Saint James 1885 The vintage label has been damaged but the tax strip matches the other 1885s. Amongst rum enthusiasts there are few bottles so hallowed as this, a relic of a bygone age that exists today only through the strangest quirk of fate. Distilled in 1885 at Plantation des Saint James – prior to the advent of pasteurisation and stainless steel fermentation vessels – the juice had to be gently heated to 40 degrees C prior to fermentation in open wooden containers. With the eruption of Mount Pelee in 1902 destroying the entirety of stock stored on site, it is only by luck that any exists today, unearthed in cellars in Amsterdam, Paris and London. Not only is this bottle one the great relics of rum and a true piece of liquid heritage but reports from those lucky few who have sampled this sacred liquid – such as attendees of Luca Garganos Rum Tasting of the Century – attest that it is also a sublime tot with, Cyril of DuRhum awarding it 93 points. Type: Rum Region: Martinique Distillery: Saint James Saint-Pierre Distilled: 1885 Size: 1 litre Strength: 47%