This article was originally published in Ohana Magazine, June 2024.
Aloha Friends! I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful weekend at Ohana 2024. While you’re lounging by the pool or enjoying a breakfast mai tai in your room, you might have glanced over the article title and thought “Maturation in Martinique?” Has Suzanne started writing tropical bodice ripper novels now? Not quite, dear reader, although one never knows what the future may bring.
You may remember an article here in Ohana Magazine two years ago about rhum agricole. We talked about the basics of production, had a rundown on the specifics of the Martinique AOC, and talked about how stylistic differences can affect flavor. In this article, the natural follow up to the previous, I will endeavor to take you on a tour through the aging process, what happens in Martinique specifically that may be different from other rums you’ve come to love, and to leave you with tools to interpret labels in the liquor store and walk away happy with what you’ve purchased. I use both the English and French spellings for rum/rhum somewhat interchangeably, but don’t let that trip you up. Got your sugar cane hat on? C’est parti!
As a quick review, there are a set of rules outlined in the Martinique AOC (L'Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) that allow it to be labeled and sold with the AOC stamp and designation. In regard to maturation, the following guidelines must be met:
"Blanc" agricole rums are colorless and must rest in vats for minimum 6 weeks after distillation;
The agricole rums “élevé sous bois” are placed in oak containers and must be aged for at least twelve months, starting at the fill of the container;
"Vieux" agricole rums are aged in oak containers with a capacity of less than 650 liters for at least three years, starting at the fill of the container;
"Vieux" agricole rums for which the vintage of the distillation year is claimed (also known as vintages) are aged in oak containers with a capacity of less than 650 liters for at least six years, starting at the fill of the container;
The minimum durations defined above are carried out without interruption, with the exception of necessary manipulations for the development of the products.
If a marque is labeled as "VO," it must be aged at least 3 years;
Rhums with the words "VSOP", "Réserve Spéciale", "Cuvée Spéciale", or "Très Vieux", must be aged at least 4 years;
The descriptions "Extra Vieux", "Grande Réserve", "Hors d'Age", or "XO" are reserved for agricole rums aged at least 6 years.
All of the above language is straight from the AOC regulation code, and is enforced according to EU law and custom.
Palletized barrels at Habitation Saint- Etienne (Rhum HSE), Martinique.
Unpacking this, what does it mean for the rum in your glass? As in the companion article to this one, published in the 2022 edition of Ohana Magazine (and also available to read online at http://rum.academy/blog for your convenience), the above outlined rules must be followed in order for a rhum from Martinique to be legally permitted to print the AOC symbol on it’s label. Most distilleries are actively following the guidelines for multiple reasons, not isolated to but typically including: traditional practices and the quality they represent and create in the finished product; a sense of reliability and consistency in the brand that consumers have come to count on, and thus look for the AOC mark; overall credibility and the marketability that is a natural extension of such. It is important to remember that the AOC rules were codified and continue to be maintained and updated by a group of Martinique rhum producers that hold the protection of traditional methods and product consistency and quality at the center of their core values. However, there are all kinds of ways that small but exciting and important innovations can elevate a particular marque, and oftentimes producers will push those innovations forward despite the fact that doing so will render a particular product ineligible for the AOC designation. Some extremely worthy bottlings fall into that category, and shouldn’t be overlooked. We’ll get into a little more detail about them in a moment.
At this point, I’d like to reiterate the history of the Rhum Agricole de la Martinique AOC, and what it does and doesn’t mean in terms of aging, authenticness, and legality. First of all, the Martinique AOC is a set of rules that governs sugar cane juice (pur jus) rhums produced on the island of Martinique, and nowhere else. Rhum that’s made in the southern USA, for example, from USA grown sugarcane and made according to the traditional methods (from cane juice, not evaporated cane juice, granulated sugar or molasses, etc) can be called an agricole. The only thing it can’t be called is a “rhum agricole from Martinique, with the AOC designation,” because it clearly isn’t - it was made in the United States, not in the French département of Martinique. Since we’re dealing with designations and laws governing France and/or the European Union (EU), obviously they don’t apply in a different country. The world “agricole” itself only means “agricultural” - a “farm” rum, to chance oversimplifying the matter. In the EU, the term agricole is controlled under the designation to mean a distillate made from pure sugar cane juice, and anything sold with that terminology on the packaging in any EU country must meet that requirement, but again, that is only dealing with European law. There isn't a similar law in the US for the words agricole or agricultural.
Agricole rhums that are produced in other French départements than Martinique, have their own different GIs (Geographic Indications, which is what an AOC is) with slightly varied and different rules therein. Guadeloupe, for instance, allows for both column and pot stills to be employed in the production of their rhum agricoles under their GI, which has always been a part of their traditional production style. Martinique doesn’t allow for this equipment variance under their AOC. There is a wonderful producer on Martinique called A 1710 which works with a small hybrid still and makes exquisite artisan rhums, but will never be able to use the AOC marque on its packaging under the current AOC guidelines. The first codification of the Martinique AOC was written down in 1991, so although the core intent of this code is to protect the style of agricole rhums produced in Martinique historically, the code itself is a modern concept, and it has been modified several times since its first writing. Those modifications are always to help update its applicability to modern needs. Some of the changes over the years have been to extend the number of cane varietals allowed as better performing strains were developed, to extend the farmable parcels of land under the designation, and to increase allowable fermentation hours in the tank. These changes not only give producers more latitude in developing flavor and quality in their products, but also extend potential for increased productivity to meet a growing demand.
Rhum JM.
