Cane Juice Rum: An Introduction

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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Capn Jimbo
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Cane Juice Rum: An Introduction

Post by Capn Jimbo »

When is rhum agricole not Rhum Agricole? Answer: when it's not AOC...

This section was originally entitled "French Agricole Rhum", but after a dustup with a few effete rum, er rhum snobs who believed that "Rhum Agricole" must be 100 proof, from Martinique and bear the "AOC" label (Appellation d’origine contrôlée). This roughly translates as "spirit of controlled origin", a strict French certification given to specified geographical producers of certain French products.

In other words, a marketing ploy designed to exclude competition.

Over the many years rhum agricole was simply defined as rum made from sugar cane juice rather than from molasses. It was not until 1996 that an attempt was made to capture the term in a blatant attempt at protective and clever branding. The French applied the designation of AOC to rum from Martinique alone, and as so well put by Ian Williams "In a stroke of snobbery they have converted every other rum in the world to mere 'industrial' alcohol".

Right on.

Remember it was the French who refused to allow the islands of the French Indies to make rum from molasses to avoid competition with their own brandy and other spirits, but who were happy to sell molasses to the American colonies during the British blockade. And what molasses based rums they did make were considered much inferior to the early Barbadian and especially the aromatic Jamaican products.

And when they finally did get around to making "rhum" it was made from sugar cane juice - a product they called "agricultural" rum in an early attempt to distinguish it from ordinary "industrial" rum made from molasses. Oh - and called it "rhum". Nice.

Most of the islands of the French Indies produced "agricultural" rum. Agricole style rhum is produced in Haiti, Guyana, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Marie Galante, Reunion and St. Martin. And, oh yes, Martinique. These all produce agricole style rum/rhum from cane juice and almost all of them do not carry the AOC designation. They are distributed in proofs from 40 to 55%.

For my reference standard for French Agricole Style Rhums I have chosen Rhum Barbancourt Five Star.

At one time I considered the Clement Cuvee Homere but this rhum is too hard to find and not inexpensive. JM Rhum 1993 is tip-top rated but at $90 plus per edition, this is not fair to us ordinary stumblebums. Finally, my friend Robert Burr suggested the Five Star.

Haiti was arguably the first Caribbean island to grow cane. Louis Barbancourt bought his plantation in 1765 - Habitation Barbancourt remains to this day. In modern history the Barbancourt family established their double-distilled recipe in 1865. The company has remained in family hands - remarkable and responsible for their many awards. They are noted for taking extreme pride in maintaining their traditional recipe, and go to exceptional costly lengths to do so.

Dave Broom calls Barbancourt "one of the world's greatest rums". Cane cut by hand, still transported by ox carts and small trucks, made strictly in the French style from "fresh cane juice", double-distilled and finished in traditional copper pot stills requiring skilled distillers, aged exclusively in French Limousin oak, and for longer periods at lower ABV. A very meticulous, and expensive hand made process.

Dave Broom says it best, "They don't only produce rum; they make a rum with a finesse that is almost unsurpassed in the world." Five stars.

And for just $20! A no brainer.

The snobs will say it isn't really "rhum agricole". It was until 1996, and still is. They'll allege it is made with sugar syrup, but no one has offered anything but hearsay. They say it doesn't taste like "rhum agricole". By this they mean their rums of Martinique, produced under oppressively strict French controls and inhibiting standards (to be posted soon). Their concern might better be why the rhums of Martinique don't taste like Barbancourt.

As far as I'm concerned this is all about jealousy, snobbery and discrimination. A $20 agricultural rhum from French Haiti has captured ratings and acclaim matched by just two of thirty-five overpriced rhums from Martinique.

Good on them!
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