History and manufacture of rum in Guadeloupe
You'll find two types of rum on the market: agricultural rums, produced in the French West Indies (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante) and obtained by distilling the fermentation product of fresh cane juice. Industrial rums, or rhums de sucrerie, are obtained by distilling the residue of sugar production, molasses, and are produced all over the world. Rum connoisseurs are as discerning as their cognac or armagnac counterparts.
Martinique rums, unlike Guadeloupe rums, have the AOC appellation. However, the latter compete brilliantly and are often rewarded for exceptional vintages, notably at the Salon de l'Agriculture.
Going back to the origins of rum, the first name that comes to mind is that of the famous Père Labat. Landing on the island in early 1694, the reverend was struck down by a terrible fever. According to historical sources, he was saved by a decoction of an alcohol, the forerunner of today's rum. In 1722, Jean-Baptiste Labat wrote in his Mémoires entitled Nouveau voyage aux îsles d'Amérique: "The brandy made from cane is called guildive. The savages and negroes call it tafia, it is very strong, has an unpleasant odor, and pungency much like grain brandy. The place where it is made is called the vinegar factory...". This beverage, made by fermenting various sugary waste products from the sugar-making process, was then passed through a still to produce a clear liquid called tafia. At the time, this distillation apparatus was very rudimentary, which explains the poor quality of this beverage with its proven virtues.
In the 18thcentury , Guadeloupe sold molasses (sugar industry waste) to the North American colonies, which were already producing industrial rum. This technology, developed by the English, was not used in Martinique and Guadeloupe until the late 19th century. Guadeloupean factories had large quantities of molasses at their disposal and began to produce rum to boost their revenues. This production provided another outlet for sugarcane.
Agricultural rum
Closely linked to the arrival of the steam engine applied to the cane mill, the beginnings of agricultural rum in Guadeloupe followed this technological revolution, which gave rise to a new way of producing, with the concentration of small grouped dwellings, the creation of central factories equipped with steam engines, around which small farms gravitated. A star-shaped rail network carried sugar cane from the fields to the factory. A number of small farms could not access this network because of their isolated geographical location, and were therefore completely cut off from the central factories and the sugar circuit. Some homes began to distill cane juice (vesou) directly, giving rise to rhum agricole, then known as rhum z'habitants. Subsequent sugar crises gradually transformed the central factories into agricultural distilleries.
The first step was to crush the cane by passing it through a press. The bagasse, a compact mass obtained in this way, is fed into a three-roll crusher, which crushes it ever more finely to extract as much vesou as possible. The final bagasse, which is very fibrous, is used as fuel and provides the plant with the energy it needs to operate. Crushing must be carried out no later than 36 hours after cane cutting. The cutting period runs from the end of January to June each year.
Agricultural rum is produced by distilling vesou directly, transforming its sugar into alcohol. This process requires a continuous distillation column. The vesou, carefully filtered, is placed in fermentation tanks for 36 to 48 hours, until it is vinified, called "grappe", at 5 to 6°. The rest of the process is the traditional work of the cellar master. One tonne of sugar cane yields an average of 100 liters of 55° rhum agricole.
Guadeloupe's distilleries produce a variety of agricultural rums. White rum, the base for ti-punch, retains all the aromas of freshly cut sugarcane. After reducing the alcohol content with distilled or spring water, it is sold at 50° and 55° in Guadeloupe, and 59° in Marie-Galante.
Tip from a Marie-Galantais: put 59° rum in the freezer, and serve it as you would vodka; chilled! If you get the chance to taste the different rums from Guadeloupe, you'll notice that they have very different tastes and smells.
The famous liquid is colorless when it comes out of the still. It only takes on its color when aged in casks. To make aged rum, part of the white rum produced in the distillery is placed in oak barrels. It only becomes aged after three years. Further ageing can be achieved by keeping certain rums for even longer: this is how "3 ans d'âge" rums are created, with an alcohol content of around 45°. The "5 to 40 year olds" rival the finest spirits and are enjoyed in the same way as old cognacs.
Amber rum, on the other hand, is aged in oak casks for 12 to 18 months, where it takes on a golden color and generally reaches 50°. It's a strong, fragrant rum, much appreciated in pastries, crêpes and cocktails.
