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. Made on the banks of Guyana’s Demerera River, using both wooden and metal Coffey stills, this hugely popular 12 Year Old is full of rich and fruity esters. Toffee, vanilla and spices combine with dried dark fruits, especially prunes, and even a whisper of smoke, making this a beautiful rum to enjoy just as it is. Alc 40% The nose of the X.O certainly is more oak-forward than the other Rhum J.M expressions with additional caramel, brown sugar and red fruity notes that are also unique to this expression. On the palate I’m getting a lot more fruit, with big notes of ripe dessert banana, mango, peppercorns (earthy white pepper), cinnamon candy and butterscotch. There’s even a hard-to-place herbal component that is somewhere between sage and dill weed, which isn’t something I’ve gotten often in rum before, but it may be a factor of how its inherent grassiness is being modified by the time spent in the wood. There’s complexity to suss out here. For all mixology enthusiasts, JM has created the L'Atelier des Rhums range, which brings together rums specially designed to express specific aromatic profiles:

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%He added: “Our teams know each other very well and have worked together for more than 15 years. The skills and expertise we each possess will be a real added value in this new group.” 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.

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. 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. While the plantation remains owned by the family of Crassous de Médeuil, the trademark for Rhum J.M. was sold in 2002 to Group Bernard Hayot, a Martinique-based trade group who markets and sells the brand of rum worldwide. ProductWhile the plantation remains owned by the family of Crassous de Médeuil, the trademark for Rhum J.M. was sold in 2002 to Group Bernard Hayot, a Martinique based trade group who markets and sells the brand of rum worldwide. Product 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

The fifth of the Barbados distillery’s Exceptional Cask range, this bottling has been aged in both ex-bourbon and Madeira casks. Roasted tropical notes and salted caramel move into apples and sultanas, with plenty of tannins. This is a rum you want to sit with. Alc 56%

Nos cocktails J.M

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. To the more casual consumer white agricole does perhaps have a more consistent and similar profile than molasses bases rums from differing brands and islands. That is largely because most agricole follows a similar process and comes from only a handful of locations. The more refined agricole drinker probably will notice more nuances than me as I am relatively inexperienced with agricole rhum. It was the culmination of a remarkable field of rums, including six categories of Rhum Agricole, the magnificent sugarcane-juice rums of the French Caribbean, with brands like Montebello, La Favorite and HSE performing strongly. The Flor de Cana rum and cigar pairing evening at Rhum Room. The nose is familiar – kind of standard for white agricole. It’s not as vegetal as some and it exhibits a little more fruit notes than many. Bruised banana, citrus peel, maybe some ginger and nutmeg. Overall its quite sweet but displays a more savoury vegetal note.

The volcanic soil creates a unique climate, and Rhum J.M grows all of its own sugar cane on the Habitation Bellevue estate, which is right above the distillery. The sugar cane yield at Bellevue is much higher than at lower elevations, although the sugar content is lower, so more of it has to be crushed to make the rhum - swings and roundabouts. This unique microclimate and volcanic soil creates an exclusive sugar cane crop. 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.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. In 1914, Gustave Crassous de Médeuil bought the J.M Distillery from the family of Jean-Marie MARTIN. The Crassous de Médeuil heirs have carried on the time-honored passion and tradition of making rum J.M 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. 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. 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 !