Clément Très Vieux Rhum Agricole 1976 was distilled more than four decades ago and matured in oak for 20 years. It has become a bit of legend, because it was offered to George Bush and Francois Mitterrand when the two presidents met after the Gulf War. What we love about it is that it combines elements reminiscent of Cognac with the fruity tang of classic Rhum Agricole. So, there’s toasted almond, leather, cigar, dried fruit, cinnamon, vanilla, pepper and dusty antique furniture notes, then a twist of lime, sugar cane juice, crunchy pear, apricot sorbet and mango reminds you that it is in fact a Caribbean rum. this is simply gorgeous sipped neat or mixed into either rum- or Cognac-based cocktails. This has to be one of the finest spirits Rhum Clément has ever produced. When Europeans stopped buying sugar from the rugged Caribbean island of Martinique, the industry collapsed. But the pioneering and entrepreneurial Mayor of Le François, Homère Clément, stepped in and bought the prestigious Domaine de l’Acajou plantation. Using similar methods to those employed in Cognac, he focused his attention on the production of A.O.C. Martinique Rhum Agricole. Most rum is made from molasses (a by-product of the sugar production), but the funkier Rhum Agricole is crafted from free-run sugarcane juice, giving it plant-like flavours and more sense of terroir. Think of it as the natural wine of the rum world. Homère Clément is widely seen as the father of Rhum Agricole (although it was his son, Charles, who perfected the family recipe), and the distillery that bears his name remains one of the finest proponents of this style. Their rhum is only produced for two months a year, when the sugarcane is ripe and fresh. This juice is open-top fermented (native yeasts adding to the unique sense of place), then passed through a single-column copper still, before being mellowed in gently aerated stainless steel tanks. Domaine de l’Acajou was renamed Habitation Clément. This Créole home is the birthplace of Rhum Agricole and is listed as a Historic Monument by the Ministry of Culture. For true rum geeks, visiting and tasting Rhum Clément is like a holy experience.

£64.29 per 100.00ml