Aroma visualization from community tastings
Taste
Woody, Dried fruit, Spicy
Most mentioned across 48 tasting notes
- Perfect for
- Agricole fans who like dry, woody, spice-heavy aged rum
- Less suitable for
- Anyone wanting sweet, fruity or easy sipping
Fit and serving: AI summary of the tasting notes
See the full taste profileSaint James Les Éphémères - N°5 2005
Tell me when it gets cheaper
Tell me when it's back in stock
Price alert in the RumX app
Open in the app
Got the app? Open this bottle
Opens this rum in the RumX app
Give it twenty minutes in the glass and it wakes up: dry French-oak wood, dried fruit and raisin, a cognac-like roundness, and that classic Saint James glue-and-menthol edge. A 16-year tropical-aged Martinique agricole at cask strength. Several tasters call it the driest, most spice-forward of the Éphémères series, with a long warming finish. A few drops of water tame the alcohol nicely.
The community says- Cognac-like roundness
- Dried fruit depth
- Less suitable for: Anyone wanting sweet, fruity or easy sipping
Offers & prices
View price history
Returns & cancellation Secure payment Sold by Rhum Attitude
- 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.
10 more payment methodsLive auctions
Compare all 5 offers
Total prices incl. shipping to Germany
Sorted by total price · How we rank
Prices and availability as of
We show the offers that deliver to your country, the cheapest including shipping first. The “Top Shop” label does not change the order, and no shop can buy a better place.
Offers & prices
No shop currently delivers to Germany.
Auction results: 78–113 € (7 sales in 24 months, incl. buyer's premium, latest 07/2026). How the range is built ›
The look inside the bottle
How does Saint James Les Éphémères - N°5 2005 taste?
From community reviews · summarized with AI
Dry, woody aged Martinique agricole Well-liked across the series for its dry oak, dried fruit and cognac notes. Most agree it's balanced but wood- and spice-dominant; some find it a touch bitter and less thrilling than the 2001.
Aroma profileAgricole fans who like dry, woody, spice-heavy aged rum
Anyone wanting sweet, fruity or easy sipping
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
48 of 123 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
Buying advice
Is it right for you?
Yes, if you're after bold, mature, oaky rums for sipping neat.
Similar in style and available now.
More intense
Saint James Les Éphémères - N°6 20068.5/10 (160)139.89 €
91 rated both: 35 scored it higher, 36 scored Saint James Les Éphémères - N°5 2005 higher, 20 gave both the same score.Fruitier
Elixir Distillers of London Black Tot Rum Master Blender's Reserve 20248.2/10 (100)128.58 €
Similar rating, cheaper
Swell de Spirits Le Galion Easy Peasy No. 4 Grand Arôme 20248.2/10 (99)74.54 €
38 rated both: 6 scored it higher, 27 scored Saint James Les Éphémères - N°5 2005 higher, 5 gave both the same score.
What does the community say?
123 community reviews
Rating scale & review checks
On RumX, 7 means “Good” and 8 means “Very good”.
See the full rating guideHow ratings are made and how we check them ›The website shows a selection of written reviews. The distribution also includes ratings without text. All published reviews are available in the RumX app.
49 selected written reviews
The distribution above includes all 123 ratings, including those without text.
Review by Dr.Django
Most helpful positive review
Direct comparison between the St. James Epheremes 5 & 7: both are great examples of typical agricole with woody notes, dried fruits, lots of leather and a long dry finish. The grassy aromas are only subliminally present here. No. 5 is a little lighter and fruitier on the palate, while No. 7 is a little more astringent and mouth-filling, but with slightly less well-integrated alcohol. For me, both are on a par, depending on the mood of the day.
Review by Adrien B
Most helpful mixed review
Nose parquet wax, white fruit, plum Palate very spicy, black pepper, grey woody, bitterness Edit 80 Nose nut fruit, kernel, orange, shoe polish Palate big woody, melted, quite round 1/6/7/5
Review by Galli33
Amazing Rum!! I really enjoyed the glue/cognac note which comes from the french oak barrel, I guess. Also the fruity tastes of apple, pear and strawberries🤤 The barrel and ABV is integrated very well. Conclusion of my tasting: 2006<<<2005<2001 (Roberto style 😜)
Review by DomM
Intense in the nose clearly benefiting from the eleborated ABV. Wood influence is strong in the nose yet not overwhelming. On the palate I like the balance even better, with more emphasis on dried fruits overall. For me ahead of the 2006, while the 2001 is the best of the range imo.
Review by Joachim Guger
The typical Saint James markers are clearly recognizable on the nose. At first quite shy, it barely dares to leave the glass at the start. Very balanced, perfectly melted, nicely dosed wood aging, fine. 🪵🪵🪵 In the mouth then floral 💐🌸🌺 and spicy. Very nice warming finish. Woody, spicy. Very good Saint James, overall on the refined side, without the brutal woodiness. Many thanks to Bonn!
