Rhum J.M Single Barrel 2000

J.M has distilled in Martinique's far-north Mont Pelee terroir since 1845 and ranks among the island's most prized agricole houses. This 2000 single barrel carries 20 years in ex-bourbon oak and is bottled at 40.82% under the Martinique AOC, a long-matured cane-juice rum drawn from a single cask and reduced to a gentle strength.

Distilled on a creole column that keeps the green cane congeners, two decades of tropical ageing have rounded it into something soft and inviting. The nose is beguiling with yellow fruit, gooseberry, vanilla and a malty edge, the palate turns to chocolate, dried fruit, allspice and biscuit, and the finish runs green and woody with thyme. Some tasters find the lower bottling strength leaves the palate a touch light and thin for its age, the fruit only lightly drawn, but the nose is a clear highlight. Dry and mellow, it is a contemplative old J.M for unhurried sipping.