Rhum JM VSOP 4-Year

What an interesting drink.

The nose of this rum just has a lot going on, and I feel like I get a different collection of smells every time I go for a sniff here. Butterscotch, solvent, vanilla, maybe a bit of cherry, some smoke, maybe cooked apricot or plum, touches of baking spice, it's complicated here. Maybe a bit too much alcohol on the nose, even after letting it breathe a bit.

Immediately on the palate I get toasty warmth, a bit of burn, but not an unpleasant amount, and a really mild, almost imperceptible toffee sweetness that runs right into, like, a banana ester flavor, which itself melts gradually into savory roasting herbs and spices. Toasted clove or allspice, maybe some cinnamon. Imagine a holiday roast. Really quite savory, almost becoming meaty, cut by that alcohol, all with a constant undercurrent of toasty, buttery, peppery, slightly grassy woody-ness. The finish is kind of short and subtle, but, surprisingly, quite fruity! I get almost a nectarine finish. Some kind of stone fruit, for sure.

It's quite dry, overall, and most of the little sweetness there is in the drink runs out pretty early on as its flavors develop.

There's a lot going on, throughout the whole thing. Ultimately, I don't know if its one of my favorite rums, but exploring it has been a really satisfying, and occupying, experience. I really want to rate this a '9,' but there's just something strange about that turn into those roasting spice flavors that doesn't feel as coherent as I'd like.

Received this as a gift. Very smooth very nice would be happy to have it again

Always nice to have a rum from a unique destination like Martinique. Unfortunately harsh and sharp. Better than others, but unfortunately far from acceptable. Very whiskey like.

This rum was not what I was expecting. It has a classic rum nose, but the taste is something totally different. It’s bold, but not in a good way. It’s smoky, but not not in a good way. It burns, but not in a good way. I did not like it.

Nez : équilibré, jolies notes boisées et vanillées, cela évoque quelques notes pâtissières au café notamment. On retrouve l'odeur du tabac à pipe frais. C'est gourmand et prometteur.

Bouche: le boisé prend le dessus avec le tabac, les notes fruités sont franchement en retrait.

La finale est persistante, puissante avant de s'estomper sur cette agréable note de tabac.
Origine Martinique, AOC.

At 86 proof it comes on a bit hotter than you would expect. To me it tastes more like a whiskey than a rum. Enjoyable neat, and a couple drops of water don’t hurt.

This has really rounded out my collection of rums. Without being overpowering, it has a distinctive flavor that shines through a drink. I've got to spend more time sipping it because it's subtle smokiness is different than any other rum I've got on my shelf. It's my top-shelf Mai Tai rum and goddamn a drink made with this is unforgettable.

edit: I find upon completing the bottle that it was agreeable performing centerstage in Ti Punch as well and I am likely to buy another bottle, albeit, may try a few rival brands of aged agricole before returning to this.

So this was an interesting and different experience as this was my first decent experience with a true Agricole rum (my experience with Barbancourt 8 Year was not pleasant). Going in armed with knowing a bit more about what to expect I found this rum to be interesting. It isn’t going to pull me away from Spanish and Bajan rums but it was a good experience. The nose is Lemons and light caramel and vanilla notes. It gives a sense of refreshment rather than warmth. The palate is oak, lemonade and some spice combination that is difficult to describe...maybe anise (?) . What I did find remarkable was the aftertaste because it wasn’t as much as an aftertaste as it was a lasting experience between the throat and nose which left a distinguished aroma or memory of fresh cut grass in the springtime. That was both unexpected and the best part of this rum. It is not as much a taste as it is an experience of the senses. Interesting.

Nose: 6
Palate: 6
Aftertaste: 7
Smoothness: 6
Versatility: 7
Price: 6

Total: 6.3

Veľmi dobrý JM typu agricole. Hrana s konskom,či brandy. Napriek tomu nasladla chuť s príjemným ošetrením dojazdom. Jeden z naj Agricole rumov čo som pil.

Grassy, sweet, with slight smokiness. Enjoyable and distinct Rhum Agricole.