Review by cigares
A rum tasted at the WLP. A fruity, roasted and woody nose. Unfortunately a little rustic on the palate, the fruit then shines through, along with the herbaceousness. The finish is shimmering. A fine agricole!
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
Tasted on 06.02.2024 (unfortunately without notes): Tasted at the same time as RX18129, but more or less no chance against the heavyweight from 2006 despite a similar length of time in the cask. Don't get me wrong: This Agricole is really not bad, in my opinion more drinkable than No. 6 and 7, but the rhum released for Excellence Rhum's 10th birthday is simply a league better, more expressive, especially on the palate.
Review by zabo
Only nibbled briefly when filling the sample. This is therefore only my first rough assessment. But I will taste it again at my leisure. Edit: Tasted it again at leisure. Unfortunately, I don't find it as sparkling as it was at the beginning. Not bad but not outstanding either. Therefore corrected downwards a little.
Review by Timo Groeger
Penultimate rum for today. It's a nice Saint Jaimes. Not quite my taste, but no matter, still delicious :) Tastes woody and casky, I think it's quite good. Delicious, recommendation is out :)
Review by Mirco
Beautiful bottling, solid quality. Rum with great wood, spice and dried fruit. The long finish is somewhat bitter with subtle leather. N.1 jg 2001 is and remains the star of the range.
Review by Thunderbird
A worthy conclusion to this series and a bottling that fits seamlessly! He is a little more pleasing than his two predecessors and that suits him very well! Top!
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#4362 22.10.2023 Whisky Live 2023
Review by Stefan Persson
Tasted this great expression at Rum Fest Paris VIP Area. This the 5th release in this series was distilled in 2005 and bottled brut de fût. It was aged in 320-liter French oak barrels close to 17 years before bottled in 5006 bottles. The nose is complex, elegant, flowery, woody, fruity, dry, warm and nutty with scents of cocoa, mocha, vanilla At the palate is the aroma confirmed in the flavors together with ripe fruits and some spiciness. The finish is long.
Review by Michael Ihmels 🇩🇪
A very nice Saint James. Nice and woody on the nose with a little glue. Wood is just as clearly recognizable on the palate. But there are also notes of barrel and glue. A solid rum.
Review by Johannes
Once again an extremely good SJ with a nice fruity, sticky note. But does not come close to the 2001.
Review by LukaŽiga
8,8:On the nose, really fruity with dried fruits, citrus, tropical, yellow fruits, especially peaches are strong, as woody notes are roasted with nuts, spicy with a cinnamon, medicinal with some glue. On aeration, a sugarcane juice is opening attack, besides tea, intensely with herbaceous, flowery touch, the wood is toasted, a bit resinous, some lime peel neutralizes bitterness, so do caramel, burnt sugar. 8,6:On the palate, the attack is dry, fruity with dried fruits and pear, woody with roasted notes like caramel, nuts, baked apple, spicy with pepper and chilli, vanilla, the sugarcane is herbal, floral, brings tea.Resting the rum helps fruit notes like yellow, lime peel and banana, perhaps apple and tasty pastry, also menthol, the wood is resinous a bit. 8,5:The finish is quite long, dry and woody with tannins, waxy, there is a sandal wood, juicy sugarcane with honeycomb, fruits from palate, allspice, some bitterness...
Review by Boletus
Needs time in the glass to open up, but the patience is rewarded, because besides the massive oak with eucalyptus and camphor present from the start, more and more spicy aromas and fruity moments arise, swinging between tropical fruits and pome fruits like apples and pears. A great Agricole, but you should have some affinity for woodiness.
Review by Rene Pfeiffer
Cross-tasting of the 4 Ephemeres Saint James: The 2001 is by far the best. Great balanced Agricole, which is the oldest in the group at 20y, but after the 2007, which is the youngest, tastes the least woody and bitter. 2007: nice, rather fruity, 8.3. 2006: bitter and woody in comparison, 7.9. 2005: balanced (8.5), but not as fine as the 2001 (8.9).
Review by Maxence
Sweet nose perfectly balancing fruits, wood and round notes. On the palate, plums, grapes and dark chocolate add more complexity to the profile. A very good rum overall. Much better balanced and less dry/spicy than the VandB 2001. Nice one !
Review by Jarek
Finally tasted all four Ephemeres together today. All four are very good and I can hardly pick a favorite. I really like No. 6 on the nose, with its clear orange notes. On the palate, it would be No. 1.
Review by Serge
Great apple/roasted apple notes with cognac, cooked pear, menthol, wood and vanilla, cinnamon and some glue. Nice and dry on the palate.
