At 50% ABV, Rhum J.M Gold is not only the youngest aged agricole in Rhum J.M’s core lineup, but also their highest proof. Technically an “élevé sous bois” (literally “raised in wood”) meaning it’s at least one year old, J.M says the Gold spends time in both new oak and ex-Bourbon barrels. Everything about this rum suggests this is the aged option from their core line they expect people to mix with, including the price tag, which, at $39.99, while not super cheap, is the least expensive bottle we tried from Rhum J.M (Martinique Agricoles can be a pricey game).

We measured a density of 0.927g/cc and a refractive index of 1.3576, indicating no additives, in line with the requirements for the Martinique Rhum Agricole AOC.

On the nose it’s very clean, with little to none of the more funky vegetal notes you find in some agricoles. Instead there’s some dried fig, bourbon, apple, oak, and marmalade. On the palate the apple takes center stage, the bourbon sticks around and toasted vanilla notes enter the chat. The finish is medium strong, with vanilla and sweet cinnamon notes carrying through.

In our blind taste test we thought it was pretty good neat (7.3/10), and great mixed into a daiquiri (8.2/10). While not the undisputed champ, Rhum J.M Gold performs pretty well considering its age and price point—it outscores several offerings positioned as “nicer” rhums. The prominence of the bourbon cask is almost enough to count as an editorial choice, and the proof makes it a great option to lend some strength to a ti’ punch. This one has become a staple in my home bar for most drinks that call for an aged Martinique agricole, and given its position in the Rhum J.M product line, that’s probably the highest praise I could give it.

The Superficial: Over the course of this project I purchased multiple bottles of Rhum J.M Gold, and saw two distinct packaging treatments. The first (I believe older) had a plastic stopper with a natural cork and no embossing on the glass, whereas the second had a metal screw cap and the classic Rhum J.M crest embossed on it you’d find on the V.O. or V.S.O.P expressions. The label also matches the general vibe of the core line. While it’s clear that in both iterations of the bottle the Gold opts for less expensive choices, it’s nicer than a lot of workhorse mixers.

Rhum J.M Jardin Fruité is an aged rhum agricole in J.M’s L’Atelier des Rhums line. In the distillery’s own words, the L’Atelier line explores “the possibilities of blending different sugarcane distillates, charring techniques, types of wood, and barrel capacities”. This includes the smokey Fumée Volcanique (no relation to Terroir Volcanique, why do you ask?), the spicy Épices Créoles, and of course the fruity and herby Jardin Fruité.

We measured a density of 0.943g/cc and a refractive index of 1.3558, indicating no additives, in line with the requirements for the Martinique Rhum Agricole AOC.

On the nose you can easily see Rhum J.M achieved what they were going for: lemon and apple are dominant, with additional notes of honey, vanilla, and a faint rosemary-/thyme herbaceousness. On the palate you get the first obvious expression of oak, more apple, and then a host of astringent notes like paper, tea, and bitter grassiness. The finish is moderate light (at 42% ABV this is the lowest proof of the trio) and gives more woody herbs.

In our blind taste test we thought it was okay as a neat sipper (6.9/10), and pretty good mixed into a daiquiri (7.9/10). Overall this made it the least successful of the three L’Ateliers, and in a way that makes sense. J.M has said this line places specific emphasis on barrel manipulation techniques, and while smoke and spice classically associated with barrel character, fruit and herb are generally thought of as coming from the base distillate, particularly in cane juice based agricoles. Really, the Jardin Fruité is the most “agricole” of the three, and if you’re looking for a big red “cane juice” button to press in a cocktail, it gets the job done, but many rums from J.M’s core lineup do as well.

The Superficial: The label designs for all the L’atelier des Rhums bottles are very cool; simultaneously modern and classic. The glass is a bit of a let down, and the plastic screw cap is probably less appealing than a metal one (much less a cork). Rhum J.M knows how to make delightful bottles, but perhaps with the emphasis on mixology, these expressions didn’t get a premium treatment.

Trois Riviéres Cuvée du Moulin is a 3 year old column still cane juice rum from the La Mauny distillery on Martinique bottled at 40% ABV. In my home market in Seattle it’s one of the few french agricoles I regularly see on local shelves that’s not Clement or Rhum J.M, and with an aggregate score of 6.4/10 on RumX, I came into this review wondering if that shelf space could’ve been put to better use.

We measured a density of 0.946g/cc and a refractive index of 1.3538, indicating no additives, in line with the requirements for the Martinique Rhum Agricole AOC.

While is an agricole, and has all of the grassy, appley, vegetal notes you would expect, it’s fairly mild on the nose. Green apple, oak, a little flower shop, and some raisin are evident up front. On a second nosing you might get some mango and a little copper. The palate leans into the oak, with spicey pepperiness playing counterpoint to apple and prune. There’s some vegetal grassiness, as well as a hint of mint. The finish is pretty moderate, leaving relatively little oak and indexing mostly on the apple, raisin and mint from the palate.

In our blind taste test we thought it was pretty good both as a neat sipper (7.0/10) and mixed into a daiquiri (7.9/10). While not a show stopper, the Cuvée de Moulin provides a pretty approachable entryway into cane juice rum; there’s enough oak and spice to appeal to lovers of other aged spirits, and enough fresh apple to give you a sense of what to expect from French Agricoles. Maybe the shelves in my local liquor store could do better, but they could sure do a lot worse.

The Superficial: A quality feeling bottle with nice glass details. The matte embossed labels isn’t winning design awards, but looks reasonably nice and feels good. The metal wrap around the top feels substantial and is fun to pull off, and while the natural cork is nice, I wish there was a wooden stopper.