First of all, 10 Cane is marketed by Moet Hennessy as a *prestige* rum. They advertise only using the juice from the ‘first pressing of the finest sugar cane’. Since this rum is produced from distilling raw sugar cane juice rather than molasses, we should assume it’s a Rhum Agricole. Wrong. It’s not a true agricole because it’s double distilled at a proof higher than 70%. Check out what Ed Hamilton, the Minister of Rum, has to say about 10 Cane.
“I was more than a little surprised to read that this rum is made from 'the first pressing of the finest sugar cane. . .' I wonder if anyone is aware of any rum made from the second pressing of any sugar cane.
Crushing sugar cane is quite unlike pressing fruit such as grapes, where there is a danger of extracting the bitter elements of the skins and seeds into the sweet juice if the grapes aren't pressed gently. Sugar cane is a homogenous stalk of hard grass fiber. Crushing is accomplished by cutting the sugar cane into small chunks with rotating machete blades and then pressing the chopped stalks between heavy grooved-steel rollers under great hydraulic pressure. In all of the cane pressing operations I have seen, there are a series of three sets of pressing rollers. As the cane is crushed in the first set of rollers, water is sprayed on the cane in order to wash more of the juice from the fiber. More water is sprayed during the second pressing operation. The crushed cane fiber that is collected from the third set of rollers has had enough moisture pressed from the fiber that it is immediately used to fire the boilers that generate steam for the single cylinder engine that drives the mill as well as the distillation process.
While it isn't uncommon for marketing people to get carried away with product descriptions which are designed to instill thoughts of the highest possible quality, the first pressing of the cane is a new one to me.
Ten Cane isn't considered rum agricole because even though the label says distilled from sugar cane juice, it is double distilled to a high proof.
On the other hand the French islands have a very strict protocol for making what can be called Rhum Agricole and recognize the distiller's efforts with an Appelation d'Origine Controllee seal.
Among other things, only about five of the nine species of sugar cane grown on Martinique can be used to make AOC rhum agricole. Distillation can only be about 70% and only freshly squeezed sugar cane juice can be used for fermentation.”
With that info out of the way, it’s time for *my* review.
First of all, if you’ve never had a rhum distilled from cane juice, be prepared for a shock. Rhums distilled from cane juice taste *much* different than their molasses counterparts. Rhum agricole has a more floral nose (you’ll understand when you take a whiff) and a more sweet winy taste. 10 Cane is smooth enough to be sipped neat as are nearly all white Rhum agricoles. 10 Cane is slightly oakey due to a small amount of time in French oak casks. It’s sweet and floral with a little hint of pickling spices? It’s a very balanced rhum but there really is nothing very exciting about it when compared to more interesting rhum agricoles. If you don’t have access to rhum agricoles (La Favorite, Niesson, J. Bally, St. James etc…) and 10 Cane is your only option, go ahead and give it a try, but know that there are much better (and cheaper) rhum agricoles out there.
The bottle is pretty cool though.
David
