Habitation St Etienne XO

A flavoursome Rhum Agricole from Martinique. Produced by Habitation Saint-Etienne, who have been in the business since 1883.

This rum is an Agricole, made with the pressed juice of the sugar cane, as opposed to a different by-product such as molasses. Ordinarily, these rums serve up fragrant, grassy flavours with plenty of bright sugar cane, as so it proves here.

The bottling is made with some of the oldest stocks in the Habitation’s large reserves, with some going back as far as 1960. This is a remarkable, well aged rum, packed with flavour.

HSE XO opens with notes of subtle chocolate, slight coffee, tobacco, spice, pepper, nutmeg, warm oak, sweet cane, dried mango and pineapple, lime rind, vanilla, brioche and slight yeasty funk.

Bottled at 43% ABV for a touch more warmth, this is a delicious sipping rum.