Review by Filip Šikula
One of those variants where the smell doesn't prepare one for the taste. In the aroma, it's pretty technical for me, tasting of fruit bomb, bompary, tuti fruti and gummy bears. It goes back to technical glues and other goodies in the finish. Great for me!
Review by Godspeed
It’s a fine rum but a little boring. Goes for a kind of neutrality in its taste and finds it, but in that doldrum it also means nothing really exciting goes on. Standard woody and spicy barrely st James profile. I miss the fruitiness of the 6 and the sparkly elegance of the 1. Good value for money but not an exciting release, honestly only the 1 really is in this series purely in terms of taste. That being said I applaud St James for putting out full proof products like this with long tropical ageing at a more than reasonable price. It is extremely appreciated and something to not take for granted.
Review by TheRhumhoe
The latest Saint James in the Éphémères series, this cuvée lives up to all its promises. The nose offers a fresh, noble woodiness on sandalwood, with a slight agricultural touch that's not too disturbing. Spices and roasted notes take over, followed by a rather expressive fruitiness (exotic fruit, citrus, dried fruit) and a metallic touch. A diverse, complex nose. On the palate, the rum is drier and more tannic, but retains good balance. The agricultural notes lean more towards medicinal, floral and menthol, before the spicy woodiness returns with darker, spicy notes. The fruit is more discreet, but the alcohol is well integrated. The finish is long, dry and even astringent. The herbaceous (aromatic herbs) and medicinal side is finer, while the woodiness returns in full force with sandalwood. Leather, mocha and notes of chili and aniseed bring a lively finish. A fine conclusion to a series that puts Saint James at the forefront of agricultural rum.
Review by Andi
Very fruity on the nose, citrus fruits, dried fruits. Then metallic, glue, and wood. Seems very complex. On the palate then very grassy, but also lots of fruit, wood, and a subtle menthol note at the back. The finish lingers long in the mouth. Definitely nothing "light," it's quite demanding.
Review by Maxime Clr 🇫🇷
#8 RCP Advent calendar After tasting live whisky, it's time for a blind taste. And I was well fooled! Great nose, drier mouth!
Review by rbfsnow
My favorit from Les Ephemeres Serie 😋 very dry, perfect wood & spicy balance, dried fruits and long tasting.
Review by lars
I’m torn. Although somewhat more restrained than the No1, still a nice nose. On the palate the cognac notes dominate for me. However, I’m bothered that it quickly becomes too bitter.
Review by Lot-NAS
Well, that was a surprise. First of all, it needs a lot of time to develop in your glass. In addition I recommend to add just a few drops of water to tame the alcohol a little bit. This adds to a great Cognac-ish nose with a lot of fruits, hints of flowers and some spices. The palate is rich with fruits, grapes, pears, apples, some vanilla and Bratapfel. The finish is just the right amount of wood, fruit, some honey and beeswax without any bitterness (don’t forget the water).
Review by Speedflo
I did a crosstasting with the Saint James les Éphémères n°5-7. All very tasty rums, balanced, woody, spicy, typical Martinique. N°5 I find overall the most exciting, although I liked n°6 best on the nose.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
You have to be into this sour, mentholy fresh astringent note, it's not really my cup of tea. But still an exciting and very unusual bottling! This blatant menthol note is the only reason I'm going a little higher with the points, because it really sets it apart from the other bottlings!
Review by Martin Švojgr
The most bitter and dry of the whole series.
Review by Julien Ries
The nose is typically Martinican. It smells of sugar cane soaked in sunshine, with the characteristic pepper. There are lots of spices, but with a quite medicinal background (licorice, clove) and a bit of gasoline. There are some fruits, but dried fruits: Corinthian raisins, a bit of quince paste. The raciness of the wood appears on the second nose after some airing. The attack on the palate is powerful and ample, and we are on old Martinicans: clove again, cinnamon, black pepper. The cane is very present despite its age. The cask appears at the end of the mouth, but it is quite discreet. The length in the mouth is moderately high, with this persistent wood and cooking spices. To summarize, lots of character, mainly on the spices to the point that it is very overwhelming in the mouth. This might not please everyone.
Review by Djehey
Comparative tasting of the ephemeral 7, 6, 5. I've already enjoyed a bottle of ephemeral 1. Overall, you immediately sense Martinique. You could also recognize the Saint James touch with its woodiness leaning towards empyreumatic notes. 7: the nose is more closed than the other two but the palate has a nice balance with woodiness that's not too present. 5: more woody and spicy profile but also with a hint of glue, varnish, menthol found on the palate. Vanilla well present on the finish. 6: seems to me a bit at the junction of the previous two. Nice length. In the end, these are 3 beautiful juices. Preference will depend on individual tastes. For me, I prefer the 7 then the 6 and finally the 5.
