If you’re looking for complexity in the glass, rhum agricole is a great place to go. The style of rum originates from the French West Indies and not only differs in spelling, but also stands out from some of the rums you might be better acquainted with thanks to its production method.
While rum is most often made using molasses (the byproduct of sugar refinement), rhum agricole comes from the distillation of pressed and fermented sugar cane juice. The drink emerged in the French Caribbean in the 1800s as a way to keep sugar factories in pocket after France turned to sugar beets as its main source for the sweet stuff.
Martinique is perhaps best associated with rhum agricole – it even has its own appellation for the drink (Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique) – but it can be made anywhere and more and more frequently, international producers are experimenting with aged and unaged examples of the sugarcane spirit. One standout reason for the rise of the rum style is that many believe it can offer a great expression of terroir to its drinkers.
See it for yourself in tasting notes from this year’s IWSC, where experts have identified things like ‘green and tropical fruit’, ‘mango aromas on the nose’ and ‘undertones of earth’ in the glass. Other flavour descriptors for the spirit can often include ‘grassy’, ‘vegetal’ and even ‘funky’.
Read on for a list of eight of the best rhum agricole bottlings tasted at the IWSC 2022 – from Martinique’s own Trois Rivières to Edinburgh’s innovative Holyrood Distillery.
HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE SPIRITS?
We run a tightly structured, rigorous spirits tasting process. That means that each spirit sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC spirit judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the drinks industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.
HOW DO WE SCORE THESE SPIRITS?
Only the best spirits sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, spirits have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.
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Seven top rhum agricole bottlings from the IWSC 2022
Holyrood Distillery, Elizabeth Yard Savanna Distillery 8 YO PX Sherry Octave Rum
Trois Rivières, Cuvée du Moulin VO Rhum Vieux Agricole
Maison La Mauny, VO Rum
Distillerie Longueteau, Classic Collection Le 62 Rhum Agricole
Trois Rivières, Triple Millésime 2001 2005 2011 Rhum Vieux Agricole
Saint James, Rhum Agricole VSOP
Distillerie Longueteau, Classic Collection Le 50 Rhum Agricole
