The Island Spirit of Rhum: Clement Agricole Rhum XO Tres Vieux
Before we get down to the details on this wonderful bottle of liquid gold, lets give some background to our hero. For those unfamiliar, Rhum Agricole is a spirit made from fresh, first press sugarcane juice on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean. These rums are famous for the bright, grassy, and citrus flavors that are unique to the style. Clement XO Tres Vieux is no exception, but there is a twist; and it's a big one. This now discontinued bottle is a unique blend of rums, three in particular: distilled in 1952, 1970, and 1976. Yes, you read that right, the oldest rum in this bottle was coming off the still 67 years ago. With the XO marking we can always deduce that the youngest rum in this blend is at least 6 years old by Martinique law, and as we now know, this goes well beyond that. Now for the fun stuff.
The nose is heavy with caramel, fruit, and vanilla; with overtones of grass and some floral notes. A swirl of your glass will reveal that the spirit itself is dense and oily, and a film clings to the glass for quite some time. Upon sipping, you'll find it clings to your tongue just as well as it did the glass, but does have a bit of dryness to it, much like a cognac. Flavors abound here, making for a very complex spirit. I could spend a page listing flavors, but here are the big ones for me. A heavy core of burnt sugar, date, and creme brulee. Hints of smoke, peach and apricot also makes themselves known. The finish is quite long and lingers with notes of grass, cinnamon, vanilla and wood. If whisk(e)y is your thing, this rhum is right up your alley, but fans of Agricole will also feel right at home here.
So, if you manage to track down a bottle, I'd say go for it. There are still dusty boxes to be found hidden in the backs of liquor stores around the country. Our particular bottle came from a store in Bothell, WA. Its definitely a sipper, not something to mix with, though you could if you're feeling particularly bourgeoisie. In any case, I strongly encourage you to find room in your home collection.
As always, keep the spirit.
-Steve E.
Spirit Guides Resident Rum Guy & Keeper of Tiki
The nose is heavy with caramel, fruit, and vanilla; with overtones of grass and some floral notes. A swirl of your glass will reveal that the spirit itself is dense and oily, and a film clings to the glass for quite some time. Upon sipping, you'll find it clings to your tongue just as well as it did the glass, but does have a bit of dryness to it, much like a cognac. Flavors abound here, making for a very complex spirit. I could spend a page listing flavors, but here are the big ones for me. A heavy core of burnt sugar, date, and creme brulee. Hints of smoke, peach and apricot also makes themselves known. The finish is quite long and lingers with notes of grass, cinnamon, vanilla and wood. If whisk(e)y is your thing, this rhum is right up your alley, but fans of Agricole will also feel right at home here.
So, if you manage to track down a bottle, I'd say go for it. There are still dusty boxes to be found hidden in the backs of liquor stores around the country. Our particular bottle came from a store in Bothell, WA. Its definitely a sipper, not something to mix with, though you could if you're feeling particularly bourgeoisie. In any case, I strongly encourage you to find room in your home collection.
As always, keep the spirit.
-Steve E.
Spirit Guides Resident Rum Guy & Keeper of Tiki
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