Martinique is well-known and loved for its rhum agricole - produced using fresh sugar cane juice as opposed to heavier molasses. This creates an incredibly aromatic and elegant style of rum that has clinched Martinique its own AOC designation, the first outside of Europe.

Thus far the distillery's flagship range of expressions stretches from unaged white rums to a 15 year old rhum vieux, and so the addition of an 18 year old tres vieux rhum will be the oldest in the range yet.

“This very old rum is the result of an exceptional aromatic concentration without topping after eighteen years of aging in our cellars in a tropical climate in Sainte-Marie. . Structured with strong woody notes, its finely spicy fruity flavors reveal a round and smooth finish. Patience and elegance are the key words.” 

Marc Sassier, Manager of Saint James Distillery

The new 18 Year Old Saint James was aged in ex-Bourbon American Oak barrels, and is bottled at 43%, coming from the 2004 vintage and having been bottled in 2022. It will retailed at 185 EUR (US$200) with a total of 2,000 bottles released.

Official Tasting Notes

Aroma: Intense notes of roasting mixed with nutmeg and wood. A smooth, fruity finish of fruit macerated in alcohol (plum, prune).

Taste: The woodiness structures the whole for a nice length in the mouth.

Finish: The finish is fruity (marmalade, candied citrus fruits and prune) and spicy.