Rhum JM 1994 15-Year

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 and flowery nose with some pepper. This is not just a weak grasy juice. There is sugar cane with dry fruits. The nose is not dark, but also not very bright.
Further I got some caramel, grains and grasy notes.
The development is not finished yet. After 5min I get also pepper with black tea.
Beautiful nose, very aromatic,.
After 10min I got some 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 nice nose. Every 5min I discover some new flavors.

The taste starts very peppery with a typical sugar cane note but not sweet.
Follewed by grasy and some floral notes. Then hints of sugar cane 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.
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. It's on the same level with Neisson.
Therefore 89 points.

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

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

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.

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 !