Best Martinique Rum?

The only Martinique rum I have in my collection is Niessen. I have made a bunch of Navy Grogs with it, but I am wondering if there are better Martinique rums for this cocktail. I searched a bunch, but no one had posted this topic yet (that I could find).

I have not been able to find to many Martinique Rums in my area (San Diego), so I bought the Niessen because it was the only one I had run across.

So my questions are:

What is the best Martinique rum in your opinion or your favorite?

&

What is the best for a Navy Grog? - I think I was just using the old TV recipe.

I've never used a martinique rum in a navy grog.

did you mean to say in a Mai Tai?

On 2008-06-06 02:07, Squad 701 wrote:

Try this :

Navy Grog (Trader Vics)

1oz. Martinique Rum (J.Baly, St.James)
1oz. Jamaican Rum (Appleton VX/12yo)
3/4oz. Lime Juice.
1/2oz. Grapefruit Juice.
1/2oz. Sugar Syrup.
1/4oz. Pimento Allspice Dram (Berry Hill, St.Elizabeth)

Mixed and shaken with at least a double old-fashioned (Mai Tai) glass of crushed ice,
and whatever extra crushed ice is needed to top up your glass.

I was using this one. But I guess I should try it with a regular rum too.

I think most folks use at least 3 oz rum in a navy grog, usually combining demerara with a jamaican dark or a gold. i make it sometimes with all demerara, or with pusser's. try that and see how you like the drink without martinique.

as for my favorite martinique, i've only had St James Ambre and Clement VSOP. Clement far smoother but far pricier. frankly, i like the haitian Barbancourt 3 star better than any martinique rum i've had thus far.

I like Barbancourt a lot too. That is why I was asking about Martinique as well. I haven't found one that I liked too much. I was using this recipe because it was the one recipe that I could use this rum in and liked.

I tried Clement at Tiki Oasis and I didn't much care for it either. I could just be that I am not used to it. Next year I will probably drink it everyday. :)

Niessen Reserve Especial is one of the best rums I have, superior to Clement VSOP. It should be at over $70/liter. I just sip it and never mix it though. Which Niessen have you been using in the Navy Grog?

Sorry, my auto correct changed the name. Neisson Agricole is the Martinique I have been using.

Also, yes Navy Grogs are great with Demerara rums. Just drank one with Lemonhart and El Dorado and it was great.

Looks like it cost me $45.

[ Edited by: Lunavideogames 2013-09-17 01:54 ]

I like agricole best in a Ti Punch, esp with raw agave nectar as the sweetener.

i think it mixes well with mango and ginger.

it makes a good hemingway daiquiri.

otherwise i really dont use agricole.

I've only ever had Clement VSOP in my mai tais mixed with Appleton Estate 12 year. It was pretty good.

The Neisson Eleve Sous Bois is top-shelf all the way. Tastes differ, naturally, but I think it's probably as good as anything else available, and better than a lot.

Good post :) Here's my two cents...

Martinique rhums are a funny bunch - harder to get, more expensive & more 'distinctive' than other styles. Reviews seem to be polarised by people who enjoy them.

As a basis for comparison, I'd compare them to Jamaican rums (ie funky) but with a grassy taste Ive not experienced previously. IMO the 'grassy notes' are what you are seeking to 'control' & 'appreciate' when using this rum. Definately a 'try before you buy' style.

So far I've had Saint James Amber, Trois Riverias Blanc & Clement VSOP.

Saint James Amber is an odd rum IMO. It was my first agricole purchase - I should tried before I bought! The rum tastes fine until all the 'grassy' notes come at once in the after taste (not a good thing), Im not in love with it. With other flavours it's more drinkable, the after taste doesn't diminish much. I do use it in tiki recipes.

Trois Riveras Blanc is like a suped up white rum with grassy notes throughout the flavour (it's preferable to the Saint James Amber because it's not an after taste) It's got real 'tropical fruit notes' IMO, something Id not sensed much before. After I first tried it the flavour stayed on my mind... so I brought some :) The Beachbum Berry tiki recipes mainly call for 'aged Martinique rhum', IMO white agricoles are too funky for balanced tiki recipes, I usually make Ti Punch with it (where the point is that it is funky!)

Clement VSOP is a lot softer than the above two, the grassy notes are present throughout when drank neat but it's more refined. I have tried three times, 1st time I was underwhelmed (it was warmed & tasted like nothing), 2nd more like I have described (room temperature & more interesting), 3rd time was mixed in a $100 mai tai (a real luxury drink).

