Rum style

Two defining styles meet on this coast. One is made from fresh sugarcane juice and is called Rhum agricole, the other from molasses and syrup from the sugar factory and is called Rhum de sucrerie, in the case of Le Galion, Rhum de la Baie du Galion.

AOC Rhum agricole smells and tastes of grass, sugarcane, pepper and blossoms when young. With years in oak casks, wood, vanilla and spice are added, but beneath the wood the cane remains noticeable. The rules keep additives minimal, and the result tastes of the cane rather than of additions.

The figures show how this comes together. Agricole blanc usually sits at 40 to 55% ABV and goes into the bottle unaged, the vieux spends, depending on the bottling, three to about fifteen years in cask, and Grand arôme usually only a few years or none at all. Saint-James, JM and Le Galion sit close together and yet show three distinct signatures.

The Rhum de sucrerie of the Baie du Galion comes in three categories: blanc, brun and grand arôme. The Grand arôme is the most powerful, tasting of cooked sugar syrup and rum baba, and often serves as an aromatic base in blends and in baking.

On Guadeloupe, a house may distill either Agricole or Sucrerie, while on Martinique only juice rum falls under the AOC. The difference is quickly apparent in the glass: Agricole smells fresh, green and dry, Grand arôme sweet, dark and heavy.