Saint James Rhum Paille

Saint James has been distilling in Martinique since 1765 and is one of the island's largest agricole houses, instantly known by its squared bottle. This Rhum Paille, or straw rum, is distilled from fresh sugar-cane juice and given only a brief two to three months in oak, just enough to tint it pale gold without taking it into vieux territory.

The creole column keeps the grassy, vegetal cane character front and centre, and the short rest adds little more than a touch of cedar and vanilla. At 40% and unsweetened, this is a light, fresh and frankly delicate rhum, closer in spirit to a blanc than an aged expression, the body on the thin side. It is built for mixing rather than contemplative sipping, and comes into its own in a Ti' Punch or a long summer cooler.