Martinique and its rums

But who is Elmire? The one that, if we are to believe the writer Patrick Chamoise, would appear to every drinker at the point where time stands still. She would then take on the features inspired by you intoxication, your joys and your sorrows…. The Martinican author has no equal when it comes to recounting the Antilles, its people and its history. “Elmire des sept bonheurs” is a tale in tribute to the workers of the Saint-Etienne distillery. It is with delight that we dive into the secrets of an old worker in the rum industry.

"A century of fine words floats around the Saint-Etienne house ... Secrets also float. A ball of secrets that connects 1883 to today. In fact, it is an addition of little secrets, an old knowledge, a real knowledge, that only the weeders of these lands have… Father Simonnet with his gold watch; or Zolbè the cane cutter. It was Théolomène the seancier, who worked in the fertilizers, and Colocomedes the bearmamé, the good mason, who had built the reinforced cement chimney of Saint-Etienne like a palm of victory above the hills. There was also Man Amélya Sérénisse, who worked all his life cleaning the tanks and then bottling; Pè DèDè, who drove the cart-trabot whose big wheels came from France; and Isidore Adélodaine, the ababa who looked after the garden.

The people of Saint-Etienne found themselves like that through the ages, around the first drops which perspired in a copper tub. Legends, secrets, a thousand beautiful words ... this is a century of life, patience, work and intelligence. This rum, this nectar over which distillers weep in respectful rage across the Caribbean, yes, we made it. "

After reading this excerpt published on the HSE website, we have decided that the Saint-Etienne plantation will be the first on our list. Especially since, strangely, we did not (yet) know the HSE rums, Habitation Saint-Etienne.

Direction Gros Morne in Saint-Joseph, in the north of the island, where HSE has some 650 ha of sugar cane and banana plantations. At the beginning of the 19th century there was a sugar refinery, later transformed into an agricultural distillery. Fallen into oblivion, the estate was bought in 1994 by company managers José and Yves Hayot. Father and son embark on major restoration work, enhancing the architectural heritage.

With success: the distillery and its aqueduct are listed in the inventory of Historic Monuments, testifying to the beautiful industrial architecture of the end of the 19th century. Its park, which is free to enter, has the "Remarkable Garden" label.

Monumental works of art, palms, remarkable trees and tropical flowers punctuate the walk along a stony canal. The mansion overlooks the buildings of the distillery.

A beautiful facade catches the eye: the 28 arched windows provide ventilation for the cellar where the rums patiently age.

A few rails bear witness to the days when work animals towed the wagons filled with sugar cane.

The Lézarde River, tamed by a stony canal, provides hydraulic energy.

The old aging cellars of the Saint-Etienne house are dedicated to art in all its forms. The “Foudres HSE” welcome visual artists, researchers, poets and musicians. Every two years, temporary exhibitions showcase the works of contemporary artists.

But back to rum! Les Foudres HSE also houses the tasting shop.

Just a little clarification: on the site is aged the rum distilled at the Simon distillery (just like Clément rums). For its beautiful range of rums, HSE plants specific varieties of sugar cane and also works with selected independent growers.

The Hayot family not only rehabilitated the architectural heritage of the Saint-Etienne house. She has also created a range of excellent rums far from Martiniquaise folklore with its Madras scarf. HSE defends the quality of the AOC Martinique and its agricultural rum obtained from sugar cane and not from molasses. Rum HSE garners medals and distinctions all around the world.

Cyrille Lawson, of Bordeaux origin, has been following this reconstruction adventure almost from the start. We had the chance to visit and taste the rum in his company.

There is no end to it when it comes to HSE rums! He talks about the terroir, old rum, cask finishes (end of aging, finishing in barrels that have contained wine, whiskey, sherry, port, etc.).

“During aging, the scents become more intense, more complex. We also have limited vintages like the Gold Cane Parcellaire distilled from a variety of sugar cane grown on our plots above the estate. "

We meet David Maire, a native of Alsace like us, bottling line manager (and who makes us taste a little marvel!).

We are now ready to meet Sophie for the tastings!

After the 3rd drink I stopped taking notes ... Impossible to establish a preference! For me, it is rather white rum which at HSE benefits from a slow maturation, revealing magnificent aromas. And especially for the Parcellaire cuvée from the distillation of the famous gold cane. Hervé fell in love with an extra old agricultural rum ...