Angel's Share Title
Rhum JM released three rums in its L’atelier des rums series, each focused on a different profile and designed to be used in a range of different cocktails by cellar master, Karina Lasalle. The Épices Créoles expression is created using fermented, fresh-pressed sugarcane juice that is distilled with a column still. The rum was then aged for three years in French and American oak barrels with varying toast levels. The rums are then blended and bottled at 46% ABV in 700-ml bottles.
Appearance
The rum bottle is a brown-tinted bottle with an orange label and gold script. The label provides a good bit of information about the product and the inspiration behind its creation. The plastic screw cap is secured to the bottle with a red and white Rhum JM themed security wrap. When poured into the tasting glass, the rum has a solid golden amber color. Swirling the liquid created a thin band around the glass that quickly doubled in size and released a couple of waves of legs before evaporating.
Nose
The aroma of the rum delivers notes of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, clove, and crème brûlée.
Palate
The first sip of the rhum is a swirl of the spices from the aroma, with the ginger and cinnamon dominating and conditioning the palate. Additional sips reveal hints of peppercorn, clove, lemongrass, toasted vanilla, and wildflower honey. As the rum begins to fade, the oak and char notes manifest, creating a toasted depth to all the spice flavors.
Review
When experiencing this rum, understanding the skills on display by Karina Lasalle is mind-boggling. The spice notes merge and play and sip to sip reminds me of ginger snaps, brûlée custard, and snickerdoodle cookies. Having experienced it in a few cocktails, it introduces a pleasant spice twist to the drinks. From Ti Punch to tropical cocktails, I like the flavors it infuses, transforming a tried-and-true cocktail into something new to experience. For cocktail creators, this is an interesting rhum to add when they are creating a new and unique flavor experience.
