where can I buy St James Royal Amber Rum

I am having a hard time finding St James Royal Amber Rum. My local liquor store does not carry it. I have found some on the net from NY, CA, and FL but I do not think I can have liquor shipped by mail or UPS to Arkansas. Any suggestions.

The post office won't ship alcohol, but FedEx will. :wink:

When the nearby TotalWine doesn't have what I want, I order from: http://www.hitimewine.net

I have no idea if they will be able to ship to AK though.

EDIT: I guess I didn't read your post thoroughly enough. I would suggest trying to get it shipped. It's not like 'AK customs' will intercept your package.

[ Edited by: kid_dynamo 2012-02-11 08:50 ]

I did not know that Fed Ex would ship booze. thanks

Well that's how Hi Times ships it at least. I know they don't normally accept alcohol from an individual, but I'm assuming that there is a special exemption for retailers shipping by ground.

The Party Source has it, and lot's of other rums too:

http://www.thepartysource.com/express/results.php?t=class&s=RUM

Ship UPS or FedEx, they ship alcohol.

[ Edited by: CincyTikiCraig 2012-02-11 18:00 ]

I recently found out that liquor stores in Arkansas can not buy or sell St James or Lemon Hart. Apparently there is a book that states what brands of liquor can be sold in Arkansas. Maybe every state has one also.However I there is a liquor store in Missouri right across the border. Can I order those rare brands and have it shipped there. Has anybody ever had liquor such as St James or Lemon Hart shipped to another liquor store. Let me know your thoughts?

On 2012-02-15 07:03, old band alum wrote:
I recently found out that liquor stores in Arkansas can not buy or sell St James or Lemon Hart. Apparently there is a book that states what brands of liquor can be sold in Arkansas. Maybe every state has one also.However I there is a liquor store in Missouri right across the border. Can I order those rare brands and have it shipped there. Has anybody ever had liquor such as St James or Lemon Hart shipped to another liquor store. Let me know your thoughts?

You will not be able to ship alcoholic beverages to a retail store. Stores that sell alcohol must purchase though the legal distribution system in their state, ie, from a licensed distributor. Keep shopping for a store online that will ship to AR and have it shipped to your house, nobody will be the wiser. It's ilegal to ship alcohol into Ohio, but that's never stopped myself or tens of thousands of Ohioans from doing so. Also, it's not that LH or ElDo can't be sold in Arkansas, it's just that the importers for those brands have not yet not reached a distributed agreement with a distributor in that state yet. It's the same situation in many other states.

[ Edited by: CincyTikiCraig 2012-02-15 19:58 ]

and here all this time i thought Cincinnati was in Kentucky...

I live in Cincinnati, less than 10 minutes from the Northern Kentucky border. Ohio is a Control State, meaning that the State is the both the liquor distributor and retailer for anything that's over 24% abv. In plain simple English that means that Ohio has a shitty selection of spirits and sky high prices, which is why almost everyone in the greater Cincinnati area heads to Kentucky to shop for spirits. I mail order what I can't get in Northern Kentucky.

Cheers,

Craig

St James is apparently no longer carried in ABC or in Total Wine, at least not on the FLA west coast.

I seem to recall others referencing recent difficulties finding it as well. Anybody know the scoop??

Oh, no, I wonder if this is joining Lemon Hart, as a "crisis rum" (or, "rhum")?
I checked the Texas chain (Spec's) that usually has plenty of St. James rums at a good price. Instead of the usual "Available", they're showing either "Limited Availability" or "Call Store", and that's for the only 6 or 7 locations in the state that still have any at all. The pricier Hors D'Age is showing at more stores, maybe a dozen.
Just checked, and I have 4 full and one partial bottle of Royal Ambre.

Sadly, Total Wine no longer carries any St. James. They used to have the Extra Old on the shelf and would order Hors D'Age for me when asked. Now, they don't even carry Clement VSOP or any other rums from Martinique. They do well with El Dorado Demerara; the five, twelve and fifteen year old. I get them to order the 8 year old for me as I prefer that for mixing. Same with Coruba, I get them to order the 1.75 jugs for me and I use them to refill the bottles in my bar (easier for mixing).

We suffer . . . how we Tiki-Drinkers suffer!

The issues with St. James have been discussed previously here. I remember reading that export to the US has been halted, and that it had something to do with low volume of sales here. If memory serves correctly, the product has not been discontinued but will continue to be bottled in France.

Check this thread, although there may be more here:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=33463&forum=10&start=0&hilite=St. James discontinued

St. James is wonderful in Mai Tais. I still have two bottles left, of two different varieties/ages, but for personal use only.

