Saint James Les Éphémères - N°6

"Hmm, heretical question: could it possibly be that this rhum is generally overrated in the euphoric exuberance in the face of a four-piece set perfectly prepared for collectors? 🤔 Too much advance praise? I certainly had to drink it in first. 😳 After the typical notes of whitewashed wall dominate the nose, the rhum on the palate lacks almost everything that fascinated me about the first release in the series. Only towards the end, on the finish, is there a certain spicy power that compensates somewhat for the seemingly arbitrary impression on the palate. Nevertheless, no comparison with the divine No. 1, rather with the already weakening No. 7 (even if a direct crosstasting is still pending). I wouldn't have thought so. Bad form on the day? Update 2023-04-14: No, it's not due to poor form on the day. 🤷‍♂️ Tasted today directly against the already legendary Les Epheméres No. 1. The No. 6 can make up a little ground (80 instead of 78 points), but can't hold a candle to the No. 1, remains somehow one-dimensional. Update 2024-02-11: Tasted again in parallel with the Saint James/Excellence Rhum (RX18129) from the same distillation year. Result as expected: Les Ephemeres No. 6 is in no way a match for the Excellence Rhum. Strangely enough, it has an unpleasant smell of inferior glue on the nose today, at least initially, and an inappropriate sharpness on the palate; the agricole seems unround overall - all in direct comparison to RX18129, mind you. Tasted individually, it would certainly score better. It remains at 80 points."

"81 points. When I sampled this rum at the Rhumfest my note was 82 points. The weakest release in the series so far."

"#4153 This release is also doing pretty well once rested for a while. Roasted wood with nice fruits and spices. Good balance between the elements, also the ABV is well integrated. Draws really nice curtains in the glass and the empty glass has some chocolate and light grass. Price to quality is very good in my mind."

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"The third in the bunch...and I like it quite well, it can be enjoyed with a certain ease . On the nose quite unobtrusive with a pleasant fruity note, on the palate an interplay of fruit, wood and spice , the latter also dominates the finish. However, it needs time in the glass"

"Tasted quickly on the Rhumfest so to try again. Between the 1 and the 7 for me. So very nice Agricole very well made. But personally, for the same amount or close to it, I prefer to buy something else (neisson XO or single cask HSE). I'm not a collector that must be why 😉"

"Une bombe degusté au rhum fest, qui se rapproche beaucoup de l’éphémère 1. ÉDIT : nez fabuleux, bouche très typée SJ sur le boisé. Mais très bonne quille"

"I found it much better than the 7 I tested. Frankly woody, but not overpowering. More gourmand, and surely more accessible too. A powerful finish with a bitterness counterbalanced by a pleasant sweetness. Edit: it's still VERY woody. But the spices save the day. Strange series."

"That's how subjective taste sensations can be... for me, the "Wow!" came as soon as I opened the bottle. Fruity, spicy, woody, still unmistakably an agricole. But also almost a little funky. By no means worse than the other brothers in the range. But we won't be tasting them together until No. 5 is on the table. Addendum: Finally tasted all four Ephemeres together today. All four are very good and I can hardly pick a favorite. I like No. 6 very much on the nose, with its clear orange notes. On the palate, it would be No. 1."

"Compared to the first two Les Ephémeres releases, the most fruity, apart from that located between the 2001 and 2007 - the spicy notes are reminiscent of the 2001, but do not present themselves with quite the same intensity. The quite elegant sweet wood notes are again reminiscent of the 2007 vintage release. Again, a very coherent complement to the first two releases, which further reinforces my enthusiasm about the selection in the Les Ephémeres series. Once again, a very successful release."

"Somewhat disappointing. Too bitter and sharp-edged and this very intense nutmeg note, overall quite furry and sour. Unfortunately, absolutely not my case..."

"Tasted very good to me ... caramelized notes of orange peel, wood, resin. hmmm have written down that the orange color of the wax seal fits very well with the taste. Were probably a few too many 😂Very good at the release price 👌"

"Der Kampf beginnt schon mit dem Wachsverschluss 😇Dann ist es ein schlner Agricole mit nette würzigen Noten, aber mich begeistert er nicht komplett. Geschmacklich mit Ecken und Kanten erreicht er nicht das schöne runde und reiche Mundgefühl des No.1. Eine leichte alkoholische Schärfe verhindert dann endgültig den Einstieg in die 80!Punkte. Letztlich solide"

"Les attentes sont grandes lorsqu’il s’agit de la saga des Éphémères, et ce rhum ne déroge pas à la règle. On découvre un profil particulièrement équilibré, oscillant entre puissance et gourmandise, entre finesse et expression. Le nez est sec, intense mais très avenant et s’accompagne d’une certaine fraîcheur. On retrouve tout ce qui fait la réputation de Saint James : un boisé fin, des notes sombres de café, de cacao et de chocolat, une trame avec une sensation de roti et des épices qui agrément parfaitement le profil olfactif. Les fruits secs, la canne à sucre et le tabac complètent le tableau aromatique. L’attaque en bouche est ronde et complexe. On retrouve la gourmandise des fruits tropicaux, des fruits secs et du chocolat, le côté asséchant des tanins, l’influence sombre des notes empyreumatiques et boisées, les arômes liés aux épices, le tabac et la canne à sucre pour le côté plus végétal. On retrouve le parfait équilibre entre élégance et exubérance. L’alcool est très bien intégré. La finale, très longue, est encore plus sèche. Les épices, le cuir et le boisé reviennent à la charge, tandis que les notes végétales, les tanins et les fruits secs concluent parfaitement ce profil complet et haut en couleurs. Une excellente cuvée, plus riche que le Numéro 7 mais légèrement moins complexe et profonde que le Numéro 1 de la série. Elle fait clairement partie du haut de gamme du rhum agricole."

"Schmeckt wie ein kontinentaler Caroni, nur als Agricole. Super Farbe und Nase. Ich vermute fast etwas überlagert, dadurch sehr intensive Geschmäcker nach Teer, Aschenbecher und roten Früchten. Kriegt aber gerade noch die Kurve und driftet nicht komplett in Bitterstoffe ab. Kein Rum für Anfänger."