I make most of my drinks from the jamaican / demerara / puerto rican combos. I only make 4 cocktails with rhum agricoles - Ti Punch, Mai Tai, Three Dots & a Dash, Donga Punch... BUT... maybe I'd have 2/3 bottles of agricoles in my 'ideal collection' because:

I'd need an everyday mixer. Saint James Amber isn't to my taste, Barbancourt 5 star / 8 year is neither Martinique or technically agricole but comes highly recommended as similar in style. Hey ho :)

I've been unable to better the '$100 mai tai' combo to date so I might splash out for the VSOP & Shrubb reserved just for mai tais :)

Ti Punch is a made with unaged white rhum by locals so I'll experiment with a gold / aged rhum but probably stick with their 'traditional' choice :)

Good topic and good posts.

Rhum agricole is definitely an acquired taste, and one that lots of people never do acquire. I did not know what to make of that grassy vegetal flavor the first time I tried it. But similar to how I came to love the high ester funk of J Wray Overproof, I pretty quickly became addicted to rhum agricole.

I agree with the assessments that Clement VSOP is an all-around smoother rhum vieux than St. James Royal Ambre, but at almost twice the price here I much more frequently pick up the St. James. 'Ti Punch, Donga Punch, Three Dots & a Dash, and as a combo rum in a Mai Tai — those are the four drinks I typically use Martinique rhum vieux for as well. I also do like 'Ti Punch with a rhum blanc — Clement Premiere Canne is typically what is available, but I also developed a great appreciation for Rhum Bologne from Guadeloupe when a friend gave me a bottle (definitely the funkiest agricole I have tried yet). I use a teaspoon of cane syrup in a 'Ti Punch Blanc and just a half-teaspoon in a 'Ti Punch Vieux, and just a squeeze of the top or bottom of a lime slice. I also usually do the 'Ti Punch at room temperature without ice, but don't take offense when friends take it with ice.

For Sipping, I very much like both the Extra Old and the Hors d'Age from St. James, and Clement's Cuvee Homere is one of the best and most complex rums I have ever tasted (It had beter be for the $100+ price tag). Depaz is also quite spectacular — very delicate for an agricole and probably the one that really got me hooked on the style.

I sadly have yet to try Rhum J.M. or Neisson. I also have my eyes on 6- and 10-year Clement expressions that have recently become locally available, but they are a tad pricey so maybe they will go on my Christmas wish list.

"If you keep on drinking rum, the world will soon be quit of a very dirty scoundrel."
Robert Louis Stevenson

[ Edited by: Sunny&Rummy 2013-09-17 17:13 ]

Try sipping St. James Royal Amber mixed 1:1 with Appleton 12 year. It smells and tastes great. Definitely a case where the sum is better than the individual parts.

I have both St. James Hors d'Age and Neissen Special Reserve. Both are great rhums that I reserve for sipping but I prefer the Neissen. It is a bit more expensive though.

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-09-17 17:34 ]

Yes, very nice.

If you can find it give 10 CANE from Trinidad a try. Although not technically an agricole it is made from sugar cane juice and has that 'grassy' taste to it. They did do something to the recipe a while ago but i can't remember what. They either started aging it in barrels for a while or mixing it with something but i'm not 100% sure.

It's another rum that is not that easy to get here and is above the $50 mark but i've always enjoyed it in a Mai Tai with a rum like Appletons as it just gives the Mai Tai a very unique flavour.

I do like 10 Cane quite a bit. I guess I am lucky that I can get it for $25 with free stuff usually. I think I had 20 beach blanket things and a few glasses. I use it in one of my drinks, the Tattoo, that my friends like to drink. Makes for a sweet drink but I love the flavor.

Are 10 Cane and Barbancourt the only other rums that use sugar cane besides Martinique? I use a lot of both and it makes me think I should try more Martinique rums.

Sunny&Rummy - you got used to the flavor of Wray & Nephew? I think I read somewhere that Swizzle likes it too if I remember correctly.
I think I burned out my taste for that sadly. I went to Jamaica recently and everyone was drinking JB instead of Wray & Nephew now. It is also a white ovenproof that tastes like Everclear to me. I think it actually is a abbreviation for crows butt, or so I have been told. Anyway I was drinking TOO MUCH of that stuff mixed with Ting with the locals. I think it made a bad association with the flavor in my mind. It might remind me of the flavor of Clement too. I would try it again if I could find it anywhere.

