Hardy Saint James Rhum vieux agricole XO

This Saint James XO comes from Hardy, a small independent Martinique bottler working with spirit from the Saint James distillery, the island's long-established house. Distilled from fresh sugarcane juice and matured around six years in ex-bourbon oak, the rum carries AOC Martinique weight and the XO tier's minimum maturity, unsweetened and pitched at a relaxed 43%.

The creole column keeps the cane character beneath the wood, and ageing has pushed it toward dried fruit and leather. The nose is leathery and woody with dried fruit and vanilla, the palate dry with dates, prunes, leather and vanilla, the finish carrying leather, wood and a touch of almond. It drinks softer than its dark, brooding aroma suggests, a fruity-woody agricole that stays gentle. A solid, fairly priced introduction to aged Martinique rum, comfortable neat after a meal.