This member of Rhum J.M's L'Atelier des Rhums is a pretty classic expression of agricole fruity-herbaceousness, but probably the least successful of the line's three rums.

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.

Tags:  Cane Juice | Lightly Aged | Martinique | Single Column Still | Standard Release