Overview
Brand: Rhum JM
Origin: Distillerie J.M., Macouba, Martinique, France
Still: Column
Age: 3 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon
ABV: 43%
Rhum JM Terroir Volcanique is the Martinique brand's latest addition to their core lineup, invoking the island's massive volcano to highlight a unique aging mechanic employed by Master Blender Karine Lassalle.
Charring casks is probably low on the average consumer's list of product details they want to know about before buying a spirit, but it's quite impactful on the final result. Different levels will bring out different notes from the wood, from soft vanilla to more bold spices. Most of the time, this is done behind-the-scenes at cooperages, before a barrel ever arrives at a distillery.
Distillerie JM is fortunate to have their own cooperage, which as I understand it, is quite rare, especially in the Caribbean. This allows Lassalle to hone in and experiment with different char levels that work with their rhum, leading to the L'Atelier range and Terroir Volcanique.
Rhum JM Terroir Volcanique is a blend of AOC rhum agricole produced at the distillery in Macouba. The components were aged at least 3 years in ex-Bourbon casks that featured two different levels of charring: "intense" and "extreme". After blending, the rhum was bottled at 43% ABV.
This is the perfect time to be reviewing this bottle, as Rhum JM is newly available to the Memphis market, which we'll be celebrating at our March meetup/launch party!
Appearance
Amber, low viscosity
Nose
Cooked cranberries, brown sugar-coated strawberries, roasted peanuts, toasted sugarcane, nutmeg
Palate
Toasted sugarcane, nutmeg, vanilla, raspberries, cooked cranberries, star anise, grape jelly
Finish
Medium-long, dry, spicy; grape jelly, nutmeg, vanilla bean, cinnamon, star anise, cranberries
Rating: 7/10
Summary
Terroir Volcanique is an interesting project that makes for great sipping. It's been a while since I've had a comparable aged agricole such as Rhum JM VO or Clément VSOP, but I can tell that this has a higher level of baking spices than I am used to.
At the start, somewhat savory fruits and nuts accompany toasted sugarcane, before trailing off to nutmeg on the nose. The palate shares those aromas in flavor form, with lingering star anise leading to textural grape jelly, which continues into the medium-long finish. This is dry and spicy, leaning heavily into the char to bring out vanilla bean, cinnamon, and even more nutmeg and anise.
This is a good rum on its own, and I do like it much better than the VO, which in fact has since been discontinued in favor of Terroir Volcanique; no complaints there. While I enjoyed most of this bottle sipping neat or in Ti' Punches, I am interested in exploring its use in more complex cocktails like the Mai Tai or Vieux Carré.