Aroma visualization from community tastings
J. Bally Art Déco #2
Best sipped neat and given a few minutes of air — that's when this Martinique agricole opens up. Expect orange peel, oak, caramel and coffee over a dry, spicy base, with dried figs and cinnamon underneath. Many call it elegant and rounded for just 43.5%, though some wish it had more punch and complexity. A darker, woodier blend than the first Art Déco batch.
The community says- Balanced and rounded
- Orange and spice
- But: Wants more strength
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The look inside the bottle
How does J. Bally Art Déco #2 taste?
Aggregated from 125 community reviews.
Elegant, woody-spiced Martinique agricole sipper Well-loved agricole blend, praised as balanced and expressive for its modest strength. The recurring gripe: reduced to 43.5%, several tasters wanted more power and depth. Not for sweet-rum fans.
Agricole fans who like dry, woody, spice-driven rum
Sweet-rum drinkers and anyone wanting high-proof intensity
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
61 of 125 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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How is J. Bally Art Déco #2 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.5 sits in the “Very good” band. 98% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
87% rate it 8 or higher. 47 selected write-ups from 125 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Mirko Frosini 🇮🇪
Most helpful positive review
A very interesting rum that allows itself to be discovered with each tasting. The aromas are in excellent balance with each other. Interesting value for money. We are at a high level!
Review by Johnny Rumcask
Most helpful mixed review
Typische Noten eines gelagerten Agricoles: Kräuter, Gewürze, etwas Holz bzw. Vanille. Hier sticht nichts hervor, das Ganze kommt entsprechend langweilig daher. Dünn und mittelmäßig. Die Verpackung sagt mit deutlich mehr zu, als der Rum darin.
Review by Galli33
WoW 😍 What an amazing J. Bally Blend! Nose: Fruity, fresh, woody, cinnamon! All the typical Agricole notes. Very round and inviting! Btw it draws really nice curtains in the glass. Mouth: Very round and delicious with all the tastes you‘ve found in the nose. The alcohol is integrated very well. Finish: Long, dry, smooth and delicious 🤤🤤🥃 Really a perfect agricole!
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
I have a bottle of this rum on the way and I know now that it was a good choice and that I need to order at least one more for my collection. A blend of 3 different years and blended to near perfection. Not as oaky as the previous one but still very well balanced. Clear Agricole flavours and lightly dry with fruits, spices and chocolat. My advice is to buy while you can.
Review by Thunderbird
A nice spicy/woody aroma with some leather and tea... I like that very much. There are also some orange peel aromas on the nose and palate that round off the whole thing. A delicious rum to enjoy in the evening The re-tasting on Saturday at Dr. Django. I stand by my rating
Review by Joachim Guger
Very good Agricole with plenty of fruit - oranges, cherries - on the nose. Slight influence of maturity. Very spicy in the mouth and a nice finish. A very good Agricole, good PLV. Thanks to Bonn!!! Edit: Today again in the glass, must correct my evaluation clearly upwards. The nose is awesome! A touch too much bitterness on the palate.
Review by Jakob
Comes across a bit more settled than the first Art Deco in a direct comparison. The slightly higher alcohol creates a denser flavor profile: where the first is fruitier-lighter, more of the heavy, syrupy wood sweetness and spiciness lingers here. The fruit is also present, but rather in drier notes and far less fresh. Both bottlings know how to convince and prove sufficient independence.
Review by Stefan Persson
Tasted this very elegant rum during Sweden Rumfest 2025. This is the second edition of Art Déco from J. Bally. It’s distilled in a Creole column at the Saint James distillery and is a blend of three vintages, 1999, 2006 and 2007. The nose is elegant, well balanced, woody, fruity, nutty and spicy with a cigar aroma. At the palate it’s elegant, fruity, woody, soft and spicy with flavors of apricot, prune and citrus. The finish is rather long.
