History and manufacture of rum in Guadeloupe
There are two kinds of rums on the market: agricultural rums, produced in the French West Indies (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante) and obtained by distilling the product of the fermentation of fresh cane juice, and industrial or sugar refinery rums, obtained by distilling the residue of sugar manufacture, molasses, and manufactured all over the world. Rum connoisseurs are as knowledgeable as their counterparts in cognac or armagnac.
Rums from Martinique, unlike those from Guadeloupe, have the AOC appellation. However, the latter compete brilliantly and are often rewarded for exceptional vintages, especially at the agriculture fair.
When we go back to the origins of rum, the first name that appears is that of the famous Father Labat. When he landed on the island at the beginning of 1694, the Reverend was struck down by a terrible fever. According to historical sources, he was saved by a decoction composed of an alcohol, the ancestor of what is known today as rum. In 1722, Jean-Baptiste Labat mentions in his memoirs entitled Nouveau voyage aux îsles d'Amérique
: "The brandy that is drawn from the canes is called guild. The savages and the negroes call it tafia, it is very strong, has an unpleasant smell, and pungency almost like grain brandy. The place where it is made is called the "vinegar factory" . This beverage, made by fermenting various sweet wastes from sugar production, was then passed through a still that made a clear liquid called tafia. At the time, this distilling apparatus was very rudimentary, which explains the poor quality of this drink with its proven virtues.In the 18th century, Guadeloupe sold molasses (waste from the sugar industry) to the North American colonies that were already producing industrial rum. This technology, developed by the English, was not used in Martinique and Guadeloupe until the end of the 19th century. The Guadeloupean factories had large quantities of molasses and began to produce rum to improve their income. This production enabled them to find another outlet for sugar cane.
Agricultural rum
Closely linked to the arrival of the steam engine applied to the cane mill, the beginnings of agricultural rum in Guadeloupe follow this technological revolution which will generate a new way of production with the concentration of small dwellings grouped together, the creation of central factories equipped with steam engines, around which the small farms gravitate. A star-shaped railway network allows the sugar cane to be transported from the fields to the factory. A number of small farms cannot access this network because of their isolated geographical location, which means that they are completely separated from the central factories and the sugar circuit. Some of the dwellings began to directly distil the cane juice (vesou) and gave birth to agricultural rum, which was called rhum z'habitants at the time. Afterwards, the various sugar crises gradually transformed the central factories into agricultural distilleries.
The first step is to crush the cane by passing it through a press. The bagasse, the compact mass thus obtained, is introduced into a mill equipped with three rollers which ensure an increasingly fine grinding to extract a maximum of juice (vesou). The last bagasse, which is very fibrous, is used as fuel and provides the mill with the energy necessary for its operation. Grinding must be carried out no later than 36 hours after cutting the cane. Agricultural rum comes from the direct distillation of vesou and the transformation of its sugar into alcohol. This process requires a continuous distillation column. The vesou, carefully filtered, is placed in fermentation vats for 36 to 48 hours until vinification, called "bunch", titrating 5 to 6°. The rest of the process is the classic work of the cellar master. One tonne of sugar cane gives an average of 100 litres of agricultural rum at 55°.
Different agricultural rums are produced in the Guadeloupean distilleries. The white rum, which is the basis for the preparation of ti-punch, keeps intact the aromas of the freshly cut cane. After a reduction of the alcohol level, made with distilled water or spring water, it is marketed at 50° and 55° in Guadeloupe, and at 59° in Marie-Galante.
Tip from a Marie-Galantais: put the 59° rum in the freezer, and serve it as you do with vodka; frappé! If you have the opportunity to taste the different rums from Guadeloupe, you will find that they have a very different taste and smell.
To make old rum, part of the white rum produced in the distillery is placed in oak barrels. It only becomes old after three years. It is possible to obtain a more advanced ageing by keeping some rums even longer: this is how the "3 years old" are born, with an alcohol degree of about 45°. The "5 to 40 years old" rival the greatest spirits and can be appreciated in the same way as old cognacs.
