Saint James rum was first established in 1765 in Martinique when Father Edmund Lefebure had first founded the Trou Vaillant sugar refinery - an act which almost always leads to rum-making, as rum folks will know - which over time came to be known as Saint James, which was thought to lend better with the English. Major changes were afoot when Paul Laurent Lambert had come around to officially registering the Saint James brand in 1882, where he would also patent the iconic Saint James square bottle. Fast forward to 1996, Saint James would help Martinique's rhum agricole style (made with sugarcane juice distilled in a column still, as opposed to molasses) achieve the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) status through the work of Saint James' cellar master Marc Sassier - the first AOC granted internationally outside of France - cementing Saint James' reputation as the pioneer in rhum agricoles.

And now in 2025, the iconic distillery is celebrating its 260th Anniversary with the Saint James Elegance edition, which pays homage to the history, craftsmanship and passion of Saint James' master distillers.

Saint James' Elegance cuvee is a blend of 6 single casks from the 1997 vintage said to "offer a harmony that reflects the richness of Martinique's heritage and the high standards of a visionary distillery".

It is limited to just 960 decanters.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team