family in the highlands of Bellevue.