Rhum J.M Kirsch Whisky 2014

J.M distills in the far north of Martinique under the influence of Mont Pelee, a prized AOC house going back to 1845. This single barrel draws on a 2014 vintage finished in ex-whisky casks, pressed from fresh sugar-cane juice and bottled unsweetened in keeping with the AOC.

Run through a creole column still and matured in ex-bourbon oak before its whisky-cask finish, it keeps the dry, grassy agricole core that defines the style: sugar-cane, wood and sour cherry on the nose, then spice, wood and allspice across the palate before a finish of dark chocolate, mint and a vegetal lift. A cherry and apricot note and a touch of smoke set this cask apart without burying the cane. At 50.3% it is characterful and well balanced, a classic dry agricole with a twist for anyone who already enjoys the house style.