As a result of my exploration of the aged agricole rhums of late, I came across theis Clement Rhum Vieux Select Barrel expression. I was very pleasantly surprised by the depth of the flavors and the long lasting finish of this really flavorful rhum.
While the production of most rums is
unregulated, resulting in a veritable Wild West of methods and standards, rhum
agricole is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, an appellation with standards
defined by the French authorities in the same way as for example, Roquefort . Making for greater consistency than can usually be found among other styles of rums. Only rhum from the French West Indies
(mostly from Martinique) can be called rhum agricole.
Clément Rhum Vieux Select Barrel has achieved
the depth of flavor and satisfying mouth-feel in their Select Barrel Rhum Vieux
Agricole. The Clément distillers in Martinique choose
only the finest casks to create this expression. There is plenty of natural sweetness, balancing
the earthiness of the grassy notes of the rhum agricole perfectly. This full-bodied rum is very dry and slightly vegetal, the agricole
process yields more flavors from actual sugarcane juice than molasses-based
rums. I enjoy the intensity of the
sugarcane and the select barrel aging process. That has given you these silky notes of crème
brûlée and burnt sugar, cocoa, cardamom and cinnamon making this such a fine
tasting expression.