Oronoco rum and Cachacas are also made with sugar cane juice rather than molasses. The Cachacas have a grassy flavor component similar to rhum agricole.

By the way, I believe the Neissen rhums, the La Favorite rhums and Lemon Hart 151 are all imported by Ed Hamilton, the high priest of The Ministry of Rum web site (ministryofrum.com).

Sunny&Rummy, thanks for the reminder. That combo LOOKS, smells and tastes delicious!

Yeah, I am totally in love with J Wray Overproof. It's not the easiest rum to mix with, but it works in a high octane Planters Punch, with equal parts Jasper Mix over ice, or in a good old fashioned J Wray and Ting. First time I tasted the stuff I understood why some folks say it tastes like someone put gasoline in your rum, but by the end of the bottle I was a convert.

I think I saw a Jamaica episode of Three Sheets where Zane was drinking with the locals and I was surprised to see them drinking JB and not J Wray. I haven't tried it yet, but have read it's similar to J Wray but the flavor is not as clean.

On 2013-09-18 01:35, TropicDrinkBoy wrote:
Oronoco rum and Cachacas are also made with sugar cane juice rather than molasses. The Cachacas have a grassy flavor component similar to rhum agricole.

By the way, I believe the Neissen rhums, the La Favorite rhums and Lemon Hart 151 are all imported by Ed Hamilton, the high priest of The Ministry of Rum web site (ministryofrum.com).

Sunny&Rummy, thanks for the reminder. That combo LOOKS, smells and tastes delicious!

Guatemalan rums are also made from sugar cane juice, so that includes brands like Zacapa and Botran.

And THANK YOU for the suggestion of that rum combo. I have had it in countless Mai Tais but have never once thought to sip it neat that way.

Another sugar cane rum that I purchased recently is Vizcaya from the Dominican Republic. I bought their silver rum because they claim it to be similar to classic Cuban rums. I was initially disappointed because it had a somewhat sweet flavor profile similar to Botran, which is too sweet for me, but I found the exotics I made with it tasted better than I remembered. The liter bottle was used up in no time. I'll have to buy another and repeat the experiment!

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-09-18 17:12 ]

The goodness of this post continues...

Regarding Wray & Nephew, it was my first rum I really tried mixing (i.e. beyond rum & coke) so Im a fan. If you like Appleton White its a more concentrated version of that - the key is to dial back the amount you use otherwise you'll never get used to it! I make diaquiris & fruit juice punches with it. I also use it 1 shot normal white, 1/2 shot of W&N in Sumatra Kulas & Missionarys Downfalls.

Like the white 100 proof Trois Rivieras Blanc, it's a bit of a reminder that white rum can be fierce!

Regarding cachacas, I have tried Pitu & Sagatiba - IMO Pitu is probably the Bacardi of the cachaca world (i.e. widly availble but not great quality). Not a substitute but if you love cachaca, agricole seems a good choice for a future purchase. Sagatiba makes a 'nicer' caprihina IMO but has less 'agricole' to it.

In the UK normal liquor stores dont stock agricoles so it requires a trip to a 'better' store or an online shop.

This page features a few suggestions: http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/10-rums-everyone-should-have/

You maybe familiar with the idea that Coca Colas domination of the beverage market is due to the company's desire to put it 'within arms reach' of customers (i.e. you can get it everywhere).

The agricoles dominating the thread are: Niessen, Clement & Saint James. Are they popular because they are good or because they are 'within arms reach'?

I obtained a mini mai tai glass from Trader Vics London & have used it for neat rum combos to see if they lived up to the 'the sum is better than the individual parts'. They were OK but not knockout.

Good combo of Appleton 12 / Saint James Amber neat :) surprisingly good considering I thought St James Amber was below par & I find Appleton 12 a bit strong to sip! Jamaican / agricole combos are getting more interesting...

It's kind of what I imagine Saint James Hors D'age to be like, how does it compare?

Also how do Saint James Hors D'Age & Clement VSOP compare?

St. James Hors d'Age is much richer than Clement VSOP. The time in the cask has tamed the vegetal character so that it plays nice with all of the other flavors you would expect in an aged dark rum.

And yes, I think That Appleton Extra and St. James Royal Ambre combo is probably a good approach for approximating the combination of aged refinement and residual agricole assertiveness in something like Hors d'Age.

