Rum
Martinican Rum
Martinique is known for its excellent rum which is appreciated worldwide. On the island, Rhum Agricole is mainly produced, which is obtained by distilling of sugar cane juice. This kind of rum is more aromatic. To produce 10 litres of rum roughly 100 kg of sugar cane needs to be processed. In 1996, the Martinican Rhum Agricole obtained an AOC recognition – ”Appellation d’origine contrôlée’’ (Protected Designation of Origin).
Industrial rum is more common worldwide, it is made from molasses which is a by-product of sugar cane whilst producing sugar. Nowadays, in Martinique there is only one industrial rum distillery named Galion.
Types of rum
Old rum (rhum vieux) from Martinique is highly appreciated around the world. It is aged in casks,
usually oak barrels, for at least 3 years. The rum gets its dark colour and aromas from the wooden
barrel.
Dark rum (rhum paille, rhum ambré) is agricole rum that has been aged in the barrel for 18 months.
It is a younger rum with a golden colour and is used mostly in cocktails and for cooking.
White rum is rum that has a clear colour. It is not aged and is consumed directly after distillation.
There are 2 types of distilleries depending on their activity – smoking distilleries, still in service and producing rum and non-smoking distilleries, no longer produce rum locally. Their rum is distilled by another active factory and is often aged and bottled on the spot.
DISTILLERIE DEPAZ
The Depaz estate is located in the northwestern section of the island right at the foot of Mount Pelée. It was founded in 1651 by Jacques du Parquet. At the beginning they cultivated tobacco and indigo here, then it was later turned into a sugar factory. In the 19th century a rum distillery managed by the Depaz family was established here. Unfortunately, this distillery was completely destroyed in 1902 by a volcanic eruption and the whole Depaz family was killed, except Victor Depaz, one of the sons who was away studying in France. He decided to come back to the island and rebuild the distillery in honour of his dearly departed family. You can have a pleasant walk through the gardens, observing its majestical trees and during the season of February-June see the manufacturing process of rum. Depaz rum is made exclusively from fresh luxurious blue cane planted on the fertile land. At the end of the visit, you can taste it and buy some local products and souvenirs in their shop.
- Plantation de la Montagne Pelée, 97250 Saint-Pierre
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HABITATION CLÉMENT
Clément plantation, formerly called Domaine de l’Acajou, was founded in the 18th century, to grow cane and produce sugar. In 1887 it was bought by doctor Homère Clément who founded here a distillery during the 1st World War. His son Charles took over the estate and made the brand Clément internationally known. The distillery joined the Bernard Hayot Group in 1986. Clément plantation is a heritage site, that allows you to discover the manufacturing process of agricultural rum, as well as creole culture and traditions. During your visit, you can admire the lovely gardens, filled with various types of trees and flowers, an ancient distillery and a beautiful creole house where the family used to live. This distillery is one of the most famous ones in Martinique and it welcomes hundreds of visitors every day.
- Domaine de l'Acajou, 97240 Le François
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HSE - L'HABITATION SAINT-ETIENNE
The Saint-Etienne estate is located in the middle of the island in Gros-Morne. At
the beginning of the 19th century it was built as a sugar factory. In 1882, however, it
was transformed into a rum distillery with a hydraulic mill fed by water from a
nearby river. A hundred years later, it was attached to the La Favorite distillery and
was then sold to Yves and José Hayot who restored the dwelling and relocated the
manufacturing process to Simon distillery. Today this domain welcomes many
visitors who can discover the architectural heritage of this authentic place and
taste their excellent rum.
- Habitation Saint-Etienne, 97213 Gros-Morne
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DISTILLERIE SAINT-JAMES
Saint-James is the oldest brand of Martinican rum. The distillery was founded in
Saint-Pierre in 1765. The rum was exported mainly to New England (British
colonies in North America) and for commercial reasons the brand was called
Saint-James, which was the name of a prestigious family in the United Kingdom.
The bottles were designed in a square shape in order to better store and avoid any
damage during ship transportation. In 1974 it was moved to Sainte-Marie on the
North Atlantic coast to bring the production facility closer to the sugar cane fields.
In the main house, there is a rum museum and free rum tasting.
- Plantation Saint-James, Plaine de l'Union, 97230 Sainte-Marie
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DISTILLERIE TROIS-RIVIÈRES
Plantation Trois-Rivières is based in the south near to Sainte-Luce. It was founded
around 1660 by Nicolas Fouquet. A century later, a large sugar refinery was
established here. In 1785 Etienne Isaïe Marraud Des Grottes took over the land of
Trois-Rivières and started rum production. In 1905 the sugar production was
stopped and the owners focused only on rum making. At the end of the 20th
century, this brand was overtaken by B.B.S. Society which also owned the La Mauny
distillery. As of 2004 the whole production was moved there. The imposing mill in
the middle of the property is the emblem of its blue label. In the small huts, you can
buy nice handmade gifts and you can even take a ride on a quad bike through the
sugar cane fields.
- Quartier Trois Rivières , 97228 Sainte-Luce
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A1710 - L'HABITATION DU SIMON
This distillery is quite new and modern, founded by Yves Assier de Pompignan who established it on the Simon estate’s land. The brand A1710 was named after his ancestor Jean Assier, who came to Martinique in 1710. They use organic cane for two varieties of rum – ”La Perle Rare Canne Bleu” from the blue cane and ”La Perle Rare Canne Rouge” from the red cane. For the other rums they use sugar cane from local producers. The production is lower yet the quality is exceptional.
- Habitation du Simon, 97240 Le Francois
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