Clément and the House of Tournaire have come together to create a unique piece aimed both at (wealthy) rum fanatics as well as art collectors. The price? It hurts to even write it down: €100,000 !
All barriers have been broken down, blown up… at least in the world of rum. Although still far from the $460,000 purchase price for the Macallan’s 1946 peated malt whisky sold in a 2010 charity sale, the Clément house from Martinique is definitely making a real play in the game of “who can go the highest”. With this jewel of a bottle, which is remarkable in every way, the house really outplays its predecessors in terms of extra ultra premium rum. Indeed, to date, the record holder was Angostura with their rum Legacy in 2013 (see note at bottom of article), which sold for a mere $25,000.
The bottle
The bottleIt’s a beautifully crafted piece of jewellery in every sense of the term. The bottle is Baccarat crystal and the icing on the cake – indeed, the highlight of this extravaganza in a bottle – is the gold-tooled stopper. Representing the estate Habitation Clément, it is the work of the Tournaire House, a small French enterprise recognised worldwide for its architecturally inspired jewellery. Made from yellow and rose gold, it comprises a total of 200g of precious metal, additionally incrusted with over 4 carats of diamonds. When you add this to a burnished yellow bronze base and a made-to-measure aged-leather case, you have yourself quite simply the most prized bottle of rum in the world. The project required over a year’s work within the Maison Tournaire and recalls the house’s love of art. But that’s not all…what about the rum?
The nectar
In order to live up to the bottle, Clément chose a 1966 vintage. Bottled in 1991, this 25 year tropically aged rum cannot be found on the market, unlike the 1952, 1970 and 1976 (nb: we will try to find out more about this soon). Since we don’t yet have enough subscribers to be able to get our hands on the original, we have reproduced Clément’s notes below. But we haven’t given up on providing you with our own … one day!)
“The expressive and powerful nose on this aged rum immediately seduces the taster with its warm and decadent notes. Aromas of chocolate, gingerbread and mocha combine with finely spiced and sweet notes of vanilla and candied fruits (fig, date, orange). After aeration, subtle notes of cigar box emerge. With a powerful and voluptuous attack, the aromas perceived in the nose are deliciously confirmed in the mouth. The taste of this 1966 vintage, both full-bodied and round, stands out with its subtle note of liquorice.
Finally, the intensity and power of the aromas is prolonged in the mouth with an exquisite sweetness that lasts for several seconds.”
For a good cause
Although the original bottle with its golden stopper is unique, 8 replicas will be produced, along with the bronze sculpted stand, and will be sold for a good cause … for the sum of €19,000.
Part of the proceeds from sale of the 9 bottles will be donated to the APIPD : the Association for the Information and Prevention of Sickle-cell anaemia. It is an association governed by the French law of 1901 that aims to raise public awareness of the most widespread genetic disease across the world: sickle-cell anaemia.
*Editor’s note:
The previous bearers of the title of “most expensive rum bottle in the world”:
- In 2012, the first to have a go were the Jamaicans with Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaican Independence Reserve, which currently goes for around €5,000.
- In 2013, Trinidad took over with Legacy from Angostura: a blend of rums aged for at least 17 years and made into 20 samples sold for $25,000. They had held onto the title until now…
- Finally, in 2016, El Dorado Reserve 50 Year proudly announced a price of $500,000. However, this was in fact Guyanese dollars which, when converted, comes to a little over €2,000.