Review by Fabrice Rouanet
After a few minutes' aeration, this aged agricultural rum reveals the full richness of its aromatic bouquet, subtly blending woody, spicy and fruity notes. The palate is remarkably intense, balanced and silky, despite the 51.8% brut de fût content, which gives it power and length. A pure delight for discerning connoisseurs, with a lingering, warm finish that testifies to Saint James' expertise and the care lavished on this ephemeral edition number 5.
Review by TheJackDrop
Whisky Live 2023, quick tasting session! I admit I was expecting more, not much difference from #6. It's still very good.
Review by DeMaddin
The longer you leave it in the glass, the more it opens up. Woody, with a nice cognac note, spicy slightly grassy dirty leathery tones, a slight sharpness on the nose. Also dry, grassy, peppery, leathery, on the palate and in the finish the cognac cask also nicely dominates. A wonderfully complex Agricole.
Review by Buddudharma
Beautiful agricole with a wonderful balance of flavor nuances. Nevertheless, a little more intensity would not have hurt the rum. After cross-tasting with 3 other St. James, I'll have to adjust it down a little, as the intensity here simply leaves a lot to be desired.
Review by Alex1981
Better than 7/6, nice agricole notes with some power and balance. Looks like age does matter with St. James
Review by Émile Shevek
The nose is rich and full-bodied with solvents, tobacco, red fruits, burnt sugar, wood and sweet spices. The palate is warm with fruit, spice, wood and tobacco, then on the finish it becomes almost tannic and the spices (including tonka beans) come to the fore, leaving an aftertaste that tends to be dry. In the empty glass spices and seasoned
Review by Jean Louisss
Superb rum. Impressive roundness and balance on the nose. The palate is more focused on wood and spices which dominate but it remains very pleasant.
Review by BottleShrimp
The most balanced of the 4 ephemeral ones on my palate. A woody note always dominant but letting other flavors express themselves, hence this relative balance. A varnish / medicinal side a bit too pronounced at the end of the mouth however prevents full appreciation.
Review by Alexander Rasch
Very very exciting rum. What's going on. The nose super complex. Metallic and fruity. But also smoky. On the palate cool, medicinal, edgy and somehow musty. The finish dry and then kind of thin. Intriguing. Not my top favorite but glad to have tasted it.
Review by Renato
A very woody agricole rum. The nobility of French oak combined with the freshness of sugar cane for a gourmet result that rivals extra old cognac.
Review by Fasen
A wood well present but rather well balanced as well as a nice dose of fruit!
Review by Jus Liens
Environ 40 rhums goutés à ce jour et pas de rhum de supermarché. Ce rhum est complexe, mais fin. des odeurs de bois et de petit déjeuné (caramel, beurre, noix/noisettes.) Le goût. La final est longue et porte sur du bois mouillé, un peu caramélisé, amer, bois. C'est à la fois pas très compliqué à boire et à apprécié, mais il faut déjà avoir gouté quelques jus pour comment à bien l'appréhender.
Review by Alexandre Pinto
Rather dry noble wood, alcohol better integrated than in #6 in its kind is very successful
Review by EUDIER Vincent
I started the Ephemera series in reverse, and this latest (and therefore first) beverage is a great success. As usual, it's very clean and delicate, with a nice progression and a soft, enveloping warmth that lasts long enough...
Review by Florian Salce
On the palate, I particularly taste guava juice 🤔 (especially towards the end).
This selection contains no written reviews in this rating range.
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by The Rum Champion
Got to taste this lovely expression in Florida at Otto’s High Dive. I am a huge fan of Saint James and especially their higher proof expression. leather, tobacco, vanilla, lemon peel, orange, apricot, nectarine I loved this
Saint James Les Éphémères - N°5 2005 at live auctions
A bid is not a final price: the house sets the buyer's premium, shipping and any customs duty.
All live auctions ›Community shelf
275 bottles logged by 195 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
11% opened, 7 emptied.
What does Saint James Les Éphémères - N°5 2005 cost?
Community paid 114–130 €.
Current best price: 123.96 € – within the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 125 €. Price history with 7 auction results in RX+ ›
+6 additions in the last 3 months.
Additions per month over the last 12 months; dark bars: the last 3.
275 purchased · 127 tasted · 48 wishlist · as of
Details about Saint James Les Éphémères - N°5 2005
A Rhum Agricole AOC from Martinique, distilled by Saint James, at 51,8%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
You may also enjoy
Rum enthusiasts who like this rum have also given the following rums high ratings:
Saint James Les Ephémères - N°7 2007
Saint James Les Ephémères - N°1 2001
Excellence Rhum Saint James Brut de Fût (Excellence Rhum's 10th Anniversary) 2006
J. Bally Brut de Fût 2004
Velier Hampden Pagos Sherry
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.
Oliver, Stuttgart
About RumX ›YouTube channel (German, English subtitles)
