As of the middle of the XVII century, the first sugar plantation produce a rather coarse brandy starting from the molasses obtained during the extraction of sugar. Tafia for the slaves, Guildive for French, the drink takes his final name at the time of the English occupation (1794-1802). Extract today directly of the juice of cane, agricultural rum from Martinique reached a rare degree of perfection, and makes the delights of many amateurs throughout the world.
From Tafia to agricultural Rum.
The juice syrup of cane which one heats then that one cools to make crystallize sugar, leaves for waste a great quantity of brown molasses. These are these residues that the first sugar plantations put to ferment in tanks to obtain Tafia. A hard brandy and without smoothnesses which achieves nevertheless its principal goal easily: to make flibustiers and first colonists drunks. To XVIII, the production of Tafia is extended and specializes. The sugar plantations remain the largest actors of the market, but at their sides small-scale farmings only devoted to the distillation of brandy appear. Gradually, those will improve qualities of them. The molasses are not any more used as raw material principal and leave the place initially to the juice of cane cooked, the "Vésou" then with the juice of fresh cane, "Vésou Cru" that one makes ferment to obtain what one indicates today under the name of Agricultural Rhum.
The Distilleries
Many distilleries are opened with the public. Some are true alive museums. The Habitation Clement in particular.
Habitation
Clément
The Habitation Clement, in addition to his space of tasting installed in a beautiful creole house, with opened with the public the wine storehouses in which hundreds of rum barrels pile up in the course of ageing, as well as the buildings of its old distilling.
Saint-James Rums
During the harvest of the sugar cane, Saint-James distillery, always in activity, offers the occasion to follow the development process of Rum. Crushing of the cane, pressing, distillation... Attention however, the building is open only from March to July, for the period of harvest of the sugar cane. An interesting museum devoted to the history of rum is him open all the year.
And also :
Bally Plantation Lajus, 97221 Le Carbet. Tel : 05-96-78-08-94.
Depaz 97250 Saint-Pierre. Tel : 05-96-78-13-14. Dillon Ancienne route du Lamentin, 97200 Fort-de-France.
Tel : 05-96-75-20-20. Dormoy Petit-Bourg, 97215
Rivière-Salée. Tel : 05-96-56-90-86. Hardy Baie de Tartane, 97220
La Trinité. Tel : 05-96-58-20-82. J-M Bellevue, 97218 Macouba.
Tel : 05-96-78-92-55. La Favorite Ancienne route
du Lamentin, 97200 Fort-de-France. Tel : 05-96-50-47-32. Le Galion 97220 La Trinité.
Tel : 05-96-58-20-65. La Mauny 97215 Rivière-Pilote.
Tel : 05-96-62-62-08. Neisson Habitation Thieubert,
97221 Le Carbet. Tel : 05-96-78-03-70. Saint-Etienne Habitation
Saint-Etienne, 97213 Le Gros-Morne. Tel : 05-96-57-62-68. Trois-Rivière 97228 Sainte-Luce. Tel : 05-96-62-51-78.
Varieties of Rum
• Rhum Blanc
: Also called "Gappe Blanche ", it is extracted, like all the rhums of Martinique, of the juice of fresh cane, but is bottled as of the phase of distillation. It titrates between 45 and 60 degrees of alcohol. National drink of the inhabitants, it is generally consumed in Punch with a little sugar and green lemon, or sometimes as a Planteur, drowned in fruit juice.
• Rhum Vieux : It is a white rum which one makes age at least three years in a barrel of oak. Certain distilleries the closely connected one for one period even longer, 12 years and more. Is drunk pure and without ice floe.
• Rhum Paille : Intermediary between the white rum and old rum, rum straw ages 18 months.
The juice syrup of cane which one heats then that one cools to make crystallize sugar, leaves for waste a great quantity of brown molasses. These are these residues that the first sugar plantations put to ferment in tanks to obtain Tafia. A hard brandy and without smoothnesses which achieves nevertheless its principal goal easily: to make flibustiers and first colonists drunks. To XVIII, the production of Tafia is extended and specializes. The sugar plantations remain the largest actors of the market, but at their sides small-scale farmings only devoted to the distillation of brandy appear. Gradually, those will improve qualities of them. The molasses are not any more used as raw material principal and leave the place initially to the juice of cane cooked, the "Vésou" then with the juice of fresh cane, "Vésou Cru" that one makes ferment to obtain what one indicates today under the name of Agricultural Rhum.
French Version