Clément VSOP Rhum Agricole

The nose is orange blossom, spiced pear, and mostly cereal notes. Very reminiscent of an orange-forward grain whisky (Irish or blended scotch), perhaps Jameson Crested or Compass Box Hedonism as the first to come to mind. Very inviting. The rhum retains its sharp, tangy, and vegetal agricole character, but the barrel notes really transform things into more complex (and familiar) aromas and flavors. Also, those edges round off considerably with a little time in the glass (20-30 minutes). Gently sweet, then the mouth fills with orange peel. Creamy. Still intensely vegetal:, fresh chili, grappa-esque grape must, kaffir lime, and plenty of brassy metallic notes. Some kinship to molasses-based rum is noticeable, but almost more as if you were tasting the rum only through the saccharine notes of diet cola. Nothing similar to contrast it to, but it is quite intriguing and certainly in no way harsh. Will enjoy exploring this further and I imagine this is a quality representative of the style.

Whiskey-ish, softer, Carmel

Really an excellent sipping rum. Take note , this is a rhum agricole, or cane juice rum. Nearly all other rums are made from molasses, a by-product (some would say a waste product) of the sugar refining process. This rum comes across much like a fine whiskey or bourbon with a hint of that rummy flavor we associate with traditional rum. You probably could convince many people they were drinking a whiskey finished in a rum cask. I prefer this neat, savoring the vanilla, wood, spice, and slight rummyness. You can mix it with Coke, but it will taste nothing like the typical rum and Coke you are use to, and then the uniqueness of this rum will be lost. I think of this as sugarcane whiskey because it is so different from molasses based rums.

Plutôt vif en bouche, sympathique

Smooth start nice burn at the end