finally tried out some Martinique rum

St. James Royal Ambre, to be exact.

My first thought was, WTF?

Then i stepped back, and sipped and studied it. I found that, borrowing the parlance of cigar reviews, it had rustic notes of tea and swamp-water, with a muddy finish. And, i realized, i like that!

So, i made a mai tai, mixing 1 oz of the Martinique w/1oz dark rum (havent gotten to try appleton estate yet, used Ron Pampero). I had tried to approximate this combo before using cachaca, with little aesthetic success; however, the martinique added a bite that i really enjoyed.

re lime I added 1/4 oz key lime juice (i think the over-use of lime in general merits a separate discussion at some point in the near future); only had triple sec so i added a splash of brandy to it; and only had Finest Call orgeat, added a drop or so of almond extract to that; loved the whole combo.

anyhow, the Martinique certainly changes the character of the Mai Tai v. using non agricole rums. I will enjoy the St James on its own as well.

If you like the St. James Amber then you will absolutely love the St. James Hors D'Age! The difference between the two is pretty wide. Unfortunately the price of the Hors D'Age is much higher than it was a few years ago so I usually end up getting the Clement VSOP which makes for a fine substitute. I might even like the Clement VSOP more than the St. James Hors D'Age but have yet to do a side by side taste test.

As far as the St. James Extra Old, I haven't tried it.

well at some point i aim to try the universally recommended Appleton extra 12/clement vsop combo.

But, i'm not yet fully converted. I still find myself preferring the "dry" mai tai at that price range--- take two ounces of 15+ year-old rum, add nothing, and enjoy...

Very slim pickings here in Aus. as far as martinique rums go. I once had a white Saint James and a some sort of Clement, but my go to now only because it's available, is 10 CANE with any aged rum, preferably Appletons, doesn't matter which one.

I've had bartenders I know make them for me that way and they have thought that it has been one of the best Mai Tais they have tasted

My recipe is;

30ml 10 CANE
30ml Appletons
15ml Cointreau
15-20ml lime juice (whatever I get out of half a lime)
15ml orgeat

I made an old friend of mine his first Mai Tai with that recipe and whenever we go out together he always orders a Mai Tai, and then says, "It's OK, but it has nothing against yours".

On 2011-04-14 21:16, Hakalugi wrote:
If you like the St. James Amber then you will absolutely love the St. James Hors D'Age! The difference between the two is pretty wide. Unfortunately the price of the Hors D'Age is much higher than it was a few years ago so I usually end up getting the Clement VSOP which makes for a fine substitute. I might even like the Clement VSOP more than the St. James Hors D'Age but have yet to do a side by side taste test.

As far as the St. James Extra Old, I haven't tried it.

I agree - if you like the Amber then you'll love the Hors D'Age.

The St. James Extra Old is good too, kind of like the younger brother of the Hors D'Age. Both would be great in a Mai Tai. In fact, my favorite Mai Tai's are made with an ounce of Jamaican, like that Appleton 12 Extra, and an ounce of a good Martinique style rum. Something about how those two contrasting rums blend together to make something really tasty. The St. James Extra old is good in a Mai Tai, as is the Rhum Neisson Eleve Sous Bois. I'd recommend trying the Eleve Sous Bois neat as well, it was one of my favorite Martiniques on the Kill Devil list. Interestingly enough as a contrast, the Rhum Neisson Blanc was one of my LEAST favorites, it was just too grassy and strong whether neat or served in a Mai Tai - that was one cocktail that was hard to get through, but oh, I toughed it out! It's amazing what a few years of aging in the barrel will do to remove the "tails" and harshness in certain rums!

Oh, and here's an interesting suggestion, try the Clement Creole Shrubb. It is rum infused with bitter orange peel and spices, pretty much half of a Mai Tai - just ad lime and orgeat, and you're ready to go! If you're a savory taster, then it will be too sweet for you served neat, but it did make for a good Mai Tai! Enjoy!

what is this kill-devil list of which you speak?

I'm surprised that there's not a dedicated thread about it, either here on TC, or on Forbidden Island's website. Basically, Forbidden Island has an extensive list of 90+ rums from around the world, which gives you the chance to sample how the rums vary from region to region, and country to country. To quote Molokai Mike: For those that do not know, the FI Kill-Devil Club is free to join (but sadly not to drink) and allows you to taste over 90 rums from around the world from our vast collection. Complete the tasting list and you are awarded a brass plaque on our rum shelf, as well as a bottle of your favorite rum.

Completing the list gets you immortalized with a brass plaque on the wall behind the bar, a bottle of your favorite rum, and an induction ceremony into the Kill Devil Club, which provides you with certain perks and benefits, such as line privileges and early entry to FI events. JenTiki finished the list twice, and they awarded her with her own parking space on Tiki Central Wednesday nights, complete with official "This Space Reserved For JenTiki" parking sign! Otto is close to finishing his second Kill Devil list as well, with about 5 rums left to go, and should be finished by this Thursday's anniversary party. I've got about 20 rums left to go on mine.

Here are a few links that I could scrounge up on TC:
Rum Fest 2008
Pineapple Patty is the Queen of Rum! (first inductee)
TikiTastic is the King of Rum! (second inductee)
Video clip of TikiTastic's induction ceremony
Iniquitiki joins the ranks of the Legends of Forbidden Island!
NACHO OCHO! Notch joins the Wall of Immortals at Forbidden Island!

Now back to our regularly scheduled discussion of Martinique rums!