Even if you’ve been to the Caribbean, you’ve probably never heard of the French island of Marie Galante. No surprise, as it is only 61 square miles in size. It was named by Christopher Columbus during his second expedition after the name of one of his ships, the “Gallant Mary”. In fact it was Columbus who brought sugar cane to the island, which eventually became one of the leading exports in the form of both sugar and rum/rhum.
Batiste (literally chambray or cambric cloth) rhum agricole begins its journey in what the company calls an “ecopositive” manner. The sugar cane is non-GMO food grade, grown without chemicals and harvested without field burning. All waste products are turned into fertilizer and the distillery itself is run by a solar farm.
The rhum is distilled to 175 proof and stored in stainless steel. It then travels to California where it is distilled one last time in a Japanese built vacuum still. Finally it is bottled at 90 proof.
Batiste Rhum Agricole (90 proof)
Visual: Crystalline.
Nose: Slightly sweet and almost malty. A touch of sea salt and vanilla.
Taste: Less “funky” than most agricoles, this has a clean, crisp minerality with a healthy dose of sweet vanilla. A very clean distillate with just enough character to keep it from being in the vodka camp.
Finish: Short, crisp and clean. Only a hint of sugarcane.
Overall: A nice rhum for mixing, especially in simple cocktails like a Daiquiri or Mojito. This also works very well with coconut water.
GSN Rating: B
For more information go to: Batiste Rhum
Good Spirits News 