Rhum J.M 2014

Rhum J.M has distilled at the foot of Mont Pelee since 1845, working the volcanic terroir of Martinique's far north into an AOC vieux. This 2014 vintage carries ten years of age and arrives at a natural 44.2%, unsweetened as the appellation demands, with the producer's own column character running through it.

Distilled from fresh-pressed sugar cane juice on a creole column, then matured at origin in ex-bourbon oak, it shows the grassy backbone of agricole growing into something darker with tropical ageing. Aromas of vanilla, sugarcane and cereal lead into a palate of bitter orange, honey and warm wood, with a toasted, vanilla-laced finish. Tropical heat in the warehouse does the work of far longer continental ageing, so the oak reads richer than the years alone would suggest. A dry, characterful pour for those who like their agricole with spice rather than sugar.