JM
The history of Rhum JM
The Fonds-Préville distillery, birthplace of Rhum JM, is one of the most beautiful in the world. Since the early 18th century, its home has nestled in the north of Martinique, at the foot of Mont Pelée, between the Roches and Macouba rivers. There hasn't always been a distillery here. Originally, Macouba was simply a sugar estate. It took the name Fonds-Préville in 1790, when the Prévilles acquired it.
The year 1845 saw the arrival of the first stills on the estate, under the impetus of Jean-Marie Martin. It was he who put his initials on the barrels leaving the distillery. They stood out on the Saint-Pierre market, giving birth to the J.M. brand.
The estate was sold at auction in 1916 to the Crassous de Médeuil family, who already owned the neighboring Bellevue dwelling. Even then, the distillery produced only agricultural rum. By 1930, the two houses were operating jointly, and improvements were being made. Rhum JM began to grow in stature.
René Crassous de Médeuil ran the company until his death in 1977. He was the first to age rums for more than 10 years. On his death, his nephew took over the reins, once again modernizing the company.
Rhum JM today
The design we know today appeared in 1984. The bottles and labels were designed by the owner's mother at the time. The 1990s were another period of modernization for the distillery.
New Brazilian electric mills were installed in 1993, followed by a new ageing cellar in 1996. In the following two years, two new Creole columns were installed, along with new stainless steel fermentation tanks. In 1999, in an attempt to combat the very high proportion of angels in Martinique, part of the winery was refrigerated, but the experiment was subsequently abandoned.
Groupe Bernard Hayot acquired Rhums JM in 2002, and again undertook a complete renovation of the site in 2013, as well as a redesign of the labels.
Rhum JM production
On a 400-hectare estate, 150 hectares are dedicated to sugar cane. 100 hectares are under cultivation today, as the soils are rotated to regenerate them. The distillery is self-sufficient in sugar cane thanks to this large estate. Straw cane, blue cane, reed cane and red cane varieties are grown.
Harvesting is mechanized and starts late, around mid-March. This is one of the advantages of self-sufficiency: when you have your own machinery, you can choose the optimum time for harvesting. Harvesting is completed by the end of June at the latest.
The cane juice is quickly taken to the distillery, where it ferments for 36 to 48 hours. It is distilled in two Creole columns, from which it flows at an average of 72% alcohol.
The white rum rests in stainless steel vats for at least 6 months (the minimum stipulated by theAOC Martinique is 6 weeks). It is gradually reduced with spring water from Montagne Pelée.
A large part of the production is destined for ageing, and 600 casks are filled each year. The distillery now has around 3,500 casks for ageing, and, exceptionally, its own cooperage.
Evaporation is very high in Martinique, at around 8%. This is partly remedied by "ouillage" (topping up), which consists of topping up the casks with eaux-de-vie of the same age. Indeed, the emptier the barrel, the more the angels tend to be greedy.
The JM Rums range
JM rums are available in white, amber and aged varieties. In addition to the classic range of VO, VSOP and XO, we also offer 10 and 15 year old vintage rums. A number of exceptional editions are also available, such as the Cuvée 1845 or the decanter that blends the distillery's best vintages. Read less
