Neisson is the smallest of Martinique's famous distilleries and one of the last still owned by the family that founded it. It makes a tiny share of the island's rhum from its own cane at Le Carbet, on the northwest coast below Mont Pelée, and its Blanc is the bottle agricole drinkers measure every other white rhum against. This guide covers what makes Neisson different, every Neisson rhum we have in stock, and which to buy for a Ti' Punch, a Daiquiri, or a glass on its own.
Shop all Neisson rhum in stock
About Neisson
Brothers Jean and Adrien Neisson founded the distillery in 1931 on the Thieubert estate near Le Carbet, and Jean's grandson Grégory Vernant-Neisson runs it today. Everything is AOC Martinique rhum agricole: fresh-pressed juice from estate-grown cane, fermented longer than most of its neighbors (which builds the savory, funky character the house is known for), and distilled on a copper Savalle column still that Jean Neisson modified himself in 1952. Nothing is added. The square-shouldered Zépol Karé bottle has been the signature since the 1950s.
The house style, in the words of reviewers who've spent years with it, is salty, oily, grassy, and a little tequila-like: green olive, wet earth, fresh cane, and white flowers over a dense, peppery palate. If Clément is the polished one and J.M is the fruit, Neisson is the funk.
Neisson Rhum in Stock at Chips Liquor
The Whites
Neisson Rhum Agricole Blanc is the reference bottle. In 2005 Wine Enthusiast named it Best White Spirit of the Year with a 98-point score, one of the highest any unaged white spirit has received, and it's still the benchmark. After distillation the rhum rests in stainless steel for weeks and is slowly proofed down to 50% ABV, a step most white spirits skip and one Neisson credits for letting the cane flavors integrate. The classic Ti' Punch rhum, and just as good in a Daiquiri.
Neisson Blanc 105 is the same AOC blanc at 52.5% ABV instead of 50. The extra proof brings more aromatic intensity and more presence in a cocktail without changing the underlying cane. Many Martinique drinkers consider this the proper Ti' Punch strength, and it holds up in a Mojito or any tiki drink that wants real cane character.
Neisson Organic Rhum is widely considered the first certified organic agricole ever made, from the family's own cane grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides and fermented with natural, home-grown yeasts. Bottled unaged at 52.5%, it's the wildest and grassiest of the whites: fresh-cut cane, lime peel, olives, and tropical fruit with real funk underneath. RumX members rate it 8.4 out of 10, and it's a favorite Ti' Punch base among people who've tried every blanc on the island.
Neisson L'Esprit 1L is the rhum straight off the column at 70% ABV, before a drop of water, bottled by the liter. It's an enthusiast's and bartender's bottle: a Ti' Punch that takes half the pour, a Daiquiri with a backbone, or a base to cut to your own strength. The Lone Caner describes it as a ferocious white rhino, and that's accurate.
The Aged Rhums
Neisson Élevé Sous Bois means "raised under wood," and it's the agricole world's reposado: the funky white distillate softened by 18 months in large French oak vats, enough to round the edges without erasing the cane. Green apple, honey, vanilla, and baking spice over grassy, vegetal notes, bottled at 50% ABV. It has a reputation as one of the best mixing agricoles on the market, especially in a Daiquiri or Mai Tai, and it's the best value in the range.
Le Rhum Vieux par Neisson is the entry to the aged range: at least three years in ex-bourbon and French oak casks, the AOC minimum for a vieux, bottled around 42% ABV. Dried fruit, vanilla, and toasted oak, with the house's savory cane note still present under the wood. The starting point for aged Neisson.
Neisson Réserve Spéciale is the aged flagship, a blend built from stock reportedly aged up to ten years in French and American oak, bottled at 42% ABV. It's also the most divisive bottle Neisson makes: leather, tobacco, fennel, black pepper, and orange marmalade, with grassy phenolic notes several reviewers compare directly to Scotch whisky. Not the rhum to hand a beginner. For drinkers who already love intensity and want something unlike any other aged rum.
Which Neisson to Buy
- Ti' Punch: Blanc 105, or the standard Blanc. Lime coin, cane syrup, no ice.
- Daiquiri or Mai Tai: Élevé Sous Bois.
- The funkiest white: Organic.
- Bartender's bottle: L'Esprit.
- First aged Neisson: Le Rhum Vieux.
- Whisky drinker: Réserve Spéciale.
Neisson's Profil 105, the Ed Hamilton single-barrel selections, and the 15 and 18 Year are currently sold out; check the Neisson collection for current availability.
Shipping Neisson From Chips Liquor
Every bottle above is in stock at our Pacific Beach shop in San Diego and ships fast to most states. For Rhum J.M, Clément, La Favorite, and the rest of the French islands, see the full rhum agricole collection, or read our complete guide to rhum agricole and our Rhum J.M guide.