The Rhum Clement VSOP report is news to me - that was our replacement Martinique rum. I'll have to cruise by Total Wine this week and check that out. I will also check with other specialty sellers to see if they have it in stock, and if not, if they can get it.

These are troubling times for rum cocktail aficionados.

I just found that various Rhum Clement products show up in a web search on the Total Wine web site for my local store. So maybe Rhum Clement is not having a problem here in Jacksonville, Florida?

I just found Royal Ambre and Imperial Blanc at the store at the airport in St Thomas, not that it helps anyone who isn't traveling to the Caribbean. It is actually really difficult to find any Martinique rums (or any good rums) in the Caribbean, the best selection was at the airport on the way out.

I also heard from Keg n Bottle in Hollywood that they are not shipping anymore St James. This is quite sad. I really like this rum and I hope this will not last.

Boo! I was really hoping this was just a nasty rumor and a temporary supply issue that wiuld have been cleared up by now. I also developed quite a fondness for the Royal Ambre and it's very reasonable price point.

Don't know if I should be ecstatic, or sheepishly hang my head in shame, or just shut up and keep this to myself... Actually, I must share this because it may help others on their quest. I just found the last bottle of Rhum St. James Royal Ambre Extra Old at one liquor shop in the midwest. So it's still out there, you just gotta call stores in out-of-the-way places. And do some Google searches. There is hope, and those who look may have a pretty good chance of finding more.

I really like this stuff for Mai Tais. A friend of mine really enjoys sipping this stuff neat, although I'll have to sit down and try it that way. I have really only mixed with it and haven't really sat down to sip it neat. It has a very pleasant aroma.

During my online quest this morning I visited the St. James web site. It's all in French, but if you know a bit about the language, you can find a number of cocktail recipes on their site.

I'm very happy but at the same time very sad for others who also enjoy this Martinique spirit. I'm going to keep looking for other sources. There is no indication that it's out of production, it's just not available in the US. There must be a way to find it out of the country. My usual sources have come up empty so far.

It's the Great St. James Hunt! Get those dialing fingers working - good luck to all!

It definitely looks like it's no longer being imported into the U.S. So if you have even a mild interest in it and happen to spot a bottle on the shelf, I'd snap it up. Otherwise, you're probably out of luck.

Ace, the Extra Old makes a fantastic 'Ti Punch Vieux. 2 oz rhum, the end slice of a lime squeezed and dropped in and 0.5-1 tsp. cane syrup, stirred and taken without ice (my preference) or with just an ice cube or two. I will drink that all day.

I also love the stuff sipped neat. Ditto for all the St. James products, including Royal Ambre.

I like the ambre bc its an inexpensive, though not overly smooth, martinique rum. i will probably sub Barbancourt...

Those of you who are fans of the St. James -- do you like it better than Rhum Clement?

I usually went with Royal Ambre over Clement because it was usually about $15 less. I think Clement is more refined but not worth the extra money for me, especially when the rough vegetal agricole edge is something you want to come through in a cocktail.

On 2014-07-21 10:36, djmont wrote:
Those of you who are fans of the St. James -- do you like it better than Rhum Clement?

David, I'm going to do a side-by-side taste test and will post my thoughts here. Please hunt me down and kill me if I come back with "notes of strawberry, hints of bacon, pears, etc." or some such bs! hahahaha...

I would compare the Hors D'Age closer to Clement. I personally like the St James better. Haven't opened my Ambre yet, but I am excited to.

You can also post your thoughts on Martinique rums on this thread...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=46133&forum=10&50

I was just think of that 'best martinque rum' thread & that I posted my thoughts on Saint James Rhum Vieux Vs Clement VSOP. I really rate them both.

I had a bottle of SJ Amber previously - it's like a rougher version of the Rhum Vieux. If you can I would move upscale & get some SJ Rhum Vieux - I do mix it but also sip it now-a-days.

I just checked the bunker, and I've got 1 bottle of Ambre and 1 of Hors d'Age. I guess I better horde it now... :)

How much does the Ambre go for regularly? I have never seen it, except in the Virgin Islands. I grabbed the Ambre for $16.99 and the Blanc for 12.99.

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2014-07-21 17:41 ]

i've always seen it around 19 - 21 bucks.

Yep, $20 when the ABC chain finally started carrying it, and more like $23 before that.

Has anyone ever tried 10 CANE as a substitution for an agricole in a mai tai?

10 Cane is allegedly made from sugar cane juice, but it in no way resembles an agricole. It's a light, mostly flavorless rum. It's gone through production changes over the years, but the one I tried wasn't very good.

I don't mind 10 Cane if mixed correctly, but I wouldn't use it in a Mai Tai. I think it is just too sweet and not enough flavor. Barbancourt is a good sub though.

