Rhum J.M. VSOP Rum 750ml

Rhum J.M. VSOP comes from the Fonds-Préville distillery in Macouba, on Martinique's northern coast, where Rhum J.M. has been producing rhum agricole since 1845. The distillery sits at the foot of Mount Pelée in a lush pocket of tropical jungle, and since 2002 it has been owned by the Martinique family business G.B.H., which oversaw a full modernization while preserving the site's traditional farming and production methods. J.M. is widely regarded among connoisseurs as one of the finest producers of aged agricole rum in the world.

Unlike molasses-based rum, this VSOP is distilled from fresh sugarcane juice grown on the J.M. estate and neighboring farms, crushed within an hour of harvest and fermented for 24 hours using French baker's yeast. The cane wine passes through a traditional nineteenth-century Creole copper column still, then ages a minimum of four years to meet VSOP standards, spending three years in new American oak and re-charred ex-bourbon barrels before a final year in French oak. The rum is proofed down with spring water drawn from Mount Pelée and bottled at 43% ABV.

The nose leans toward brioche, clove, and dried lemon beneath J.M.'s trademark grassiness, while the palate brings crème caramel, chestnut, and browned butter with banana, closing on a dry finish of hay and black tea.