Rhum J.M’s 4 year old VSOP expression sits between the VO (3 year) and XO (6 year) offerings in their standard lineup. I’ve always been struck by how tightly clustered the commonly denominated aged agricole ages (VO, VSOP, XO) are when compared to most non-agricole rums. While the average gap between aged Rhum J.M expressions is 1.6, Doorly’s comes in at 3, El Dorado comes in at 3.6, and Appleton Estate (the winner of this incredibly contrived fake competition) comes in at a whopping 4.5 years. But in the world of agricoles, J.M is not an outlier; if I had to explain this gap I would probably attribute it to just how much cane juice rum can change in flavor with just a few more months in a cask; this is really the reason it’s compelling to compare J.Ms VSOP with their one-year-younger VO.

We measured a density of 0.941g/cc and a refractive of 1.3557, indicating no additives, and in line with the requirements for the Martinique Rhum Agricole AOC.

On the nose VSOP is remarkably deep for 4 years and 43% ABV; a lot of oak and vanilla, but also some fruity grape and grassiness that reminds you you’re drinking an agricole. While still complex, the palate more clearly reflects the proof. There’s still fruit and oak, along with a bit of caramel and some dustiness, but for how much flavor there is, the proof-appropriate body can catch you off guard. The finish gives some classic cask spice with some peppery ginger and cinnamon.

In our blind taste test we thought it was good as a neat sipper (7.6/10) and great as a mixer (8.1/10); it ended up tying with HSE VSOP Martinique Rhum Agricole for our third best neat sipper. Aged agricoles seem to have one of two overall theses: it’s either “I removed some of the rough edges of the raw cane juice—this should be easier to drink” or “I added and developed some flavors, but tried to keep the vibe of fresh cane”; I would say this rum clearly falls into the latter camp. Overall coming from Rhum J.M, the VSOP is not super surprising—it’s a quality, deeply flavorful rhum that’s a bit oakier than the V.O, but still keeps a lot of fresh fruitiness from the original distillate. This is one case where I’m thrilled to be unsurprised.

7.5/10

The Superficial: The classic Rhum J.M package. The label has a lovely matte texture and sports a rustic illustration of the distillery. The bottle itself has a pleasant shape and a nice crest detail in the glass. The plastic stopper and natural cork strikes a balance between form and function, but swapping the plastic stopper for wood would go a long way.