Saint James 1986

Saint James has made rum in Martinique since 1765 and is among the island's largest and most iconic houses, recognisable by its squared bottle. This 1986 Millesime is a long aged agricole from fresh pressed sugarcane juice, column distilled and bottled unsweetened at 43%, the kind of vintage that shows how well the house's cane juice spirit rewards patience.

Decades in oak have built a balanced, round profile, with the nose offering oak, vanilla and ripe fruit, and the palate layering oak, dried fruit and chocolate over a gentle natural sweetness that comes from the cane and the wood rather than any additive. The finish carries oak, chocolate and dried fruit, with a light floral note and hints of coffee threading through. This is a mature, harmonious old agricole that trades youthful grassiness for depth and elegance. A rhum for slow neat sipping, it shows the refined, fruit and oak driven side of aged Martinique at its considered best.