Angel's Share Title
The Rhum J.M distillery was established in 1845 by Jean Marie Martin. This is the first distillery in Martinique to produce Rhum Agricole on the island. For Terroir Volcanique, Master Blender Karine Lasalle created a rhum blend with the goal of capturing the terroir attributed to the cane grown on and around the Mount Pelée volcano. After the cane is squeezed, the cane juice is fermented in an open-air tank. The Rhum J.M team then uses a Creole copper still to create the distillate; gradually, they bring it to proof during a six-month resting period. After they finish resting the liquid, they begin the aging process using recharred Bourbon barrels. After that aging cycle is completed, the rhum is transferred to ex-rum barrels that have been toasted, or, as some say, burned to a heavy alligator char. The entire aging cycle lasts for three years, and the rhum is bottled at 43% ABV in 700 mL bottles.
Appearance
The bottle is an opaque bottle with colorful neck wrap and labels. The labels provide a good bit of information about the rhum. In the glass, the rhum has a honey-amber color. Swirling the rum creates a medium band around the tasting glass that slowly thickens and beads up before releasing a single wave of thick, slow-moving legs.
Nose
The aroma of the rhum leads with notes of cooked fruit—stovetop cinnamon apples, banana foster, and berry Brulé. Spices and wood tannins drift in, punctuated by a hint of vanilla at the end.PalateThe first sip of the rhum delivers a swirl of flavors; clove, white pepper, and lemon zest lead the way, followed by the fruit flavors that dominate the aroma. A light brown sugar, baking spices, and vanilla note drifts in right before the charred oak notes take over in a balanced earthy dry finish.
Review
I first encountered this rhum at Tales of the Cocktail and tried it again at an Atlanta rum event. In both of those situations, a person’s palate is usually overstimulated, and it is not possible to truly understand how well a spirit will hold up under the scrutiny of a review. While I enjoyed the rhum at the events, it simply exceeded my expectations during the evaluation process. The balance of cooked fruit, smoky oak flavors, spices, and an earthy foundation come together to form an enjoyable flavor experience. While I enjoy sipping this spirit neat, it does quite well in a Ti punch or a variety of fruit-based cocktails.
