Rhum J.M XO (Extra Old) 700ml from the Caribbean island of Martinique.
Rhum J.M Distillery, founded by Jean Marie Martin (J.M) in 1845 is located in the north of Martinique (French West Indies), renowned to be one of the most prestigious brands for aged French rums.
In 1845, Jean-Marie Martin, merchant from Saint-Pierre and husband of Marie Ferment, daughter of a great planter from the island, purchased the Fonds-Préville estate sugar plantation. Jean-Marie Martin recognizes the superior quality of the sugar cane he finds on the Fonds-Préville estate and decides to cultivate the sugar cane correctly only for the production of Rhum Agricole. He built a small distillery on the estate and put his initials “J.M” on the first oak barrels used to ripen and transport his rum to the market. Since then, these two letters have become and remain the emblem of the most prestigious and superior rum known in Martinique.
So what is the difference between Rhum and Rum? In simple terms, Rhum is the French variation of the word rum, but there’s more to Rhum than that! The term is used by the many producers based on the French Caribbean Islands including Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Marie Galante. It suggests a style of rum being made, called Rhum Agricole. “Agricole” means “agricultural” in French. Although originating in the French Caribbean, this style has spread further afield since its inception (e.g. Husk Pure Cane in Australia). While most rum you’ll encounter is made using molasses, a by-product of sugar production, Rhum Agricole is made by fermenting and distilling the fresh juice pressed from sugar cane. In Rhum Agricole’s case, this generally means fresh, vegetal and grassy notes with a slightly funky taste. Due to this flavourful profile, Rhum Agricole works extremely well in cocktails or can be sipped neat.
Further, Rhum producers of cane-juice based rums made entirely in Martinique and meeting certain production standards (as is the case with Rhum J.M) are entitled under French law to the appellation d’origine contrôlée (French protected designation of origin) “AOC Martinique Rhum Agricole.” A true indicator of origin and quality!
