Rum Review: Clement Premiere Canne

The third standard reference style: rum, er rhum, made directly from sugar cane juice or honey, rather than from molasses. To the Haitians and French... toast!
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How do you rate Clement Premiere Canne (five is best)?

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Total votes: 1

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Capn Jimbo
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Rum Review: Clement Premiere Canne

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Clement Premiere Canne: beautifully bottled, workmanlike rum...
From the bottle: "...making of a natural rum through the disilling of pure cane crush (and) noted because ...only premium sugar cane is chosen, it is distilled in our creole column and ...using slow mellow maturation, essential for the best cocktails".

Let's face it. Clement looks French and is well marketed to promote that cachet. Their products are called a "collection", and the bottle could all do double duty presenting a fine cognac. And let's not forget the "Appelation 'Origine Controlee Martinique". Made in Martinique under the strict and stifling voluminous regulations set forth to produce cane juice rum, er rhum agricole.

A quick example. The juice must come from designated areas, using registered varieties of cane "...approved by the national committee after opinion of a technical commission, indicated by the aforementioned national committee", et al. After 2001 the distillation must - must! - be conducted using a column still with at least 15 plates. What you have is a tightly controlled "rum by regulation". This flies in the face of rum's history, which is one of widely varying methods, stills, blending and aging to produce "rum by art". The French goal:

To create a private club designation (AOC) designed as an exclusionary marketing device. Although the term "rhum agricole" (simply French for "cane juice rum") has existed for over 200 years, some would have you believe that the invention of the local Martiniquean "AOC" in 1996 somehow redesignates the category.

It never did, and still doesn't. Only if you believe that regulations (or huge conglomerates) can create great spirits, is the AOC sticker meaningful. I will give some credit though - to both the AOC cane juice "rums by regulation" and to Barbancourt's "rum by art" - for producing pure products free of the unlabeled additives common to most molasses rums.

But once again, I mumble and digress, let's talk rhum, shall we?

Unlike its brethren, Clement Premiere Canne comes in a tall, slim Sidney Frank style frosted bottle with the now de riguer "see through window", which reveals an art reproduction of an imposing plantation house." Estate bottled of course, and the bottle shouts exclusivity. And the price for this young blanc... $29-34. Is it worth it?

Sue Sea:
A lovely bottle that reminds me of the Van Gogh series of spirits, and of course, Grey Goose. Tall and elegant, beautifully detailed, and one worth a visible and highlighted position on your glowing bar. I think it's important you know that the tasting of Clement Premiere Canne (40%) was conducted in conjunction with Barbancourt Rhum Agricole White (43%), and with Rhum J.M. blanc (50%).

Following the lead of tasters much better than we are, we've learned this: that to do justice to any tasting or review, it is really almost imperative to do a horizontal comparison of other rums in the category. In this case that would be white cane juice rums. After completing the tasting, I am positive that we would not have noted the differences that only this comparison made clear.

Like the Barbancourt, the Clement Premiere Canne is clear but not brilliant, and likewise displays a pearl necklace, with somewhat quicker legs. Unlike Barbancourt, there is no green edge of age. As far as tasting goes, our reactions were almost exactly the same, so for once I'll let Jim report most of it.

A very nice cane juice rum, with plenty of smooth cane just begging for a Ti Punch, but still quite sippable for the experienced and open minded afficianado. This Clement blanc is a good example of the cane juice style, smooth and uncomplicated. What you see is what you get. It will do well on a hot summer night, light, fresh, natural - before, during and after a nice Asain or Thai dinner. Jim's term "workmanlike" is appropriate. The marketing department's bottle makes a lovely gift that when opened will not thrill, but will not disappoint.
Me:

Clement Premiere Canne is quite a decent young cane juice rum. Still, to be fair, I have to say I am surprised that it is mostly sold at 40% abv, rather than Barbancourt's 43% or Rhum J.M.'s 50%. Whisky drinkers have long preferred higher proof, less diluted products that retain more flavor and really do represent a better value. Even most Martinquean cane juice rums are bottled at higher proofs.

Go figure. Still, the Clement Premiere Canne is really quite pleasant.

The opening nose was a bit edgy, almost prickly on deep nosing, and featuring a nice vegetal, fieldy reedy cane over a floral background (the reverse of Barbancourt's offering). Sue Sea would add a background cacao and nutmeg. A bit rougher but in a natural way, more workmanlike. The palate opens with a surprising burst of bodied sweetness, replaced by a quickly growing cane and sliding smoothly to a warm licorice, cane and white pepper finish. The aftertaste included a slightly astringent nutmeg.

All in all, the Clement Premiere Canne presents as the very young distillate that it is.

The AOC regulations rather stupidly require that whites must be aged for not less than three months, and cannot touch wood at all! Thank god for the 15 clarifying plates or these white AOC's would be little more than white lightning moonshine. That the Clement Premiere Canne is as palatable as it presents is really quite remarkable.

Thus to call it workmanlike is actually a compliment. Knowing this, and the likelihood that this rum benefits a Ti Punch, Clements promotes their Premiere Canne as "...essential for the best cocktails".

Bottom Line: A good workmanlike, well done but not exceptional, very drinkable cane juice style. However at thirty plus dollars a copy, it is no comparison to the sophisticated Barbancourt White at just $15. The comparison demonstrates the difference between Clement's column and regulated product and Barbancourt's more flavorful pot-stilled distillate (which may well have touched wood as well).

Score (ten is best): 7.
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