So I have been researching this all week. Here is an interesting quote from Ministry of Rum:

"In the US I have seen a lot of rhums that claim to be from Martinique but one taste denies their origin. Actually these rhums are made in Martinique but aren’t the carefully produced agricole rhums you will find here. To clear the confusion new regulations have been adopted by the distillers. Look for the words “Apellation d’Origine Contrôlée Martinique.” All rhum agricole bottled in Martinique after May 31, 1997 must carry these words on the label."

Also there are 16 distilleries that produce Martinique rums:

There are 9 sugar cane spirit distillers in this database from Martinique French West Indies.
Depaz Dillon J. M La Mauny Le Galion S.A.E.M. (Martinique) Neisson Rhumeries Duquesne Simon St James
There are also 7 companies in this database blending/bottling sugar cane spirits from Martinique French West Indies.
Clèment G. & P. Dormoy G. Hardy J. Bally rum madkaud Saint Etienne Trois Rivières

Here is a link to that page:

http://www.ministryofrum.com/countrydetails.php?c=53

Not a lot of info on Martinique rums on Wiki pages.But I did find this on Agricole Rhum:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhum_Agricole

They say 14 distilleries. But from the Ministry of Rum, seems like only 9 are actual Martinique rums from Martinique. Clement seems to not be distilled in Martinique, but uses cane from that region. I don't know if that means they are not "official" Martinique rums or not being that they are not distilled in Martinique.

I like the timeline on this website too:

http://www.rhumdemartinique.com/histoire_en.asp

I haven't found a Cachaca that I have liked yet, but people keep bringing over the ones that are not as good according to some other threads here that I have read.

On 2013-09-19 13:35, AdOrAdam wrote:
You maybe familiar with the idea that Coca Colas domination of the beverage market is due to the company's desire to put it 'within arms reach' of customers (i.e. you can get it everywhere).

The agricoles dominating the thread are: Niessen, Clement & Saint James. Are they popular because they are good or because they are 'within arms reach'?

I obtained a mini mai tai glass from Trader Vics London & have used it for neat rum combos to see if they lived up to the 'the sum is better than the individual parts'. They were OK but not knockout.

I am starting to think that they are popular because they are accessible. I have not tried Saint James yet, because I have not found a retailer for it. I am going to try this combo tonight and post how I like it (with my Neisson).

PS: As a standing offer, I would trade jobs with the Ministry of Rum guys anyday. I would love to live on a boat in the Carribbean and host rum tastings. Those guys have it made!!!

Tried it. Had a big alcohol taste right up front with the Neissin and it went down smooth. I added a bit more Appleton. I will have to try it with St James instead when I can find it.

By the way AdOrAdam, I love that Havana Club you can see in your picture. It's difficult for us to get in the US but I have a bottle of the 7 year that is great for sipping.

A white Martinique rum worth checking out is Dillon. It may be a Total Wine exclusive in the US. Had some mighty tasty ti'punches mixed with it.Comes in 3 strengths. I've only found 55 so far, at a TW. Novo Fogo makes some very tasty sugarcane juice rums. I prefer their silver, but their gold is very nice as well.

Another great rum is the St James Vieux. Great in Mai Tai's.

I think St. James Rhum Vieux is marketed as St. James Hors d'Age in the US.

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-09-20 07:19 ]

Regarding rums being marked as the style of a country but not being representative of that country I think we should just take the rum by its reputation (eg We all know Captain Morgan ain't jamaican underneath! But with Plantation you are safe).

I love that I can get Havana Club in the UK. I use the 3YO for Hemmingways & Mojitos (its got an unsubstitutional woody tinge & it's meant to be old fashioned style ie less filtered). It's also a much much better price than most other good whites in the UK. The half bottle of the 3YO (in the corner of the picture) & another I have are gifts from people who have been to Cuba ~ Im keeping them :)

As a sub the Flor De Cana white 4 & black label 5 are comparable to the Anejo Blanco & Anejo Reserva IMO, they may even be preferable... but I like to make a 'cuban drink' with a 'cuban rum' that is still made in Cuba!

The idea that 'what is available to you' & 'what's available in the world' are different isn't necessarily a bad thing, more a fact of life - no where stocks everything! Yes, some products will be 'pushed' but if a rum is popular it would inevitably be sold to a wider market :)

I think agricole availability might be like Scotch (i.e. the further you are away from Scotland the less variations available but a specialist retailer will be able to get you a bottle that people generally consider a 'good' version).

The aged agricoles are apparently made for export so we should be enjoying the best of what's available (with a little digging around for it).