The amber rum is obtained after having remained in oak casks for a period of about 12 to 18 months, this rum has taken on a golden colour and generally has an alcohol content of 50°. It is a strong and fragrant rum intended for pastries, pancakes and cocktails.Industrial Rum
Also known as sugar rum, industrial rum is made from molasses, a product of sugar refining. In the distilleries directly attached to the cane sugar mills, the molasses is fermented with yeast. This rapid fermentation gives an alcoholic juice with an alcohol content of 5° to 6°. Then, the distillation is carried out in columns identical to those used for agricultural rum. The alcohol in exit titrates from 65° to 75°. The legislation does not allow more than 65° for marketing. This is remedied by adding distilled water.
The traditional young rum is a rum of current consumption which contains 40% alcohol by volume. Its aroma is quite strong. It is used for confectionery, pastries and cooking.
The Grand Arôme rum is very aromatic due to the long fermentation (8 to 10 days) of a mixture of molasses and vinasse in wooden vats. This rum is consumed in cocktails, and is used in cooking and pastry making. It is little known locally, as all the production is exported. It is mainly produced in Jamaica and Martinique (Galleon factory).
Which rum to choose?
Knowing the different manufacturing specifications on the label helps you to find your way around! Industrial rums are coloured by the addition of caramel, whereas agricultural rums only obtain this golden hue after ageing in oak barrels.
Each rum has its own use; white rum and amber rum are highly appreciated in ti-punch, planter or other cocktails, as their flavours go perfectly with fruit juices; arranged rums combine with white rum spices, plants or fruits, which after maceration allow you to appreciate tailor-made flavours and aromas, always in moderation; the old rum family is traditionally drunk as a digestive. Informed amateurs prefer rums that are at least 12 years old, softer and more fragrant.
Distilleries and rum routes
In 1939, there were 55 distilleries in Guadeloupe. In 1954, there are 37 left, and today, there are 10. Compared to Martinique, Guadeloupe does not have a registered designation of origin, but has kept an important sugar activity and produces both agricultural and industrial rums. The so-called smoking distillery, which operates its own distillation column every year, produces rum for several other local producers. The brand is produced by a smoking distillery. Sometimes, a part of the still active factory continues to bottle on the spot or to age its rums. The old so-called non-smoking distilleries are no longer in operation.
In Guadeloupe, rums are sweeter, rougher and more nervous than their Martinique counterparts. Last famous stage for the manufacture of agricultural rum, the island of Marie-Galante, where three distilleries remain for the artisanal manufacture of rums with a higher final titre (59°). Guadeloupe is regularly rewarded at the Concours général agricole at the Salon de l'agriculture every year.
The Guadeloupean distilleries can be visited all year round. All of them have tasting counters and shops (agricultural rum, old rum, fruit punch, planter, jams, etc.). While the distilleries can be visited all year round, the manufacturing plants are only in operation during the harvest period (February to June).
Each distillery has its own specificities and uses its ancestral know-how to produce quality rums with unique aromas and flavours. For example, it is only in Marie-Galante that the white rum "reduced" to 59° is produced.
In order to reach a large public, amateurs and enthusiasts, the ranges designed by the different distilleries are expanding: 40° for cocktails, 55° (to make more than one Marie-Galante purist smile), 60°/62° and even ... 73,5° for the most daring who would dare to rub it.
There are also even more refined products. With the complicity of the cellar masters, some rums reach the category of spirits. 12 years, 15 years, 19 years and sometimes even times 25 years old, will delight collectors, amateurs or even the curious who wish to obtain these precious beverages.
A high concentration of distilleries can be found in Basse-Terre, with the possibility to visit them: Reimonenq (Sainte-Rose), Bologna (Rivières-des-Pères), Montebello (Petit-Bourg), Marquisate in Sainte-Marie, Longueteau/Karukéra (Capesterre-Belle-Eau), Usine de Bonne Mère (the only industrial rum). In Grande-Terre, the Damoiseau distillery located in Le Moule is the real factory in the centre of the Canary basin. Other distilleries are also located in Marie-Galante ! They are the Distillerie Bielle, the Distillerie Poisson and the Distillerie Bellevue.
Rum, a local tradition
Rum is the flagship product of Guadeloupe. And it occupies a very special place in the daily life of Guadeloupeans! Depending on the time of day when it is consumed, there are several names and ways to enjoy it. We can mention in particular the traditional "take-off" in the morning, also called "ignition". It is a "sec", i.e. a white rum consumed without any mixture: the traditional practice is to drink it "cul-sec", hence this other nickname.
