La Favorite Rhum: An Authentic Artisanal Spirit
Distillerie La Favorite is a family-owned and independent distillery in Martinique that produces authentic and artisanal agricultural rum. The distillery works in pure West Indian tradition and guarantees the excellence of the 600,000 bottles produced annually.
Several generations of the Dormoy family have run it. It was built in 1842 and initially employed a water wheel to power the cane-crushing mills. At that time, the estate included two sugar refineries and one small rum distillery. The founder, Henri Dormoy, lost his business in Saint-Pierre during the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902.
In 1909, he bought the bankrupt La Favorite sugar factory at auction. Mr. Dormoy transforms it into a distillery. The latter became very profitable with the exponential demand for exotic spirits during the First World War. As a sign of the family’s success, a castle was built in 1922.
The La Favorite distillery cultivates more than 60 hectares of sugarcane, which corresponds to 60% of its needs. Local farmers provide the rest for the distillery. This guarantees a short circuit, which is good for the quality of the product and for the environment. It is harvested during the first six months of the year (from January to June), when the sugar level is at its maximum.
At La Favorite, the sugarcane is harvested manually, guaranteeing better quality, remarkable freshness, and excellent regrowth. Small, independent growers provide the rest and deliver the cane to the distillery. Then, the sugarcane is crushed in the three mills to extract the juice, called “vesou.”
The use of this freshly squeezed vesou characterizes the quality of agricultural rum. As for the filtered vesou juice, it is sent to stainless steel tanks where it will ferment. This process takes 24 to 36 hours. Once fermented, it is sent to a distillation column. The Favorite thus benefits from a so-called “closed circuit” power supply, allowing it to be completely autonomous while being ecological.
The white rhum of La Favorite is the sweetest on the island. Its naturally sweet flavor and aromas of cane and citrus give it a balance that makes it the rum most appreciated by rum producers. Moreover, connoisseurs particularly appreciate La Flibuste, recognizable by its wax-sealed bottle. It is an aged rum that has been in casks for 25 years, and its production is limited to about 5000 bottles per vintage.
La Favorite rhums exported to the US are distilled, aged, and bottled at the distillery. Rhum aficionados can visit La Favorite and live an authentic experience at the distillery. Visitors will not only walk through a museum but also follow the different artisanal steps of the rum-making process in the middle of the working machinery.
Featured image source: Lesamisdesamisdurhum.com