Review by Leo Krüper
Mit mehr % wäre hier eine Spitzenbewertung möglich gewesen wäre. So hat man bei diesem tollen Rum leider das Gefühl von allem etwas zu wenig zu haben. Absolute Kaufempfehlung. Einer der Favoriten meines Abends.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Not quite as exciting as batch 1 in terms of complexity and a little too much leather and tobacco for me personally. Nevertheless, very drinkable and delicious! However, I like batch 1 much better in direct comparison.
Review by Lot-NAS
What a great drop! Initially I would have scored it a 8.6 +/-. But after a few weeks and several „tastings“ I find it improved even further, especially on the palate. So, give it time and air and you will be rewarded with a well balanced and complex agricole. Taking the price into concern (around 120€) you get a lot for your money.
Review by JFehr
A little too woody and tobacco-heavy for me. Could also do with a few more percentages
Review by Oliver
Real Agricole surprise!
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
In my opinion, the most beautiful bottle turns out to be unruly - but only on the outside (crumbling cork, I've never really had one before). The inner values are quite appealing, a harmonious, flowery and delicate Agricole. A lightweight, a lady who is a pleasure to get to know.
Review by Djehey
Un beau rhum de Martinique porté sur les fruits secs. Malgré le faible degré, il possède une belle complexité et intensité aromatiques. J'en ai acheté une bouteille. Je le trouve superbe pour prix. C'est une chance qu'il y en ait encore autant sur le marché !
Review by TheJackDrop
Un très beau rhum qui montre qu’avec 43 degrés on peut envoyer quelque chose d’intense et complexe ! Une bombe de fruits, d’épices, canelle etc qui en fait une dégustation abordable, mais intéressante. Bonus pour la sublime bouteille art déco.
Review by TheRhumhoe
The second release from J. Bally's Art Déco range, this cuvée is less fruit-driven than the first batch, but more focused on fresh, earthy and spicy aromas. It's balanced and elegant, but perhaps slightly less aromatic than the first cuvée. On the palate, the attack is more forthright, dry and lively. Notes of oak, spices, coffee, tobacco and dried fruit (figs and raisins) give a particularly dark profile. The whole is more coherent and harmonious on the palate than the first batch. There's also a nice roundness on the palate. The finish is long and easy-drinking, evoking candied cane, dried fruit, sweet spices, oak, leather and lightly toasted notes. It leaves a fine final impression on the palate. A very well-crafted J. Bally that stands out for its aromatic concentration, structure and savory finish. A must for all lovers of rhum agricole.
Review by mto75
Schön rund an der Nase mit fruchtigen Noten (Apfel, Traube), leichte Frische, Karamell, Kakao. Am Gaumen würzig mit Muskatnuss, altem Fass. Der hat im Grunde alles was für mich einen guten Agricole ausmacht.
Review by Vincent D
Le zeste d'orange est le premier arôme qui me vient au nez. Le bois suit, avec un joli caramel. En bouche, sensation sensiblement identique. L'orange et le bois dominent. On est sur un martiniquais plutôt conventionnel. La finale apporte une amertume et un goût de cuir agréables. Sympa. 2e dégustation : bien meilleure impression. Pour un rhum réduit à 43%, je le trouve très expressif et fin. Des notes fruitées, cuivrées, terriennes. Très bon. Jolie patte Bally.
Review by DeMaddin
Leckerer leichter Agricole-Blend, gut abgestimmt, bietet viel Volumina für so wenig Alkohol. Vom Profil her kommt er über die Würze und lebt von seiner Holzigkeit, mit sehr dezenten Fruchtnuancen.
Review by Benoit Mahe
A very nice success. Nice balance between wood and spices. The finish is quite greedy with the arrival of a candied sugar cane.
