Clement VSOP is a quality aged cane juice agricole that is more approachable than it is complex.

Clement’s VSOP expression, a 4 year old rhum agricole from Clement on Martinique, has the enviable two-digit RumX id of “RX84”. Beyond signaling something specific about the provlicities of rum nerds in May of 2021 (or December 2018?—it’s unclear to me if RumX reindexed everything when the name changed) it makes a certain amount of sense: Clement is one of thee most ubiquitous Martinican rum brands, and the 4 year old VSOP designation is a popular choice for agricoles.

We measured a density of 0.946g/cc and a refractive of 1.3541, indicating no additives, and in line with the requirements for the Martinique Rhum Agricole AOC.

Clement’s VSOP is very light on the nose; fruity and sweet, with just enough vegetality to remind you it’s coming from fresh cane juice. The palate is equally sweet, leaning into some cask-driven spiciness near the end. The finish is suitable, but not particularly intense.

In our blind taste test we though it was good as a neat sipper (7.4/10) and great as a mixer (8.6/10—this was actually our highest mixed rating of the entire blind tasting). Clement has a high bar for quality, and I would say this is no exception, but the singular quality that really sticks out here is approachability. It’s not off the charts in terms of complexity or proof, but it may be one of the best ways to introduce a newcomer to what Martinique has to offer.

 

The Superficial: Standard Clement fare; the bottle generally looks nice, and the natural cork top is appreciated, but there’s a lack of texture and general glossiness that isn’t my personal favorite.