As a basis for comparison in the UK from Lunavideogames list:

I can get: JM, Mauny, Saint James, Clement, J Bally & Trois Riveras.
I can't get: Depaz, Dillon, Le Galion SAEM, Niesson, Simon, Dormy, Handy,Rum Madkand or Saint Etienne.

I could only name Depaz & Neisson off the list I of that I cant get.

Im going out for a meal tonight - after reading this thread this week Im definitely in the mood for a white Ti Punch before I go. When I get back I'll definitely be having that Appleton 12 / Saint James Amber combo in a snifter!

Cheers all :)

Actually, I believe the Rhum Vieux is marketed here as the Extra Old and not the Hors d'Age — at least that is what a few minutes of web sleuthing suggets. Also a nice rhum and just a few dollars less than the Hors d'Age.

That Dillon rhum blanc caught my eye at our Total Wine. Good price and I'm out of Premiere Canne, so I think I will be giving this one a spin.

I found a bottle of Clement at the 4th store I went to today. I was surprised it didn't have the Apellation d’Origine Contrôlée Martinique label that Ministry of Rum spoke of. I mixed it with Appleton 12 and it was great. 10x better than the Neisson combo. I think the Neisson has too much of a "boozy" taste to it. It is not smooth and is the worst to sip by itself. Clement VSOP seems better and cheaper in that regard to me at least.

Actually I did see Clement X O rum, but I purchased all of the above for about the same as that bottle. I am curious to try it but I couldn't commit to $160 for a bottle today.

But I couldn't find any St James anywhere. Anyone out there know where we might find that in San Diego? I will try some stores up north next weekend and I am hoping I can find a bottle.

Has anyone tried this Clement X O? Does anyone know why it costs $160 a bottle? To me usually $60 is an expensive bottle if rum.

I have not tried that Clement XO, and at $160 a bottle I won't be trying it any time soon. The Clement Homere Cuvee is almost as pricy, and I have only been fortunate enough to taste it because a local bar and restaurant inherited a bottle when they took over a failed joint that actually knew a thing or two about rum and stocked it. The new owners know nothing about rum and didn't k ow what to make if the Clement Homere Cuvee bottle they inherited, so they were selling approx. 3 oz. meadures for $10. I drank half a bottle at a rock bottom price and fell in love with a rum that I haven't been able to affore ever since.

Duquesne is another rhum agricole from Martinique that you can buy in the U.S.

There is also a related rum from Guadaloupe: Damoiseau Rhum Agricole, which is owned by Clement.

Sunny&Rummy, I am a bit confused regarding the difference between St. James Rhum Vieux and St. James Hors D'Age. The bottle pictured in this post came in the adjacent black box that states Rhum Vieux and has no mention of Hors D'Age. The bottle is clearly Hors D'Age as the top arch label states so while the bottom label states "Rhum Vieux Agricole". I know it's Hors D'Age because I have three other bottles in my inventory that I bought at other retailers and they are identical.

Then again, the St. James web site indicates that "Rhum Vieux" is a separate product and only available in Martinique. They even suggest drinking it with Coke!!! What a waste! I've had "St. James Extra Old". Maybe that's the same as "Rhum Vieux". Both have "Rhum Vieux Agricole" on their lower labels while the Royal Amber product states "Rhum Agricole Rum".

lunavideogames, you are comparing Neisson Eleve Sous Bois to Clement VSOP, right? I've never had Eleve Sous Bois so I can't comment on that but I love Neisson Reserve Special, the next one up the ladder. While Clement VSOP is a very good rhum I think Neisson Reserve Special is better but it costs significantly more. It's worth a try if you can find it. It's the third from the left in the picture below. The center bottle is Clement VSOP although the bottle differs from yours. Mine does state "Appellation Martinique Controlee". Perhaps you scored an older vintage!

TropicDrinkBoy, it certainly confises me as well. Mostly because I have seen domestic bottles of both The St James Extra Old and the Hors d'Age with the "Rhum Vieux" moniker on the label. As rhum vieux just means "old rum", that is certainly an accurate description of both of those US-distributed products. The confusion arises when "Rhum Vieux" is applied without further description on the Martinique-distributed product and without getting a bottle and doing a side-by-side-by-side comparison I'm just guessing. But based on bits of information from a few websites (including the St James site), I think the Martinique label is equivalent to our Extra Old and not the Hors D'Age.