Review by LukaŽiga
8,8:On the nose, sugarcane, fresh, herbaceous, vegetal, flowery and earthy, roasted wood notes like milk chocolate, nuts, caramel, vanilla, orange, yellow fruits, dried dates and raisins, syrupy, bump into our nosetrils. On aeration, cherries arise, oak brings leather, pastry, biscuits, caramelized, coffee, baking spices, as cane is fresh with tea, grassy. 8,7:On the palate, the attack is fresh with flowery, grassy, herbaceous and earthy sugarcane honey, sweet, candied with hints of licorice, fruity with raisins, cherry, orange, later orange peel, hints of banana, dried figs and the oak is roasted with nuts, caramel, nougat, leather, coffee, dry, spicy with nutmeg, cinnamon, anise, vanilla. 8,8:The finish is long, dry&tannic, with fresh, flowery and vegetal sugarcane, mineral, earthy with tobacco, peppery, candied, fruits like citrus, dried, cherry and roasted oak notes like coffee, dark chocolate, nuts, caramel, learher, spicy..
Review by Andi
An der Nase kommt er sehr fruchtig, frisch daher mit etwas Eiche und Orange. Der Alkohol scheint gut integriert zu sein, am Gaumen schmeichelt er ganz elegant, wieder mit einer angenehmen frische, Orange, leichter süße (Vanille). Dazu kommt dann Tabak und etwas Leder. Echt sehr süffig.
Review by Timo Groeger
Nr. 4. Wow, was für ein fantastischer Rum, wenn man die Prozentzahl bedenkt. Ein richtig schöner Vanille- und Karamellgeruch im der Nase, im Gaumen genauso, da kommt für mich auch noch ein schöner Kaffeegeschmack dazu. Lecker.
Review by Ericsan28
Very successful Agricole, great blend. Nice tart and round, pleasantly balanced. Despite the 43.5% very intense. Definitely not for sweet rum fanatics 😉
Review by Michael Ihmels 🇩🇪
Weiter geht es mit diesem köstlichen Saint James aus Martinique. In der Nase erkennt man sofort Karamell und Aprikose. Diese erkennt man auch im Geschmack dazu Datteln und den typischen Fassgeschmack.
Review by Basti
Die Nase gefällt mir sehr gut. Eine angenehme Süße, getrocknete Früchte, Vanille, etwas Leder, Holz, Schokolade und etwas leicht Parfümiges. Am Gaumen dann natürlich aufgrund der Verdünnung nicht so super intensiv. Überraschenderweise leicht pflanzlich, Zuckerrohr(-Saft), aber auch getr. Früchte, Gewürze und Holz. In Summe eine solide Abfüllung, aber für mich dennoch weit entfernt von den BdF Releases, die ich bisher im Glas hatte. Preislich sicherlich attraktiv.
Review by Pavel Spacek
The rum is mild full of taste and great made, but I dont like Saint James profile.
Review by Piotr Ignasiak
This one is heavy with spices (loads of cinnamon), overall a very nice, dark in profile Agricole, with lingering sweetness on the finish.
Review by Julien Ries
Un rhum très séduisant avec beaucoup de caractère. Comme souvent chez J.Bally, le nez et la bouche sont dominés par le boisé et les épices dans un bel équilibre et une grande complexité. La finale est longue et racée. Un rhum excellent mais qui demande un palais expérimenté.
Review by Righrum
This one really impressed me because the low abv is not a limit but a plus. Plenty of taste, this rum is characterized by orange peel, wood and spices both on the nose and drink side. Nuts and earth notes complete the profile of a very nice rhum agricole.
Review by Émile Shevek
Al naso è avvolgente con legno, pelle, frutti rossi, caramello e nocciole. Al palato è caldo e corposo con legno, spezie, frutti acerbi, pelle, nocciole, caramello e qualche agrume. Nel finale medio resta secco.
Review by Pascal Gwada
Excellent et complexe, juste boisé comme j'aime. Le nez est très séducteur, et la bouche un plaisir, alcool bien intégré, arômes boisés, fruits confits, café, caramel cuit, j'aime beaucoup. Un peu d'amertume en fin de bouche absolument pas dérangeante. Il faut pas hésiter à le laisser reposer pour qu'il se dévoile encore plus.
