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 alcohol content than usual will allow more flavorful rum to be produced in the end.) That ranged from Damoiseau’s popular Ti’ Punch party at Les Ilets de la Plage hotel to a “Caribbean Rum Festival” evening that featured Parce Rum, Don Q and Ron Pepon at Le Barthelemy. Following fermentation, the sugarcane wine is distilled, typically in a column still, a method preferred for its ability to produce a clear, high-proof spirit while preserving the aromatic subtleties derived from the sugarcane. The result is a potent distillate that is then either bottled as a white Rhum Agricole or aged in oak barrels to produce vieux (old) Rhum Agricole. 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.

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. Located in northern Martinique at the foot of Mount Pelée, Habitation Bellevue benefits from a tropical climate and particularly rich and fertile volcanic soil excellent for the cultivation of exceptional sugarcane. Our sugarcane grow up the face of the volcano on the exposed to the tropical sea breezes, which are important to ventilate the sugarcane. 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. 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.Vieux (Old): Aged in oak barrels for a minimum of three years, these rums are smoother, with the wood imparting depth and warm notes of vanilla, tobacco, and toasted nuts. On the nose, the V.O is again earthy, with that same pineapple note that I also got in the Blanc, but the stand-out note for me is a savory, earthy thing that is quite reminiscent of tobacco leaves. On the palate this segues into more of a toffee/caramel candy richness, with more tobacco, and a lingering earthiness. Mildly sweet, it doesn’t necessarily feel like maturation has been rushed, but it’s certainly not the most complex of the Rhum J.M aged offerings. It will, however, stand in absolutely fine in just about any mixing application where you might want to introduce a little agricole flavor. Martinique has taken the lead in establishing stringent production standards, achieving an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation for Martinique Rhum Agricole in 1996. This AOC, much like those for French wines, specifies the types of sugarcane that can be used, the areas of production, the distillation process, and the ageing requirements, ensuring each bottle meets high quality and authenticity standards. For all mixology enthusiasts, JM has created the L'Atelier des Rhums range, which brings together rums specially designed to express specific aromatic profiles:

In the finish, caramel and vanilla remain very long, fruit and wood also remain for longer. You must go to the island ! The label is large… and normally I’d complain about that. Really, the only thing on the label is an illustrated image of the distillery and the Rhum JM trademark in big red letters, the rest of the legally required details printed on a smaller label below the first. And normally I’d be annoyed that 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. Créoles: an amber rum rich in spices and warm notes, offering an exotic and spicy touch to your drinks. Head to St Lucia and you’ll find Deny Duplessis, Master Blender at St Lucia Distillers, exploring the limits of blending, using the distillates coming off the distillery’s assorted column, Vendome and John Dore pot stills. While in Barbados, the Foursquare Rum Distillery, led by its driven CEO and Master Distiller Richard Seale, is blazing a trail for its own Geographical Indication (GI). Watch this space… Price estimate statistics ---- J.M 5 years 2000 Of. Single Cask n°10259 Limited Edition 299 Bottles C.Collins Heritier Crassous de Médeuil ----

A happy event to celebrate? Let our team of experts guide you as you search for the perfect bottles to make your celebration unforgettable. More info For the second year in a row, Martinique’s Rhum Neisson took home the crown as the world champion of rum, with its Neisson 21 90th Anniversary edition besting Flor de Cana’s Generaciones to take home the title.

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 Rum J.M has the exclusive benefit to use pure volcanic spring water rich in minerals sourced from the bowels of Mount Pelée. We feel this is worth mentioning as the purity of the water is a key contributor to the quality of Rum J.M. The bottle itself looks like a traditional, antique spirits bottle — specifically, something you’d expect from a Scottish distillery. And I’m totally here for it. Most rum on the market these days is intended to be fun and quirky, but this ancient and storied expression of a very specific kind of rum has earned the right to be a little more stoic.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