Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole – Review

I’ve been blessed with many great Tequila brands over the last year but I’ve been lacking in the rum selection. Today is a life changing experience because we’ve been given the opportunity to try Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole. Before tapping into the bottle let us take a moment to familiarize ourselves with some terms.

Rhum is a fancy (read: French) way of saying “rum” so when you see the fancy word you can think about the more basic wording. Agricole rhum is an agricultural style of rum which uses real cane juice over the standard “industrial rum” usually utilizing molasses. Molasses is cheaper, faster and an all around easier way to produce a rum while sugar cane juice requires more work, money and time. As a result, you’ll find a different experience from a cane rum than from that of molasses and your wallet will feel the difference.

Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole pours fresh and clean in appearance with a lightly off-white color reminding me of a thin layer of liquid gold plating: light and fare properties. In appearance, Depaz impresses with its clarity yet defining color characteristics with a completely natural look. While some rum brands may dress their liquid with caramel color and other makeup, Depaz is the “natural blond” beverage.

This natural coloring is no accident, Depaz Rhum has the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) French certification granted to agricultural products including guidelines for no artificial coloring or flavorings; you’re looking at the real thing.

The nose reminds me of bananas, carrots and minerals blended together evenly with faint notes of pineapple and a subtle sweet undertone. The smell is harmony to the senses with a unique mineral play, which I’ve not tasted in anything but a classy wine. It is as if you’re getting a taste of the terrior in this brand, the land itself.

A bit of ice, a rocks glass and I’m on my way to the first small sip. Immediately you’ll feel the silky smoothness with very light flavors playing on the palate: banana and every-so-slight tropical pineapple. Even sweetness distributes itself across your tongue without any focused attack on the palate. You taste the earthy mineral tones with small pockets of green vegetation and a well received oak finish.

The aftertaste feels much like you’re taking a deep breath just upwind of the blue cane fields where Depaz Rhum is born (not that I’ve been there!) The terrior is the structure behind this light gold fluid. The long finish lasts a good two-minutes after the sip, leaving behind a pineapple and stone mineral style flavor-fest upon the tongue. Breathing out reminds you of the beach beside the sweetness of a banana tree. Before the finish drains completely from your senses, it tickles your tongue with a bit of vanilla ice cream; no doubt a property from the oak nose I picked up in the early presentation.

Depaz is 90-Proof (45% ABV) and I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit on the pricey side of rum brands. Weighing in at a USD $42, you’re paying for the craftsmanship of the product and the hard work that goes into keeping the certifications, keeping it “real” with the natural flavorings and growing the Blue Cane that is the heart of Depaz Rhum.

Can I justify the cost of this 750ml bottle? Absolutely. Straight up, on the rocks or in a cocktail Depaz brings something to the table that is sure to amaze the senses. If you’re unwilling to compromise on cost consider this: how much have you spent at the pub or bar in the last two months? If you tend to buy cocktails at a bar you’ll save money while maintaining the highest quality of your beverages if you pickup a bottle of Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole and make your drinks at home instead of paying inflated prices at the bar.

If you’re still unwilling to try a top-class rhum, you’re missing out.

[Read the History of Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole at MixDrinkipedia.com]