Of course I could be totally wrong. :)

TropicDrinkBoy, yes I was comparing those rums. Sadly the store that I originally bought the Neisson from no longer stocks it so I may have to wait until I can find a bottle of the special to do that comparison. I think the Neisson that I have just has a really strong alcohol burn straight away. That is my main problem with it.

The store where I got the two rums on the left of the picture at the top page seemed like they had been there for a long time. Actually, I pulled off the cork from the Port Morant (or Classic Rum? Which seems like a stupid name) it broke. Now I am waiting to finish another with a cork, before I try the Port Morant. It would be pretty cool if I did stumble onto some older rums.

TropicDrinkBoy, where are you located to have that great of a rum selection? I can't find all of those near me.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. There are a few great liquor stores near me, my favorite being Beltramos, the best in Northern California. They have great prices and selection, and free shipping in California on orders of $250 or more. That might be of interest to you, lunavideogames, since I believe you're in San Diego. I also shop K&L and Cask, also in the Bay Area and all three sell on the Internet. I believe K&L also has a Hollywood store.

Of course no one carries old label Lemon Hart anymore. I bought two cases when they were being discontinued.

By the way, I save a variety of corks, especially if they have fancy wood tops, to save the day when I experience cork breakage!

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-09-22 01:08 ]

Here are the Martinique rhums in my collection, with one agricole from Guadeloupe thrown in for good measure.

I haven't tried all of them yet, but I like the Clement VSOP the best. I didn't care for the Depaz. The Neisson Blanc is rough, but works in cocktails. The aged versions of Neisson are much better, I think.

The Clement Creole Shrubb is a very interesting orange liqueur. Definitely worth trying.

djmont, I'm surprised you didn't like the Depaz. It has been a couple of years since I have had it but I remember it was extremely sippable. It had some agricole earthiness to it but it did not have the rough edges that some of the more assertive agricoles have.

Now I am going to have to shell out for a bottle and go back and see if the Depaz is all I remember it to be or not.

I should try it again. I haven't had it in a couple years. But my recollection is that I didn't care for it at all. (Enough so that I didn't even buy any when I saw it on closeout for $16 a bottle.)

But some people love it, including Paul Pacult.

I love the Depaz and the Neisson Blanc. I wouldn't sip the Blanc, but it makes a great Ti Punch.

Hi all

Can you confirm if agricoles 'lose' their flavour after a few years open?

I ask because I tried Clement VSOP in a chinese restaurant & was very underwhelmed (near zero flavour). I tried it again (from a new bottle) & I could definitely taste a lot more flavour!

At the weekend I tried Rhum Barbancourt 3 star & again it tasted like nothing. I asked the bartender & he said most likely the bottle had been open a few years.

Both were neat, no other real variables (i.e. I've tried quite a few neat spirits & not had this variation between tastings)- any thoughts?

All spirits start to lose flavor (and alcohol content) once they're open, due to oxidation. The longer its open, the more it oxidizes.

At what point is it noticeable? People say 6 month, a year...It just depends.

I've never noticed any significant degradation of spirit in an open bottle. But I try not to have too many open at one time to avoid this.

Take one of your low-end rums, put an ounce into a shot glass, and let it sit out overnight. You'll be surprised how much of the flavor disappears in just one night. I have some fairly strong liqueurs which I have poured into small sipping glasses and then carelessly forgot about until the next morning. In some instances I would say that as much as 90% of the flavor disappeared.

dude, your first pour was probably from a watered down bottle.

Luna, I can't say that I've had the Clement VO but I did have a mai tai for my birthday made of Clement VO, Appleton 21, Creole Shrubb, Orgeat and juice of 1/2 a small lime. It was transcendent. My wife who doesn't care for mai tai's tasted it and thought it was wonderful. I asked Jason at Tacoma Cabana, where I had it, what rum gave it it's subtle but delightful spiciness and he said it was the VO. So all I can say is, if I could afford it I would have have this every week! The Cabana now has over 138 Rums with no bottom shelf or flavored rum (shameless plug). To compare my usual mai tai there is Appleton 12, Clement VSOP, Shrubb, orgeat, lime and this,(the VO mai tai), eclipsed it.

aloha, tikicoma

Yes, I have been thinking about grabbing the bottle. I might have a fundraiser or something. Hopefully soon.

Sounds like a great Mai Tai. I usually like to use Barbancourt 15 in the Mai Tais I make myself. They turn out really well, but I would expect the expensive Clement Mai Tai to be amazing.