Saint James 12 Ans Reservée Privée
A solid stepping stone into aged agricole: dry, woody and gently spicy at 43%. RumX members enjoy its balance of toasted oak, prunes, citrus and cane, with fair value and easy sipping character.
- Good value
- Balanced dryness
- Woody fruitiness
Details about Saint James 12 Ans Reservée Privée
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
How does Saint James 12 Ans Reservée Privée taste?
Aggregated from 85 community reviews.
Dry, woody agricole crowd-pleaser A solid stepping stone into aged agricole: dry, woody and gently spicy at 43%. RumX members enjoy its balance of toasted oak, prunes, citrus and cane, with fair value and easy sipping character.
Fans of dry, oak-forward agricoles who want an affordable, balanced sipper with prunes, citrus, grass and gentle spice rather than big sweetness.
Those who prefer sweet, round rums or dislike tannic, woody dryness; newcomers seeking a soft, dessert-style profile may find it sharp and light.
How is Saint James 12 Ans Reservée Privée rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict — 7.7 lands squarely in the "Good" band. 81% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 2% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Rum reviews
A selection of the most popular reviews from our community. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by LukaŽiga
8,1:On the nose, well, a juicy, tangy maracuja. The spices are peppery, there are pink berries and coriander seeds, a burnt edge, quince paste, and acidic fruitiness. The sugar cane is juicy and vibrant. Aeration brings out plum with dark berries as blueberry and blackcurrant. Some tannins also come through, then we go towards to a more vanilla-like woodiness. After a nice rest, brandy and prunes could be noticed... Complex and quite balanced. 8,4:On the palate it is soft, tempting. There is honey and prune, juicy and mineral sugarcane. The sensation is mellow and a bit tannic. There are some spices as pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon, lime peel joins in the end, rounding up the palate. 8,4:The finish is tasty, with dried fruits, wood, lime peel, juicy cane, pepper..
Review by Fasen
Une belle structure un rhum élégant . Malheureusement trop léger pour moi...
Review by Stefan Persson
Tested it together with the 15yo, and I think this is the better one because it’s smoother and more balanced. The nose is woody, fruity and vegetal. At the palate it’s fruity, round and balanced with flavors of oak, grass and vanilla.
Review by Tim
Round and smooth agricole with lots of caramel sweetness. A mixture of fruit, wood, chocolate and peppery spice. Floral notes are more in the background. Very pleasant with delicious aromas despite its spiciness.
Review by Kieron Wood
11 year old rum Agricole from Martinique's St James distillery, matured in small oak casks. Nosing Grassy, petrol, nail varnish, aniseed Tasting Olives ,grass , typical Agricole notes , pepper ,cardamom Delicious representation of an aged Agricole....
Review by Renato
Un nez de fruits mûrs. Une bouche très boisée et toastée. Une finale qui ajoute du végétal.
Review by TheRhumhoe
A rather surprising Saint James, especially for a permanent range rum. The nose is fruity, carried away by prunes, yellow fruit and dried apricots, before being overtaken by a touch of sugarcane, refined wood, spices, leather and coffee. A very pretty nose on olfaction. The attack on the palate is delicate. There's a fine balance between woody, spicy flavors on the one hand, and more chocolatey, toasty and fruity notes on the other. Leather adds a slight bitterness to the profile. A pleasant, round rum. The finish, of medium length, returns to the dark tones typical of Saint James, tobacco and prunes. The finish is dry and bitter, but well integrated with the elegance of the profile. A very good cuvée, offering the perfect compromise between flavor, complexity and affordability.
Review by Jarek
Nach langer Zeit erneut verkostet, zusammen mit paar anderen Agricoles aus Martinique. Alle fast eine Stunde im Glas atmen lassen. Etwas mehr Alkohol täte hier sehr gut, aber ich muss meine Bewertung etwas nach oben korrigieren. Schöne Nase und am am Gaumen lecker, auch wenn etwas zu dünn.
Review by Eric Frechin
It's not exceptional, but it's not bad either. I don't find it easy to drink, only 43° and the alcohol is quite present. A little too woody/tannic for my taste, which prevents it from gaining roundness. Lovers of woody agriculture will like it.
Review by Christian Rudt
In der schönen ausgewogenen Nase Pflaume und schöne gelbe Früchte, am Gaumen eher Zitrusfrucht aber dominiert von nussigen und holzigen Noten, die dann auch bleiben etwas Tabak und eine nicht unangenehme Bitterkeit gesellen sich hinzu.
Review by Richard Krupa
dřevo, švestky a spousta koření, které blíže nespecifikuju. Z koření to lehce přehází až do květinova. Dnes výhra
Review by Cyril Caussinus
Bien équilibré. Des notes de fruits confits et d'épices. Très rond.
Review by zabo
Ein Standard Saint James, leider nicht ausgewöhnliches. Aber für den Preis durchaus ein angenehmer Sipper. Trifft nur leider nicht so meinen Geschmack. Für den Preis kann man ihn aber durchaus mal mitnehmen, wenn man das Profil mag.
Review by BnBrt
Très bon rapport qualité prix a mes yeux, très agréable et une bonne pioche pour faire découvrir aux moins connaisseurs. Un bon rhum agricole facile, le nez est attrayant sur la canne, un attaque agréable avec du boisé et un côté toasté. Finale courte sur le fruit confit.
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
Read full review →Community purchases
203 bottles logged by 52,000+ RumX members. The ratio of closed / opened / emptied, indicates whether this rum is meant to be drunk or is a collector's item.
Also on the wishlist of 41 members.
About the Saint James distillery
The Saint James distillery is located in Martinique. Rums from Saint James have been reviewed 4,584 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:
Neisson Profil 105
Neisson Profil 105Complex, dry and peppery agricole
Saint James 15 Ans
Saint James 15 AnsDry, woody, complex agricole sipper
Saint James 7 Ans
Saint James 7 AnsBalanced, woody agricole starter
Maison La Mauny XO
Maison La Mauny XOElegant, easy-going XO agricole
Saint James VSOP
Saint James VSOPDry, woody starter agricole
Saint James Cuvée L‘Essentiel
Saint James Cuvée L‘EssentielElegant, dry, woody agricole sipper
Don't miss out on any more deals on Saint James 12 Ans Reservée Privée.
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 — together with Jakob, Robert and Lukas, we started RumX in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
What began as a digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans. 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 →

