Rhum JM 1994 15-Year

I've enjoyed the 1998 in Martinique itself but never went back there. Strong, full of flavor, complex yet subtle. At home I drank some alternative brands like St Etienne. Now I have found the really exclusive 1989 vintage at osildi.com. Perhaps my Christmas gift.

I managed to get my hands to a super rare Rhum J.M. 1994 Vintage. It is one of the best Rhum Agricole 's out there, but it earns a 7 since there are easily 50 smoother aged rums. This one is quite strong, so you will get the alcohol burn but only very briefly. It is very flavorful, I would call it a delight. It will be a strong 9 if you are a fan of Rhum Agricole style. Only marginally better than the easier to find Rhum J.M. 1999.

VINTAGE: 1993 (15y)
REGION: MARTINIQUE
CASK TYPE: BOURBON
BOTTLE STRENGTH: 45.8% column still

I got a sample of JM Martinique from 1993. I don't know what I should expect. This is not my first agricole but so far I haven't had a high quality Agricole with at least 8 rating points.

Tasty nose with leather and quite intensive. This is not just a weak grasy juice, I would not gues it's an agricole. There is much leather with dry fruits. The nose is not dark, but also not very bright.
Further I got some caramel, grains and grasy with floral notes.
The development is not finished yet. After 5min I get also pepper with black tea.
Beautiful nose, very aromatic, grains are a little bit too dominant.
After 10min I got some Zacapa herbs in the nose with hints of caramel, this is very tasty for me. I feel some excitement. The black pepper is a little bit too dominant now.
But wow, I could sniffing that one for hours, very complex nose. Every 5min I discover some new flavors.

The taste starts peppery with a typical paper note (should be wood with vanilla influence).
Follewed by grasy and some floral notes. Then hints of caramel with some tannins. I would not say it's just 45%, it fells stronger like 50-55%. Quite intensive agricole for this abv.
As the rum gets warm I get spice on my palet, slightly bitterness (tannins) with oak and vanilla. Then the grasy notes. I still feel tingle in my mouth, fells like pepper burns in my mouth. Then I get intensive flavors of dry orange peels and anise.
After this explosion this beauty says goodby with spice and pepper, leather and again the dry orange peels. There are just some hints of caramel (the pepper dominates all aromas) and some tannins at the end.

The taste is very good, a little bit too peppery. I would prefer more flowery aromas. It's already a high end agricole but I think there should be some better out there. The nose also promised a bit more than I got in taste.
Therefore 89 points.

Nose: leather, dry fruits, some caramel, grains, vanilla, grasy and floral notes, pepper, herbs and black tea.
Taste: pepper, paper/wood, vanilla, grasy notes, floral notes, hints of caramel, tannins
Middle: some spice, some tannins with vanilla, grasy notes, anise, dry orange peels
Finish: spice, pepper, leather, dry orange peels, hints of caramel, some tannins
Aftertaste: paper with some wood, pepper, grasy and floral notes, again pepper

Sweetness: 1/5
Fruits: 2/5
Spice: 3.5/5
Mildness: 3.5/5
Complexity: 4/5
Value (220€): 3/5
Experience level: professional

Sublieme vieux argricole van Rhum J.M die 15 jaar op eikenvaten heeft mogen rijpen. Gebotteld op 45,2% abv. Complex, pittig maar aangenaam zacht.

Really fantastic tasting spirit that never stops pleasing. I'm not sure how many bottles were produced but, finding a bottle may be hard to come by.

This agricole rhum from Martinique is very strong but excellent in its taste! I recommend it!

JM is my favorite rhum, and the 1994 is a nectar !