Aroma visualization from community tastings
Saint James 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
- Wants more strength
View price history
Secure payment Sold by Utopia Spirits Returns & cancellation
- Secure payment. You pay via RumX with PayPal, Klarna or card. Your payment data is encrypted and we never store your full card details.
- Clear seller. Sold and shipped directly by the partner shop. And you're never on your own: RumX handles support and communication with the shop, so you always get excellent service, whichever shop you order from.
- Honest shop ratings. The stars show your service experience with the shop, not the rum score. They come from RumX users, and critical ones stay visible.
- Returns & cancellation. Your purchase contract is with the shop, so returns and cancellations run through them under their own policy and your statutory rights. If anything goes wrong, RumX helps you sort it out.
Buy Saint James J. Bally Art Déco #2:
Compare all 6 shop offers from 115.93 €
Prices & availability last updated on
The look inside the bottle
How does Saint James J. Bally Art Déco #2 taste?
Aggregated from 123 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.
61 of 123 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Saint James 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 →
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Community voices
What does the community say?
16% rate it between 6 and 8. 19 selected write-ups from 123 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Mirko Frosini 🇮🇪
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 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 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 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 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 Oliver
Real Agricole surprise!
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 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 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 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 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 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..
No reviews match this filter.
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
Read full review →
Expert review by Préférence Rhum
Read full review →
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
Details about Saint James 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 Saint James 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 · 127 tasted · 82 wishlist · as of
About the Saint James distillery
The Saint James distillery is located in Martinique. Rums from Saint James have been reviewed 4,748 times with an average of 8.1/10.
To Saint James →You may also enjoy
Rum enthusiasts who like this rum have also given the following rums high ratings:
Saint James J. Bally Art Déco
Saint James J. Bally Art DécoElegant, cognac-like aged agricole, light on power
Saint James Les Éphémères - N°6 2006
Saint James Les Éphémères - N°6 2006Fruity agricole that turns woody and tannic
Saint James J. Bally Millésime 1999 LMDW
Saint James J. Bally Millésime 1999 LMDWDark, complex agricole with cocoa and leather
J. Bally Brut de Fût (LMDW) 2006
J. Bally Brut de Fût (LMDW) 2006Dark, woody, roasted 15-year agricole
Velier Saint James Brut de fût 2001
Velier Saint James Brut de fût 2001Woody, red-fruited aged agricole sipper
HSE Single Cask (MEB 2021) 2006
HSE Single Cask (MEB 2021) 2006Elegant, woody aged Martinique agricole
Never miss a price drop.
Set a target price in the app, and we'll let you know as soon as the rum becomes available at that price from one of our partner stores. This works for any rum on your wish list.
Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
What began as my digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans, today carried by a small team with Jakob, Lukas and Katharina, with Robert supporting us as a freelancer. We combine the collective intelligence of our community with an integrated marketplace, so you can choose with confidence, without paperwork, detours, or expert jargon.
Oliver, Stuttgart
About RumX →