Industrial Rum
Also known as rhum de sucrerie, industrial rum is made from molasses, the by-product of sugar refining. In distilleries directly attached to cane sugar mills, molasses is fermented with yeast. This rapid fermentation produces an alcoholic juice with a strength of 5° to 6°. Distillation then takes place in columns identical to those used for agricultural rum. The alcohol produced is 65° to 75°. Legislation does not allow more than 65° to be marketed. This is remedied by adding distilled water.
Traditional young rum is an everyday rum containing 40% alcohol by volume. It has a fairly strong aroma. It is used for confectionery, pastries and cooking.
Grand arôme rum, on the other hand, is highly aromatic due to the long fermentation process (8 to 10 days). Made from a blend of molasses and vinasse in wooden vats, this rum is used in cocktails, cooking and pastry-making. It is little-known locally, as all production is exported. It is mainly produced in Jamaica and Martinique (Galion plant).
Which rum to choose?
Knowing the different manufacturing specifications on the label helps you find your way around! Industrial rums are colored by the addition of caramel, while rhum agricole only obtains its golden hue after aging in oak barrels. Each rum has its own use: white and amber rums are very popular in ti-punch, planteur and other cocktails, as their fragrances go perfectly with fruit juices. Rhum arrangés combine white rum with spices, herbs or fruit, which are then macerated to create customized flavors and aromas, always in moderation. The aged rum family is traditionally enjoyed as a digestif. Discerning connoisseurs prefer the sweeter, more fragrant aged rums of at least 12 years.
Distilleries and rum routes
In 1939, there were 55 distilleries in Guadeloupe. In 1954, 37 remained, and today there are 12. Compared with Martinique, Guadeloupe does not have an appellation d'origine contrôlée, but it has retained a significant sugar industry, producing both agricultural and industrial rums. The so-called fumante distillery, which runs its own distillation column every year, produces rum for several other local producers. The brand is produced by a fumante distillery. In some cases, part of the still-active factory continues to bottle or age its rums on site. Older, non-smoking distilleries are no longer in operation.
In Guadeloupe, rums are sweeter, rougher and more edgy than their Martinican counterparts. On the island of Marie-Galante, there are still four distilleries producing artisanal rums, some with a higher final titre (59°). Guadeloupe is a regular prize-winner at the Concours Général Agricole, held every year at the Salon de l'Agriculture.
While the distilleries can be visited all year round, the production plants are only in operation during the harvest period (February to June). All have tasting counters and boutiques (rhum agricole, rhum vieux, punch-fruit, planteur, jams, etc.).
Each distillery has its own specificities and uses its ancestral know-how to produce quality rums with unique aromas and flavors. For example, only Marie-Galante produces "reduced" white rum at 59°.
In order to appeal to a broad public of connoisseurs and enthusiasts, the ranges designed by the various distilleries are expanding: 40° for cocktails, 55° (to make more than one Marie-Galant purist smile), 60°/62° and even... 73.5° for the more daring.
Even more refined products are also available. With the help of our cellar masters, some rums reach the level of spirits. 12-year, 15-year, 19-year and sometimes even 25-year rums will delight collectors, enthusiasts and even the curious who wish to purchase these precious beverages.
A high concentration of distilleries can be found in Basse-Terre, with the possibility of visiting them: Reimonenq (Sainte-Rose), Bologne (Rivières-des-Pères), Montebello (Petit-Bourg), Longueteau/Karukéra (Capesterre-Belle-Eau), the Bonne Mère distillery (the only industrial rum) and the Distillerie Papa Rouyo (Goyave). In Grande-Terre, there's the recently opened Gwadinina distillery and the Damoiseau distillery, the traditional factory at the center of the island's cane basin, in Le Moule. Other distilleries are also located on Marie-Galante! These include Distillerie Bielle, Distillerie Poisson, Distillerie Bellevue and the latest addition, Distillerie Rhum Rhum.
Rum, a local tradition
Rum is Guadeloupe's flagship product. And it occupies a very special place in the daily lives of Guadeloupeans! Depending on the time of day it's consumed, there are many different names and ways to enjoy it. These include the traditional morning "décollage", also known as "mise à feu". A "sec", i.e. a white rum consumed without any additives: the traditional practice is to drink it "ass-dry", hence this other nickname. Shrubb is the Christmas drink, made from spices and orange peel macerated in rum from October onwards.