When we start to look at diversity in aging, we come up against one big hard and fast rule - these rhums must be aged in oak, and nothing else. American or French are both allowed (and technically Canadian oak, although I've never seen it used on the island). Any other kind of hardwood is strictly off of the table from the AOC’s standpoint. But as any enthusiast of Cachaça will tell you, there are a lot more proverbial fish in the sea when it comes to tropical aging hardwoods, and hoboy, can some of those finishes be delicious! In Brazil, 28 different tropical hardwoods are available to the producer to create unique and diverse flavor profiles in Cachaça. Most of these trees are native to South America, though, and aren't yet readily available to Caribbean producers. Martinique’s Maison La Mauny, located in Rivière-Pilote, has one really special marque finished with Brazilian Acacia wood. The specific characteristics of this special tropical hardwood make for an immensely quaffable rhum agricole - but one without the Rhum de la Martinique AOC label attached. I personally would love to see more of these interesting hardwoods employed in special finishes of beautiful rhum agricoles.
All of the agricole producers on the island of Martinique have aging facilities in one way or another. Many are extremely picturesque and are a key feature of the tours at their respective facilities (the red light bathed barrelhouse at Rhum J.M and Habitation Clement’s open doored cellars, with a narrated recording and some dramatic lighting come to mind), while others either don't focus hard on that portion of the tour or typically don't open the aging facilities to the public (La Favorite is quite dark, for instance, and Saint James proffers a train ride of the adjacent fields and a fleshed out museum instead of access to their less picturesque aging facilities, replete with bats, which are very much high-production industrial spaces). Naturally, all of the rum producing properties on Martinique are worth visiting, if you can get access to them.
Marc Sassier at Rhum Saint James
In general, there are a handful of barrel sizes typically employed in aging at Martinique distilleries. American oak barrels (almost always previously used Bourbon barrels, as with basically every other aged spirit on the planet), and French Limousin Oak barrels, sometimes freshly made and sometimes previously used to age Cognac or Armagnac. The American oak barrels are slightly smaller at 53 gallons, or approx. 200 liters. The French oak barrels range from 225-300 liters depending on their origin. In addition, much larger oak tanks (the one pictured here is 250 hectolitres, or 9246 gallons) are used primarily to allow a full run off of the still to slowly rest and come into harmony with itself, but the vessels naturally add a small amount of color and flavor of their own, even with the massive size.
The different sizes of oak barrels as well as the wood they are made from and anything that may have previously been in those barrels all add to the flavor and character of the final product. I’m sure you have heard of rums with cask finishes - Pedro Jiminez Sherry, Cognac, Armagnac, Port, Madeira, etc. - all of those clearly affect how the rum in your glass tastes. But most of the work building the depth, complexity and enjoyability of a given spirit (how “hot” it seems in the mouth, the finish, the mouthfeel, etc.) is done with the Cellar Master or Master Blender’s expertise in coaxing out exactly what he wants from those initial French or American oak casks. The level of toast or char, how old the barrels are, as well as the natural flavors the oak itself imparts all play a role. Skilled Master Blenders are like Michelin celebrated chefs, world renowned winemakers, or great composers. They all create something magical out of the simplest of building blocks. In our case, that’s a great big variety of grass called sugar cane, and wood.
As a general rule, these are some of the basic characteristics from each style of oak and some of the most common cask finishes:
American Oak, Previously Held Bourbon - One of the most heavily employed casks in the world, thanks to the fact that American Bourbon can only use them once. The most noticeable flavors these casks can impart to a spirit are vanilla and a nutty, corny sweetness. The char levels can vary, adding layers of smoke to the mix.
French Limousin Oak - Associated with a smoother, polished wood set of flavors, as well as lots of fruit, depending on the employment of the cask. Look for lighter flavors of apple, quince and pear to deeper richer stone fruit flavors of cherry, plum, and dried fruit flavors.
Pedro Jiminez (PX) Sherry - Sherry imparts a characteristic nutty yet slightly tangy and savory character to a spirit. Expect wine like notes with almond, walnut, and sometimes dried fruit notes and chocolate with spices. It can also sometimes add a considerable amount of sweetness, depending on the rum that’s added to these casks. PX finished rums are often enjoyed with desserts and cigars.
Cognac & Armagnac - these two French distilled spirits are made from fermented grape juice, and although their production styles are different, in general casks that have previously aged these spirits impart significant apple, pear and quince notes to the finished product.
Port Wine - Usually much sweeter, Port wine finished spirits have a definite creamy and dessert feel full of jammy notes - lots of berries, stone fruit, chocolate and caramel and other lushious things. These also are typically enjoyed after dinner.
Madeira Wine - Another fortified wine from Portugal, Madeira is much drier that port, with a powerful acidity and adds flavor and levity to the finished product. Look for nutty flavors mixed with caramel, honey, peach, hazelnut and citrus.
As of this writing, there are 10 active distilleries on the island of Martinique, manufacturing over twenty different individual brands, including some small brands for boutique and supermarket distribution on the island only. One of these, Gaillon, is an active sugar factory which produces all of that delicious sugar you’re having with every ti’ punch and coffee you order on the island, as well as molasses rums (gasp!) and a grand arôme, which is used primarily for cooking and sometimes in molasses blended rums (but that’s a different story for a different day). Most of these brands maintain their own individual aging facilities that are available to be toured separately from the distillation facilities, with tasting rooms and boutiques attached (naturally). The above map gives you an overview of their distribution across the island.
Et voilà, Ohana - I hope that this further foray into the flavors and aging process of rhum agricole will arm you to make choices that you’ll love the next time you’re shopping for rum, or perhaps even inspire you to take a trip to Martinique! If you are looking for further information about distilleries in Martinique, or agricole rhums in general, don’t hesitate to visit me at http://rum.academy. Cheers et profitez bien!