Clément Première Canne Rhum is 40% abv. / 80 proof. This is a premium white rum that is estate bottled and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée Martinique, produced and bottled in French Martinique. It is made by the same folks who make Clément Creole Shrubb orange liqueur. Première Canne is distilled from pure cane crush, as opposed to many rums which are made from molasses, and so is what is referred to as a A. O. C. Rhum Agricole.

Habitation Clément's Rhum's may just be some of the finest rums made in the world. Since they are in the rum agricole style which lends itself to producing dryer, almost cognac like rums of great complexity. Every single rum they make is good enough to be considered a sipping rum to have out of a snifter or on the rocks. But with so much going on that they make extra-ordinarily good cocktails as well.

Habitation Clément created what is now called A. O. C. Rhum Agricole back when it was first purchased by Homère Clément in 1887. Martinique was known to produce the best quality sugar in the world, but at a steeper cost than elsewhere. At the time there developed a sugar crisis on Martinique as Europe started buying less expensive sugar from Central and South America.
Homère decided to try making rum in the style of Cognac where they made grape wine and then distill it into cognac. So he used the fermented juice of crushed sugarcane to make rum, instead of processing the juice into sugar and molasses, and then making rum from the watered down and fermented molasses.

Another interesting thing is that the juice is allowed to naturally ferment for several days, a process called vesou, which turns the juice into a natural sugar cane wine that retains all the complex tastes and aromas of sugarcane. In doing so he paved the way for a whole new style of rum so different in character from molasses based rums.

The aroma is warm and slightly fruity with tropical tones, and floral with hints of spice and musk. It has a light perfumed character to it that is very evocative and sensual. The pleasant, dry, musky taste comes forth big and bold, followed by spices, tropical fruit and flowers. It's hard to describe but, oh, so, pleasurable to drink. I am not a fan of white rums but Clément Première Canne is making me one. It is the best I have tasted to date, and better than many darker, aged rums. It's the first white rum that I can sip from a snifter and enjoy. This is the rum I and many others used in the Clément Cocktail Challenge last spring, and rightfully so since it is such an excellent rum.