A verticale of rhum Bally

December 20, 2015

Christmas Week Special,
a verticale of rhum Bally

Bally’s one of the most famous brands in La Martinique, and is made at Saint James’ since the 1970s. Their rhum agricole is distilled in a column still (Creole column) and aged on location. It’s said that Bally also pioneered the distillation of single cane rums. They only use vintages for their best ‘millésimes’, of which we’ll have six today. Sadly, the labels do not mention the years of bottling, so it’s quite hard to find out about the actual ages of these fine rhums.

J. Bally 1993 (45%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2005?)

Colour: red amber. Nose: aww, what a glorious nose! Peonies, stewed bananas, chestnut honey, honeydew, liquorice, peppermint… The sappy honeyness is totally impressive, and yet it’s never heady or ‘too much’. In short, this baby’s extremely aromatic and elegant at the same time. This little session starts well, doesn’t it… Mouth: the strength is just perfect. The palate totally prolongs the nose, with the same combination of liquorice, honey, and tropical jam. Granted, bananas and pineapples can make any drink vulgar and dullish, but this time that just works, partly thanks to some lovely notes of mint that keep it fresh and ‘nervous’. Perhaps a few kiwis, which even strengthens the freshness. Finish: long, a tad spicier. Chinese anise, liquorice, more peppermint… And a touch of ‘phenolic brine’ in the aftertaste, always welcome. Makes it a little Guadeloupean, in a way. Comments: luscious and firm at the same time. Wonderful. Only small problem, these bottles already go for almost 400€! SGP:651 - 89 points.

J. Bally 1992 (45%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2005?)

Colour: orangey/amber. Nose: much, much shier than the 1993, so kind of more austere, more herbal as well, more on teas than on fruity liquorice… Perhaps does it need time? Let’s wait… zzz… Well it does take off, a little, with some dried mint and an obvious musky side. Earth, mint tea, perhaps rose petals, then honey indeed, praline… I’d call this style more ‘civilised’, perhaps a little more contemplative. Takes time, but is great, as they say in Italy. Mouth: wham, this is bigger again. There’s a little more spicy oak, plus plenty of stewed citrus, the jams made thereof, and a funny combination of quince jelly and black pepper. High class for sure, just a little less immediately sexy than the 1993. Agreed, a matter of taste. Finish: rather long, with more cinnamon from the oak, Cointreau (actually, Remy-Cointreau used to own the brand!), and some kind of spicy pineapple. Comments: a wee notch oakier, less phenolic, and less fruity. But it remains high-class rhum agricole. SGP:551 - 87 points.

J. Bally 1982 (45%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2000?)

I believe circa 2000 it’s already got the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée on the label, which was implemented in 1996. Colour: red amber. Nose: more the style of the 1993, but with even more depth, more subtleties, more earthy aromas. There’s also rather more agricoleness, with clearer whiffs of cane juice (vesou) and these fermenting/rotting fruits that are so wonderful. Some grass smoke as well, a few olives, liquorice, even seaweed, menthol… I totally love this nose. Mouth: once again, the 1993 with more complexity, more cane-y notes, more earth, and more rotting bananas. Rotting bananas are super-cool in rhum, provided there’s something else as well. In this case that would be pretty smoky lapsang souchong and drops of tequila. Very complex, very excellent. Finish: long, not too jammy, with touches of salt and always plenty of liquorice. A little coffee in the aftertaste, and something Jamaican. Comments: utterly loveable, this would please many a malt drinker. Oh, by the way, there’s also a cheaper 1982 at 43% vol., not sure it’s of equivalent quality. SGP:551 - 90 points.

J. Bally 1979 (45%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-1997?)

This one’s also already got the AOC. Colour: amber/apricoty. Nose: a drier style again, closer to the 1992, but with rather more herbal teas, including lemon grass and spearmint, as well as this kind of mentholated earthiness that can be so wonderful in any nose of any truly aged spirit. I also find whiffs of cedar wood (cigar humidor) and a kind of musty liquorice. Cellar-aged liquorice? And why not? Behind that, the usual ripe bananas. Mouth: sweet Vishnu, this one rocks and punches! The most brutal, rough, and aggressive of them all, with some gritty herbs and a feeling of green tannins. Over-infused green tea, a few pencil shavings. Very good for sure, but not my favourite. Finish: long, a tad varnishy, tannic, acrid… A tad! Some pepper in the aftertaste, plus a strange fizz. Comments: very very good, of course, it’s just that the first three were just marvellous. In other words, the death seat syndrome, perhaps. SGP:561 - 82 points.

J. Bally 1975 (45%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-1990?)

No AOC, 75cl, and the old French ‘Sécurité Sociale’ logo – another very bureaucratic invention -, that’s clearly very early 1990s, or late 1980s. Colour: dark amber. Nose: this is something else, possibly made at the old location. More ‘unlikely’ in a good way, with metallic whiffs, some chalky notes, old crème de menthe, propolis, chlorophyll… And much less fruits than in the younger vintages. In a way, we’re experiencing almost the same phenomenon as with Scotch malts, with more austere older bottlings, and sexier, more commercial newer ones. Mouth: oh very good! Starts zesty and tart, with peppery lemons, and develops on various herbs, especially thyme, before some classic liquorice and mint are coming into play. The whole remains dry, without all the honeys we found in the more recent distillates. Finish: long, with grapefruits and tangerines, and a herbal/spicy aftertaste. Lime. Comments: it’s to be wondered whether there wasn’t more French oak – and less US oak – involved at those times. Rather more challenging than the others, but I love it. An Old Clynelish of rhum. SGP:461 - 89 points.

Time to have a last one – and one from my birth year! (but why would you care…)

J. Bally 1960 (45%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-1985?)

This one’s got the large ‘D’ on the label, so that’s before 1990 if I’m not mistaken. Yeah, yet another smart invention by our friendly French bureaucrats ;-). Colour: amber. Nose: heeeyyy! A Jamaican smuggled into Martinique? This is as phenolic, mineral, smoky, and mentholy as rhum can be, and there’s even a little camphor. Beyond that, we find some furniture polish, anti-rust paint, our friends the olives (both black and green), and just, well, bandages and embrocations, old-Laphroaig-style. Bah-dah-boom. Mouth: superlative. We could leave it at that, but I thought you might want to know that there’s plenty of liquorice, an avalanche of bananas and papayas, quite a few olives, a touch of asphalt, and the most brilliant earthiness that can be found on, well, Earth. All that is coated with some coffee liqueur and just a drop of walnut wine (perhaps). Or wouldn’t that rather be pecans? Finish: not the longest of them all, but the complexity is fabulous. Many many dried tropical fruits, plus quite some strong liquorice. Great tarry feeling in the aftertaste, ala Port Ellen. Yep. Comments: one exceptional rhum agricole. What’s totally impressive is the balance and the cleanliness, while many old tropical-aged rums/rhums can become a little too oaky. No so here, this one goes straight into my personal Pantheon of Rum. Excuse me? Is that because of the vintage, you ask? Of course not! SGP:562 - 92 points.

I think all these ‘vintaged’ Ballys have been totally and utterly perfect malternatives (and grazzie mille, Luca and Cyril).

Check the index of all rums I've tasted so far