Clément XO is part of Clément’s “Grand Reserve” series, which covers the distillery’s older and more exclusive bottlings. The rum bears the designation XO, which, according to Martinique’s AOC regulations, means that it has been aged for a minimum of 6 years. In this case, we are talking about both “virgin” (unused) barrels and used, re-charred barrels. The rum is of course made from fresh sugar cane juice.
Colour: Amber
Aroma: Ripe apples and real cinnamon are accompanied by a discreet smoky note of charred wood.
Tasting notes: The rum is very elegant in the mouth, with notes of vanilla, licorice and white pepper.
Serving suggestion: Should be drunk neat
Martinique is one of the most important islands for rhum agricole – the French “agricultural rum”. Here you will find, among other things, the brand Rhum Clément, whose classic, French-style rum is produced at Distillerie du Simon according to all the AOC regulations. This means, among other things, that it is made from fresh sugarcane juice (no molasses or syrup allowed), distilled in column stills and bottled without added sugar or “cheating” with age.
Clément’s founder, Homére Clément, bought the plantation Domaine L’Acajou in 1887 – a time when virtually all sugarcane plantations in Martinique were ailing due to the growing dominance of beet over the sugar market. But Monsieur Clément saw it as an opportunity to change focus, and he supplemented the plantation with a distillery, inspired by the French brandies he had drunk as a young student in Paris.
Today, the range ranges from “rhum blanc” – perfect for cocktails – to old vintages and rare single casks at unusually high bottling strengths for agricole rums.
