Rhum JM XO

It's a complex rum, great notes, great finish, very persistance, a lot of fruits in my nose.

Color : amber
Flavour : toasted nut, lemon & sage, mango, passion fruit, finish of spice like white pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg
Palate : mid-bodied, long lasting, sweet finish

Aged 100% in re-charred Bourbon barrels, it's an elegant rhum that suits any palate. Very nice paired with dark chocolat or exotic fruits

Nose: Warm, pleasant, classy. Some hints of spices, wood and caramel
Palate: The first sip was very harsh, got better after the second sip: hints of very old wood, spices, some chili maybe.

It has a typical Martinique nose with a strong taste. Good Agricole

If you really like Rhum Agricole's, then add 3 to my score. Otherwise, if you enjoy sweet aged rums, the Rhum J.M. XO is super dry, like a desert. The flavor profile is very strong, but unmemorable. There is surprisingly strong burn at the end, and you will only remember the alcohol burn.

Not my usual kind of rum of choice but this was a very pleasant surprise. Anything with a bourbon ageing process usually puts me off but I found this rather subtle which pleased me. Nice flavours of honey and something else maybe sage? One I would try again without hesitation

I compared this side by side with the JM VSOP Rhum. Although this is more expensive, I prefer the VSOP. This was stronger at 45% (vs 43% for the VSOP), but the VSOP seemed to have more flavor to it. I enjoy strong rums if they're really good. But I didn't find this to be really good.

Smells and tastes of bourbon, charred oak, pepper, and a little cinnamon. This seemed harsh to me, and lacked a sweet rum flavor (too dry for my liking). Again, at 45%, I found this strong for what it is. Strong rums need to be great (like the 47% Diplomatico Ambassador Rum).

Taste is still on spices. Alcohol is a bit more melted than the VSOP one (but still present even in the aftertaste). I would expect it a bit less harsh...

Great nose but very sour initial agricole hit with almost no spice. Woodsy finish that improves the taste slightly but still not great.

I'm in love with Agricole Rhum and J.M. is one of my favorite distillery (if you go to Martinique a visit is more than worth). Compared to it's "younger" version, ambree, the taste is richer: tropical fruit, tropical wood, caramel and some spice, like pepper. The smell is rich too. I found it great. If I had to be honest, I was expecting something a bit smoother but in any case it's still a great product.