Review by GigiMartini
An extremely pleasant rum on the nose, very good to drink. It tends only to be a bit astringent on the finish, on the other hand the age is quite high. Overall it is very enjoyable to drink, not at all pandering, it is a rum that manages to be round in some respects but more edgy in others. It evolves in the glass and shows many facets, depending on when you drink it
Review by Morgan Garet
Nose very greedy and very evolutive, everything we need is there! Fruits, woody, caramel, chocolate and light solvents.In mouth, we find the same markers as in the nose, it is fat, round and greedy. The tobacco invites itself to the party.small defects: too much reduced and a bitterness at the end of mouth, but on the whole it is top!
Review by Insta: spiritofbernard 🇫🇷
Poorly balanced, too much wood.
Review by Mopar Rules
a nice sipper, balanced and smooth, not very complex, rather light, but a nice description „Art deco … millesimes“ wow, would have been nice if the rum met the expectations
Review by BnBrt
Tasted at the same time as I batch 1, this one is my favorite because I find it more balanced. Very agricultural nose, with cane, plus notes of leather and something that reminds me slightly of cake batter. Very pleasant on the palate, a softer attack on the fruit (mango?) that builds towards more bitterness (reminds me of a mixture of citrus zest and wood from the barrel). Long finish, with bitterness giving way to a welcome freshness.
Review by Gil Firth
I expect way less from this. A beautiful beautiful agricol. Complex full of citrus. Honey. Wax. Love it. Buy בקבוק זה בקבוק כל כך טוב בעיניי. בין בקבוקי הרום היחידים ששקלתי לקנות פעמיים. אהבתי בו הכל והכל כל כך עשיר בשביל מה שהו. מלא תפוז. דבש. קצת לקה. אדמה. שוקולד. מזכיר מאוד ארמניאק בן 50 לא צוחק. אהבתי. קנייה חזקה.
Review by Palo - V Poháriku
An impressive one from Saint James! The full 22 years of tropical aging show what you expect - intensive, but not too pronounced woody notes, very nice complexity of flavours and bold, round mouthfeel. It still keeps a very nice agricole undertones.
Review by Philip M. 🇧🇪
Delicious Agricole rum blend. Beautiful daily sipper, not too complicated. Aroma and palate have a great balance between sweet, fresh, spice, wood,... Everytime I pour a dram, I'm surprised again. Good value for money!
Review by Filip Heimerle
Ovocne agricolove vune jemna plna chut S naznaky trislovin drevitosti a jemne agricoly.
Review by Henry Davies
Complex and layered, less cognac forward than the first release. Find it a bit thinner but complexity comes a bit slower. Nose is caramel with cinnamon and nuts. Mouth is wood and coffee heavy without being too intense. Finish is sugarcane and caramel, with leather. Solid sipper
Review by EUDIER Vincent
Nice rhum: élégant, Nicer than the first batch, amazing quality for the price,
Review by Stefan L
Tasted at Stockholm Rum Fest 2025
Review by Léo Delek
The marquers of the 12-year-old are present, with sulphur on the nose and a very Martinique woodiness on the palate. All this with fruit, spices (cinnamon in particular) and almond in addition, which makes it more complex but also a little less balanced.
Review by DUBOIS Arnaud
I really like Bally brut de fût, but this reduced version disappointed me, lacking power and complexity.
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Expert reviews
3 critics scored it, averaging 8.5/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Rhummer
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Expert review by Préférence Rhum
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Expert review by The Dunder Hut
This second batch takes you on a journey. From being forward with smell of vanilla and wood to a cut and dried lawn ending in a grove of geranium. All the while it is a pleasure to sip. Falls short on alcohol integration
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 70 € – 90 €
from 4 sales, latest 06/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 103 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about J. Bally Art Déco #2
A Rhum Agricole AOC from Martinique, distilled by Saint James, at 43,5%.
Community purchases
183 bottles logged by 150 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
21% opened, 18 emptied and repurchased.
What does J. Bally Art Déco #2 cost?
Community paid 69–135 €.
Current best price: 115.93 € – within the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
183 purchased · 129 tasted · 89 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
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