Rhum Agricole

Tom: Feel free to experiment, but whatever you do, avoid Clement 10 year! For anyone that places a snifter of this rhum agricole next to a snifter of premium Kentucky bourbon, I challenge anyone to be able to tell them apart. Rhum agricole is too delicate due to it coming from premium sugar cane juice instead of molasses. They then absorb way more of the flavors of charred bourbon barrels much more so than any other rum. So yes, if one wants a gluten free "bourbon" at a premium price, then by all means go for the Clement 10. I want nothing but good rums and no more bourbons. My favorite readily available rhum agricole is J M Rhum VO, which also makes great Mai Tais. Keep in mind that if you find a great rhum agricole on the shelf of a favorite liquor store, it may have sadly been a once in a lifetime chance.

If you want to test good Agricoles I think you should go to Montebello or Reimonenq from Guadeloupe. My recommendations below 60€ you find below: 1. Saint James 12yo (58€) - Superb. 2. Montebello 10yo (57€) - Very good. 3. J.M XO (50€) - Maybe the best Agricole to taste if you want to taste Agricole for the first time and to a very competitive price. 4. Others that’s good in the price segment: Dillon 12yo (39€), Barbancourt 15yo (40€), Damoiseau XO (45€), J. Bally 12yo (57€), ReimonenQ Cuvee Prestige (59€), HSE XO (59€) & La Mauny XO (60€).

Many thanks guys —- very very helpful recommendations ... salud!

Two rhum agricoles that I happened upon only once and never again were: Clarin Le Rocher (actually a Haitian clarin that is a very close cousin to Martinquan agricoles) Depaz Blue Cane Amber Rhum If you see either one for sale, GRAB THEM, for you may never see them again!

I have been drinking rhum agricole for quite a while and can offer the following: 1. Clement has really done a huge push in the US to get on almost every shelf in liquor stores that carry a full selection. Personally, I don't like Clement. It seems a little too flat for me. 2. Go to France for your best selections. Paris - Excellence Rhum is akin to Rumba bar in Seattle. They have insanely large selection. Upper level is where you want to go... 3. My choices would be anything from Marie Galante (Père Labat, Canne Grise), then La Mauny, HSE, and JM. But honestly, I've not gotten deep into all the rums I could have. On my next trip to France, I'm getting a second suitcase and 500 EUR and stocking up!

I was just in Paris and it didn’t even occur to me to look for Rhum there... thanks for the advice!

Agricole definitely start with damoiseu blanc 50

Glad you're exploring the world of agricole. I'm biased, I grew up on the island of Guadeloupe, agricole is all we make and I love it. My recommendations: aged rum (Rhum vieux) Rhum Bielle (Marie Galante) and Neisson (Martinique). They're both complex, strong, deep, have a buttery mellowness and are very well aged. Damoiseau makes great aged rums, too. White rum: Bologne 55, perfect for a ti punch, full of grassy flavours, notes of citrus and maybe apple, you can taste the cane. Neisson white is great too but more expensive. Further out, Mauritius make agricole too, Saint Aubin (cuvée spéciale 10y old) and Penny Blue in particular. I tried an Australian agricole recently, full or flavour, a bit like a good cachaca, though a bit tame at 40. I'll try and find its name again. How do I add rums that are not listed on the app?

Jahnathan: Lucky you for having grown up on the beautiful island of Guadeloupe. I only spent one day there way back in 1989. To add a rum to this data base, simply click on the "Rums" tab at the upper left. Then scroll all the way to the bottom. There you will see a button to "Add it". As you can tell, I have done this before.

Jahnathan —- manybthanks for the recommendations and I’ll look at getting some of those rhums—- echo Paul’s comments ... lucky you for growing up in Guadeloupe ! I have recently gotten into Rhum agricoles—- al thought I have loved rum for many years—but I really love the flavors in both white and aged Rhum... look forward to exchanging notes with you all as I start trying more Agricole Rhum ... salud a todos!

Hello Guys! Can of course agree with Jonathan, but on the other hand it’s not hard find very good rhum if you’re prepared to pay 100€ or more. I think that the rhum from Marie Galante is a little overpriced, but very good. My favorite distillery at MG is Habitation Bellevue and their 1821, but both Bielle and Pere Labat are making excellent rhum. From Guadeloupe I can (besides Montebello & ReimonenQ) recommend Bologne XO, Longueteau XO, Karukera Christoph Colomb and the 15 yo Damoiseau (green bottle). If you want to checkout more of my favorite Agricoles, just look at my cabinet that I call “My private rum bar”. Awesome to have grown up at Guadeloupe, which is my top priority when it comes to my next vacation trip to the Caribbean.

Thank you guys for all the good words, trust me I do consider myself lucky, not only it's got all the postcard glitz you expect from a Caribbean island, it's also got a fairly diversified economy, a good education system and things run pretty smoothly, I truly recommend it. But first of all, to our interest here, it produces good rum. Prices have gone a bit crazy since Guadeloupe and Martinique producers realised there was a premium market out there. They're coming up with lots of niche bottles and crops. I try to find good rums, or rums I like, without spending €100s because I know they weren't that expensive a few years ago. I recently bought a Rhum veux Bielle, 2014 for less than €50 and a 7y old Damoiseau for €45 and I love them.

By the way Stefan you're right, that 15 yo Damoiseau is great!

Just bought my first agricole, Clement Select Barrel. I will soon have a taste.

I must be doing it wrong. I have a bottle of Rhum JM VSOP and o think it’s great for cleaning carburetors. Can’t get into it.