I generally try to make a point of only talking about the physical bottle a rum comes in as a postscript (don’t judge a book by its cover, right?) but in the case of Baie Des Tresors’ current lineup this is particularly hard, because they might be the nicest bottles I’ve ever hefted. There’s detailing in the glass that’s reminiscent of elevation map contour lines, already clueing you into the importance of geography for this rum. The label is thick and matte, and while it has all the information you would expect (including a compelling 50% ABV), a slip wrapped around the neck gives additional details you didn’t except, that are nonetheless cool to have. In Fruit of the Rains’ case this include the fact that the cane for this rum was grown in the humid Dufferet plot. All this is to say, as a transparency nerd and lover of nice bottles, Baie des Tresors is pressing all the right buttons for me with the presentation. But what about the juice inside?

We measured a density of 0.929g/cc and a refractive index of 1.3588, indicating no additives, and in line with the requirements for the Martinique Rhum Agricole AOC.

On the nose Fruit of the Rains is anything but simple. The first impressions are that of a fresh, grassy, classic agricole battling it out with some deeper, more sweet, almost creamy butter notes. The palate continues this point-counterpoint: there’s a lot of green and vegetaility, but then a bit of buttered popcorn. There’s also a medicinal cherry dimension that pokes its head out from time to time. For how much is going on from nose to palate, and considering it’s proof, the finish is surprisingly light. It leans more towards the light and fresh side (looks like grassy wins the fight) and peters out into a bit of an oaky ginger residue.

In our blind taste test we thought it was good as a neat sipper (7.2/10) and great as a mixer (8.0/10). Numerically this puts Fruit of the Rains somewhere near the middle of the pack, but this does the rum a disservice. This expression may have been the single most interesting agricole we tasted in our lineup, but it is decidedly not for everyone, and in some cases not for the person who loved it yesterday. It’s complex, chewy, and has a decent bit of agricole funk to it. If you’re a fan of personality driven aged agricoles, I would absolutely recommend Fruit of the Rains, but if that doesn’t sound like you, you might want to work your way up to it.

The Superficial: Again, very cool bottle. Has an awesome heft to it, suitable labeling, fantastic glass detailing, and a synthetic cork and wooden stopper that’s a joy to plop off.