Aroma visualization from community tastings
Saint James Brut de fût 2003
People who love wood-forward aged agricole are the audience here. This 2003 Saint James is all cedar, leather, dark coffee and dried prune, with red-berry and citrus fruit peeking through the nose before the oak takes charge. Several tasters call it "jus de bois" — wood juice — and mean it fondly. Cask strength at 56.4%, yet most report the alcohol sits well integrated.
The community says- Deep oak and spice
- Long dry finish
- Can turn bitter
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The look inside the bottle
How does Saint James Brut de fût 2003 taste?
Aggregated from 116 community reviews.
Wood-driven aged Martinique agricole Loved by oak fans for its deep, spicy, leather-and-coffee profile. The recurring catch: the wood can turn bitter and astringent, and a few prefer the fruitier Batch 1.
Fans of oak-heavy old agricole
Anyone put off by bitter, tannic wood
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
53 of 116 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Saint James Brut de fût 2003 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.5 sits in the “Very good” band. 97% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
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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. 20 selected write-ups from 116 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Dr.Django
Most helpful positive review
In direct comparison to Batch 1, this great Agricole from St. James falls a little short. Its big brother is more intense and drier. But this one has more fruit. Overall, I like Batch 1 much better.
Review by zabo
Most helpful mixed review
For me personally, this is a little too woody and barrel-heavy. After a few tastings of various Saint James, I would rank this one in the lower midfield. Unfortunately, this profile doesn't really appeal to me at the moment.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
06.04.2026 Retasting with Fabian in Blåvand. Still a pretty good bottling and the last of my bottle 😊 ---------- The cask is almost taking over this rum and it's dominated by oak. A heavy rum made of fresh sugar cane.
Review by Joachim Guger
Extremely dark with a beautiful red tint. Powerful, warm nose. Wood, spice and dried fruit, beautifully melted. Super! 😀😀😀😀 Fresher with a little water and a hint of liquorice. Full in the mouth. Spicy, woody. Alcohol well integrated. Malt and licorice. Tingling finish. Great Agricole 😀😀😀😀 PLV the hammer.
Review by Thunderbird
An intense and woody rum... what a taste experience... ! Absolutely top!
Review by MarcT
A nice Agricole, which has not lost its herbal elements despite the aging. However, it has too much wood for my taste.
Review by Jean Louisss
I was expecting a slap of wood, but in the end the slap is there, but not only! It's accompanied by elegant dried fruit and dark notes of all kinds. The nose is pure sweetness that you could smell for hours. The palate is very, very woody, but still very pleasant. A fine discovery worthy of the greatest cognacs.
Review by RumTaTa
Plenty of 56% and no sting in the nose. Surprisingly fruity and little floral.The palate is first dominated by the barrel influence but then also the finer notes from the nose come through, wonderful! No alcoholic sharpness far and wide!The finish again very woody but finely nuanced.
Review by Timo Groeger
A really beautiful, golden brown rum. The nose has brown sugar, spices and wood. On the palate, the barrel/wood should definitely be emphasized. There is also dark chocolate. Thanks to Vienna for the sample.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
the nose is promising fruity and tart, but taste me then unfortunately much too woody, sour and too bitter and dry. the rest of the sample I will process in May Tai believe there is so much wood comes good but here it is just too bad for me.
Review by Maxime Clr 🇫🇷
Superbe Saint James, très boisé mais élégant ! J’adore ces profils là Énormément d’épices et de bois en bouche estompant un peu les fruits rouges du nez. « EDIT Calendrier de l’avent à l’aveugle par Simon : Sample 3 : * Nez : Menthol, bois, réglisse, fruits tropicaux, cuir * Bouche : Boisé, piment, amer * Finale : Menthol, piment Pur jus, Saint James, Martinique ? »
Review by Benoit Mahe
A rum that has a lot to offer and is a pleasure to have. I prefer molasses but a top daily dram for those who prefer agricultural.
Review by Renato
Lots of European fruit on the nose. The palate is intensely woody and spicy, with a vegetal note.
Review by Fasen
The wood that plays the role of conductor sending us all the notes that the has to offer us in the taste buds.A wood juice of a very beautiful success and very pleasant to drink! 👍
Review by DosenZorn
Tasted as a 3cl sample.A wonderful red color in the glass and refreshing menthol and sugar cane notes on the nose. Followed by leather, fruit and varnish. On the palate, they continue the notes of the nose similarly. Fruit dominates at first, which is followed by pepper, licorice and wood without being particularly bitter. Alcohol is not noticeable. All in all, very tasty rum. The price of 120€/0.7l (as of08/02/2022) is quite high, but for that you get a great rum, which for me is comparable to Bielle.
Review by Vincent D
Premier nez étonnement fruité. Ces notes sont rapidement dominées par le bois et le cuir. L'attaque en bouche est vive et épicée. Bois, tabac, cuir. On est bien chez St James. Jolie longueur. Pas de grosse surprise, on est en territoire connu. Finale longue et boisée qui laisse une jolie amertume pimentée sur la langue. Très cool.
Review by Lukas Jäger
Like Batch 1, a very tasty Agricole. Nevertheless, clear differences can be found from its predecessor. Less fruit, but more woody aromas and spices. While Batch 1 was still very spicy, the one year older Batch 2 is much heavier and more complex, but less pungent. The dry notes linger forever in the mouth and continue to resonate for a long time.
Review by Rodolphe
It took me several tastings to fully appreciate this juice. The wood reigns supreme. But in the right way. As a good conductor it makes the other flavors coexist in harmony. In the end a very greedy rum with a nice length (and great value for money)
Review by Godspeed
This is a beautiful rhum. Woody and intensely flavorful. On very first attack I get a a brief note of caramel followed by a deeply matured and almost whiskey-like cane juice taste with lots of lime and fruit and a long finish with hints of vanilla and oak. Just a pleasure.
Review by Frank
Definitely not a standard Saint James. The fragrance fills the room. Nose: powerful, intense and dense in aromas. Initially very dark woody with fragrant, dry cedar wood. Pleasantly spicy and darkly fruity at the same time. There is vanilla with pepper, some liquorice with a hint of vinegar and an essence of eucalyptus. There is also blood orange, a fine citrus freshness and dried plum, blackcurrant and apricot. It is also herbaceous overall. Great nose. 87 Palate: very woody and spicy. Astringent at the beginning, bitter-sour, salty-peppery, then dark cedar. After the bitter tones have gone a little, it becomes metallic and iodine comes through. Nutmeg, cardamom and eucalyptus are added. Nevertheless, it is also slightly fruity with bitter orange and blackcurrant. Very dry on the back and still bitter and woody. Overall balanced, but too bitter for me. 79
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Expert reviews
3 critics scored it, averaging 8.7/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
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Expert review by Les amis des amis du Rhum
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Expert review by Préférence Rhum
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Expert review by Tasting Bro's
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Details about Saint James Brut de fût 2003
A Rhum Agricole AOC from Martinique, distilled by Saint James, at 56,4%.
Community purchases
167 bottles logged by 134 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
23% opened, 10 emptied and repurchased.
What did the community pay for Saint James Brut de fût 2003?
Community paid 45–120 €.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
167 purchased · 117 tasted · 29 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.
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Excellence Rhum Saint James Brut de Fût (Excellence Rhum’s 10th Anniversary) 2006Dry, woody Martinique agricole with depth
Saint James Les Éphémères - N°6 2006
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Saint James J. Bally Millésime 1999 LMDW
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Trois Rivières 2006
Trois Rivières 2006Spicy, woody cask-strength Martinique agricole
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