Rhum Agricole From Martinique

The Duquesne rhum lineup hails from the Caribbean island of Martinique, at the La Mauny distillery. This agricole-style rhum starts as freshly pressed sugarcane juice which is fermented and then distilled via a single copper-column still. It rests in steel tanks for four to six months before bottling. It’s imported to the United States by Ed Hamilton’s Caribbean Spirits, the same importer for the well-regarded Neisson, La Favorite, and Ministry of Rum bottlings. A nice bonus is the 1-liter bottle size.

All of their rhums are made from the cane juice of locally grown sugar cane harvested beginning in February into early summer. Additionally, all Rhum Saint James products have been awarded the AOC certification noting that they have met the islands high standards for agricole rhums. Their Réserve Privée has been aged a minimum of 12 years in oak and is bottled at 43% abv.

Distilled and bottled on the estate in the Northwest corner of Martinique, all of Neisson's rhums are made from fresh sugarcane juice processed according to French government's Appellation d'Origine Controlee. This expression is made from rhums up to ten years old aged in bourbon and whisky casks.

Saint James Cuvée 1765 celebrates 250 years of the distillery's rhum agricole production on Martinique. The fresh pressed juice used to make it is grown within the Rhum Agricole AOC in the fields of Saint-Marie. This anniversary blend was created by master blender Myriam Bredas and oenologist Marc Sassier, who selected six vintages that come together to approximate the flavors of the distillery's original rum style, aged in a combination of French or American Oak barrels. The heavy glass bottle design and shape is a throwback to an age when the rum had to endure long sea voyages and could be stored efficiently in the holds of the ships to maximize space.

Named for founder Jean-Marie Martin, Rhum J.M is Martinique's oldest and smallest distillery, located in the foothills of the active volcano Mount Pelée. It sources its sugarcane from the surrounding Habitation Bellevue, with juice pressed within an hour of harvest. The XO first rests in stainless steel, then spends six years in re-charred bourbon barrels.

Produced from pure cane sugar grown in the volcanic soils of the island of Martinique, La Favorite Rhum Agricole is distilled in a copper column-still. Founded in 1842, La Favorite is one of the few remaining independently owned rhum distilleries in the world.

Domaine de l’Acajou on Martinique was purchased in the late 1880s by Homère Clément, who sought to produce rhum agricole after learning distillation techniques from brandy estates in France. Clément VSOP Rhum Agricole is distilled from fresh sugarcane juice in a single-column copper pot-still. It's aged a minimum of 4 years in a combination of new French Limousin oak and re-charred ex-bourbon casks.

Rhum J.M produces their agricole at their distillery mere steps away from where the fresh sugarcane for their spirits is grown at Habitation Bellevue at the foot of Mt. Pelée in Macouba on Martinique. The juice is pressed only an hour after harvest. For this release, the rhum distilled in 1995 was aged 15 years in re-charred bourbon barrels and bottled at cask-strength.

La Mauny hails from the island of Martinique, producing rhum agricole alongside more widely known brands like Clement. Per the company, the minimum age is four years, with an average of six. The distinctive shape of the bottle brings to mind rum vats--and stands out on shelves. Although not explicitly stated, it’s highly likely this rhum is aged in French oak. It’s unfortunately not currently imported into the U.S.

If you see a bottle of Rhum Clément X.O., buy it without hesitation. This gem from Martinique is no longer being produced, and will soon be replaced with another marque. Why? Because the 1952 vintage that is so key to its flavor profile has finally run out (It also includes rhums from 1970 and 1976). A beautiful example of the French style.