Saint James Brut de colonne – Bio 2020

Saint James has distilled in Martinique since 1765 and ranks among the island's largest AOC houses, and this organic Brut de Colonne blanc captures the raw output of its creole column straight off the still. Distilled low to keep the vegetal cane congeners in the spirit, it is bottled unsweetened and undiluted at a formidable 74.2%, a 2020 white built for cane juice devotees.

Despite the strength it drinks with surprising composure, the alcohol carrying rather than scorching. Expect fresh pressed sugar cane, intense grassiness and white pepper up front, with green olive, licorice and a stony mineral edge filling out the middle, and an earthy, floral, cane sweet finish. This is a reference style agricole blanc, best taken slowly with a little water or built into a punchy Ti' Punch or Daiquiri where its sheer cane intensity is the whole point.