Rhum J.M Kirsch Whisky 2014

J.M has distilled in the far north of Martinique since 1845, drawing on the volcanic terroir at the foot of Mont Pelee, and this 2014 single cask is an unusual one: a cane-juice rum given an ex-bourbon base and a finish in a kirsch whisky cask. Distilled on a creole column under the Martinique AOC, it is bottled at cask strength with no added sugar.

The unusual finish leaves a clear fingerprint. The nose mixes fresh oak and orchard fruit, apple and pineapple with vanilla, even hinting at a fruity bourbon, while the palate turns herbal, vegetal and minty with ripe mango. The finish carries wood, dark chocolate and more mango, the grassy J.M character holding firm through the cask play. Bottled dry at 48.6%, it is vivid, spice-laced and a little unconventional, a single cask for drinkers who want a recognisable Martinique agricole with an intriguing fruit-driven twist.