A mystery to many, rhum agricole is not without its superfans. Oli Dodd rounds up five connoisseurs to find out what makes the sugarcane spirit so special to them.

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The reason for that is two-fold. First, it’s flavour – good agricole has the same field-to-glass character as good agave spirit, both are able to capture their provenance in their liquid. In other words, these are spirits with terroir.

For cane juice spirits, the reason for that terroir is simple – sugarcane is a nightmare ingredient. In the hot climates where it grows, sugarcane juice will begin to spoil hours after harvesting so fermentation needs to begin quickly and preferably nearby. The result is a spirit that captures the profile of the cane it came from and earth it grew in.

The second reason is access. In late 2021, Spiribam – the Martinique-based owner of agricole brands Clément and Rhum JM – opened a UK office and with it came more options at better prices accompanied by better education.

On education, it’s important to properly define what we talk about when we talk about agricole. In the US, agricole – or agricultural rum – has become a bit of a catchall for cane juice spirits, whether that’s cachaça from Brazil, Haitian clairin, Mexican charanda or any number of cane juice spirits from Hawaii to Thailand to India to Japan.

The EU, and therefore the UK, is more specific – rhum agricole must be made in the French overseas territories, most notably Martinique, Guadeloupe and Réunion, or the Portuguese island of Madeira, and it’s these cane juice rums that have started a real march on whatever version of mainstream is for oddball spirits categories. We spoke to five agricole enthusiasts – and it wasn’t difficult to find them – about their favourites.

MARTIN CATE, SMUGGLER’S COVE, SAN FRANCISCO, US

Pere Labat 59

Pere Labat really speaks to the island of Marie-Galante specifi cally, not just Guadeloupe. The distillery is locally owned and very historic, with a rustic charm – I have such good memories of my visit climbing up the rickety ladders to the top of the column. All the historic charm wouldn’t mean much if the spirit was dull, but it’s fantastic. Made with real care, bright and fl oral. Enjoying it as they do locally at 59% abv in a Ti’ Punch is a treat, but it works in plenty of drinks. Its complex character is rewarded with a light hand on the other ingredients. » Available through Speciality Drinks.

CONNIE CAIN, READING RUM WEEK, READING, UK

Clément 40 Blanc

I just love the Clément 40 Blanc. It’s so accessible, works great in cocktails or with tonic or just neat. It’s a very expressive example of the style. While I do often go funkier, it’s very mood dependent, so the Clément 40 is a perfect all-rounder. Profi le-wise, it’s super fresh, with those sugarcane, pomme fruit, grassy notes but also sweetness of white peach and vanilla with a lovely herbal sage touch. My favourite serve is with a splash of peach liqueur, a few squeezes of lime and tonic. In the UK rum is often thought to be heavily molasses based, aged and occasionally dosed, but this is almost the complete opposite and a good example of how versatile the category can be.
» Distributed by Spiribam UK

SLY AUGUSTIN, TRAILER HAPPINESS, LONDON, UK

Rhum JM XO

It doesn’t have the typical agricole profi le as it’s aged, but it’s a really good expression that retains a lot of the key aspects of a good agricole. It has the traditional citrus, herbal notes of unaged agricole but the ageing adds layers of rich tropical fruit which makes it great to sip or to use in stirred-down drinks like an Old Fashioned. I wouldn’t just pick Rhum JM XO over other agricole rhums, I would pick it over other rums in general as to me it represents the best of both worlds. » Distributed by Spiribam UK

DIVYESH CHAUHAN, JUNGLE BIRD, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Clément Canne Bleu 2021

This is a fantastic Martinique agricole. It was the first agricole I had in a Daiquiri, and it blew my mind – there’s so much fl avour and that extra bit of alcohol really makes the drink shine. Most customers and bartenders drink molasses-based rum and cocktails. But switching it up for agricole can add an extra dimension and, generally, our guests are blown away by the added freshness. With Canne Bleu, I love that it’s a vintage, so from batch to batch it will change. Celebrating the inconsistency of a vintage highlights the terroir which is so prominent in agricole, and at 50% abv it brings an extra bite and really stands up in cocktails. » Distributed by Spiribam UK

ADAM GONNA, THE BEACHCOMBER - HOUSE OF AGRICOLE RHUM, LONDON, UK

La Favorite La Digue 2019 vintage

It is a single cane varietal agricole rhum, so they only use the juice of one type of cane and it’s also a parcellaire, which means the cane is grown in a specifi c area of land usually noted for growing the best cane. I enjoy single varietals the most because it can really highlight the fl avour notes of the cane. In this case I fi nd the vegetal and grassy nature of rhum shines through the most. The 2019 vintage was really special in that way where I felt the more vegetal notes than any rhum I have ever had before. » Available through Excellence Rhum