I subbed a cachaca for the martinique in a mai-tai and enjoyed it...

The problem with using a cachaça, I think, is that most of them are unaged, and you really want a nice, aged agricole. (Assuming you're going for Trader Vic's rum substitution of aged agricole and Jamaican.)

That being said -- we should always remember to drink what we like. Not what other people think we should like. :)

I just came back from my local Total Wine and noticed that two whole rows of a particular brand of cachaça were sold out. I thought to myself that it must be a good brand, but I can't remember what it was.

I think I forgot a bottle of something that was on my shopping list, so I might be back to pick something up in the next few days again.

I broke the $300 mark this month restocking my bar. Guess I've been putting off inventorying things for a while and am catching up. But I've also started buying 1.75s to help reduce the per-ounce cost of my liquor purchases and to refill the smaller bottles for better use of space in my liquor cabinets.

I'm restocking my bar. I won't be able to afford to eat for a while, but I thank the tiki gods that I'll be able to drink!

David, I see your point about the difference between an aged agricole and a cachaca, but I've been going back to the idea of the Mai Tai being originally an aged Jamaican (Wray and Nephew)that we are "supposed to be" trying to emulate by mixing rums.

I've expanded my Mai Tai rum selection to be "anything that "works" but must at least have Jamaican rum in there somewhere."

Some people mix demeraras with Jamaican in their Mai Tais happily and I never quite saw how that fit in the rule of aged Martinique plus Jamaican. And it sure tastes good!

I accidentally mixed Neisson Blanc with some Appleton one time in a Mai Tai and was surprised how great that tasted. I decided for myself that the funk of an agricole that contributes to the rum flavor profile we cherish in a Mai Tai can be had very nicely from an unaged rum as well. I am betting using cachaca works great. Makes sense to me.

Jack

I always throw a float of Lemon hart 151 in my Mai Tais as well.

Maybe it was so bad it was discontinued and that's why it's gone. :)

Leblon is often regarded as the best, and I see no reason to disagree. In addition to their unaged version, they make a special "Reserva" version that is aged for 2 years. I haven't had the latter.

You're absolutely right, Jack. If it tastes good, that's all that matters.

Drink on!

And I love Demerara in my Mai Tais. :)

Not sure if it's still difficult to find Saint James Rum? I visited a local liquor store and they have about 15 bottles of each variety available, $16 and $19 respectively. Question - I purchased both the Heritage (aged 1 year) and Reserve (aged 2 years) and was wondering which should be used in a Mai Tai? Any help appreciated!

One more question - I noticed reviewing this thread the bottles show "Martinique", but the bottles I purchased are labeled a Caribbean Rum, is this perhaps a different bottling location or something to that effect? thanks...

Sadly those St James are just their new product, which is a rum blend. Far inferior to their older Agricole products. I would use the Barbancourt in your Mai Tai over either of those St James. Sorry for the bad news :(

Luna, thank you very much for the information, I though it might be something to that effect. Guess I need to search for the older versions if they're available anywhere.

I scored some of old St. James Extra Old, Royal Ambre, and Hors d' Age a couple years ago by scouring liquor stores around the country, then had them shipped. Prior to finding those bottles I was using Rhum Clement agricole in my Mai Tais. Good luck to anyone who tries, let us know if you find some of the old stuff. It's gotta be out there in some liquor store in a less-populated state just gathering dust waiting for one of us to come along.

Yeah as soon as it was getting scarce, I drove to all the independent liquor stores in my area and bought them all out. I am sitting on quite a few bottles, so I need an excuse to start opening them. I hope that they will return sometime soon.

I made another visit to the liquor store and found this Martinique Rum (pic below). Is this rum a good substitute for Saint James Hors D'Age? I did find a Clement XO for $179, but that seems excessive for a Mai Tai.

JM is a perfect sub for St James, that is what I use. My second choice for sure!

Just so you know, they do not make the Clement XO anymore. It is a steep price but it is a great rum that is no longer in production. Pair that with some Appleton 21 and you've got an amazing Mai Tai that would cost $50 at a bar, Tacoma Cobana has that combo until the rum runs out.

Luna - thank you very much for your note regarding JM, I will try it for my Mai Tai ( I returned the Saint James). As for the Clement XO, considering it's no longer in production, might be worth splurging on, and would look great behind my bar! thanks again

Royal Amber is not available in Ontario as well or any Rhum agricole for that matter, however recently the Province of Quebec is now stocking numerous agricoles including Royal Ambre.

This won't help you in central US, but it might help if you or others are on a road trip. I'm fortunate to live right on the border, so no road trip required.

If traveling to Quebec you can see how many bottles are available at what outlets from their website:

http://www.saq.com/content/SAQ/en.html