CLÉMENT RHUM
A Much Larger World
The world of Cane Spirits is such a dynamic thing. A lot of people are claiming that is on the verge of becoming the next bourbon. It is becoming fashionable, it makes for great cocktails, it’s affordable and most importantly, you can find it readily available on shelves. In that sense, they are correct. I find that comparison to be quite limiting, however. If you find the need to not give rum its due and compare it to another spirit category; it is going to be scotch. Rum, depending on its country of origin, will be so distinctive and different from one region to the next that it can sometimes be like comparing an Islay to a Speyside. That is why I am writing my first piece on Rhum Agricole focusing on Clément from the Island of Martinique.
For those unfamiliar with Rhum Agricole (and there will be a more detailed writing on the style in the future); it is a very unique style of “rum” produced on French Colonial islands of the Caribbean known for its terroir focused flavor profile and is protected by a very strict set of law and regulations including:
- Distilled from fresh juice from sugar cane harvest a peak maturity.
- Legally can only come from islands protected by French AOC designation: i.e. Martinique, Guadalupe, Marie Galante, French Guyana, and Mauritius. *Haiti was once under this protected designation until the French government pulled it in recent years.
- AOC – Appellation D’origine Contrôlée (Protected Designation of Origin) is a certification from the French that protects the Geographical Identification of French agricultural products and dates back to 1411.
The Father of Rhum Agricole
The story of Clément Rhum begins with Homére Clément. Clément purchased the sugar plantation Domaine de l ‘Acajou in the year 1887. Struggling to find revenue during the great sugar crisis plaguing the entire economy in the Caribbean, Clément turned to r(h)um production like so many others of this time.
Clément was very much influenced by the great Armagnac producers back home and mimicked their style of distillation to create their signature style of rum. Clément extracted the juice of the cane as soon as possible after harvest and allowed wild yeast fermentation before distilling a cane “eau de vie”.
One thing that set Clément apart from other producers was his desire to use sugarcane grown on his own estate. He made the proper investments to once again have planters grow the finest varietals of sugarcane on his estate for cultivation and distillation into rhum.
What Comes Next
In 1923 Charles Clément, the son of Homére Clément inherits the family estate and continues the production rhum. During this time, Charles learns the ins and outs of distillation at the Louis Pasteur School in France. Upon completion of his schooling and armed with this newly honed skillset, Charles is credited with perfecting the signature style of Clément rhum. Because of Charles’ dedication to the craft, Clément becomes the first bottle rhum to be exported from the Caribbean and develops a large following in France.
In 1973 the family legacy of Clément continues as the children of Charles Clément continue the expansion of their rhum into more markets throughout not just the Caribbean and Europe, but the United States as well.
1987 sees the Hayot family acquire the Clément brand. Unlike most buyouts in this industry; the Hayots continue to preserve and promote the Clément family legacy of their rhum. So much so; the estate is able to renovate and build new cellars used for maturation and also sees the construction of art galleries and a tasting room on the Habitation grounds.
As of 2012, under the direction of Benjamin Mélin-Jones, Clément-USA Inc maintains its independence as an importer and marketing agency of its rhums.
Clément Today
Today Clément continues to carry the Legacy of the AOC and can be broken down into three categories according to SPIRIBAM’s website:
- The Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique Blanc (White Agricultural Rum):
Must rest in stainless steel or wooden vats for a minimum of three months to round out before bottling.
- The Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique élevé sous bois (Golden Agricultural Rum or Amber Agricultural Rum):
Rhum is aged for a minimum of 12 months in wooden casks. Its name is derived from its light golden color, mostly due to its short period spent in an oak vat.
- The Rhum Vieux Agricole AOC Martinique (Old or Aged Agricultural Rum):
Must be placed in an oak barrel a minimum of 3 years for the VO label (rhum vieux), 4 years for the VSOP label (rhum très vieux) and up to 6 years for an aged vintage XO label rum (rhum hors d’âge). It is the tannin in the wood which bestows the warm hues while the taste is transformed as the years go by.
From here, Clément can be broken down into the following readily available marques:
Premiere Blanc: Made with fresh-pressed cane juice and spontaneous fermentation. Rests in stainless steel for nine months. 2012 Best of the Best award.
Canne Bleue: Distilled with only blue sugarcane varietal and rests in stainless steel vats for six months before being proofed down with distilled volcanic waters.
Select Barrel: Aged for a minimum of three years in heavily charred (ex-bourbon) barrels in the cellars of Habitation Clement.
VSOP: A personal favorite; this marque is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and French Limousin barriques. This is the pinnacle of the Clément line-up.
XO: Part of the Grand Reserve Portfolio; once a year Clement selects rhums aged in a combination of virgin and re-charred casks that have been aged for six years. The XO line is renowned for its remarkably balanced flavors of heavy char sweetness without losing its delicate floral and grassy character.
Production
Unlike rum which uses molasses, a sugar cane byproduct, Rhum Agricole can only be made using fresh cane juice from fully matured sugar cane stalks. Due to this restriction, Clément harvests their cane during a very small window between early March to May. Upon harvest, the cane is immediately crushed within a window of 36 hours and the juice immediately begins fermentation with naturally occurring yeast strains found on the cane itself. After an extended fermentation period, the Vin de Canne goes through a single distillation on a Creole Coffey Still to an abv between 65%-75%.
