Depaz
The Depaz distillery is located near the town of Saint Pierre in Martinique, which was once the largest Rum port in the world. Victor Depaz founded his Rum distillery in 1917, just 15 years after the eruption of the volcano Montagne Pelée, which at the time destroyed the entire town at its feet.
| Information about the Distillery | |
|---|---|
| Martinique, Caribbean | |
| -61.165415 14.757575 | |
| Active | |
| 1917 | |
| Victor Depaz | |
| https://depaz.fr/fr |
| Average tasting notes Tasting notes |
i
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Nosing
Fruit:
Sherry:
Dried Fruit:
Vanilla:
Sweet:
Herbs:
Tropical Fruit:
Fig:
Floral:
Tobacco:
Herb:
Tasting
Sweet:
Vanilla:
Chocolate:
Fruit:
Nuts:
Hazelnut:
Floral:
Date:
Herbs:
Banana:
Plum:
Oak:
Sherry:
Spices:
Honey:
Nutmeg:
Green Apple:
Tobacco:
Herb:
|
||
The Rum
The product range of Depaz Rhums Agricoles includes white Rums as well as matured Rums and special editions. All Depaz Rums today are usually bottled at 45% vol. The 'rhum vieux' Depaz Rhum VSOP 7 years was aged for seven years, although only four years would have been necessary for the designation VSOP (very old special pale). The Depaz Rhum XO 8 years matured for eight to ten years and thus just as easily fulfils the guidelines for the designation XO (extra old), according to which a Rum must be stored for at least six years. The special editions include the Depaz Rhum Port Cask Finish 8 years, which matured for at least eight years in small oak casks and then received its finish in port wine casks for eleven months.
The Production
The terroir plays an important role at Depaz. The volcanic soils have a very high mineral content. In addition, the tropical climate with many hours of sunshine and sufficient rainfall ensures optimal growing conditions for the sugar cane. Depaz has been working according to the regulations of the AOC label since 1996 and the distillery has had an organic label since 2019.
In addition to its own Rhum Agricole, Depaz also distils Rum for its sister distillery Dillon, which is located in Fort-de-France and no longer has its own production facilities. However, the sugar cane comes from its own plantations.
The Distillation
As is customary in Martinique, Depaz also uses a Creole-style distillation column. This is filled to a height of two-thirds with the sugar cane wine that is produced after fermentation. While the liquid flows down through the various trays of the column during continuous distillation, the vapour generated by an old steam engine rises to the top. The lighter alcohol vapours flow upwards and separate from the rest of the liquid. At the end of the distillation process, a Rhum Agricole of 70% vol. is obtained. What remains is the so-called 'vinasse', which is basically a waste product, but is processed and used as fertiliser in the fields.
The Sugar Cane
The sugar cane for Depaz Rum is grown on the volcanic soils of the Montagne Pelée. Together with Martinique's favourable climate with plenty of sunshine and rainfall, this provides ideal growing conditions for the sugar cane. Depaz has 451 hectares of cultivated land, but only about half of this is used for sugar cane. This is because sugar cane is replaced by other crops, such as bananas, after 5 years. This crop rotation allows the soil to regenerate better and retain its good quality.
The harvest begins in February, when the sugar cane is just ripe enough. This is indicated by the sugar cane blossoms, which look as if the fields are covered in white feathers. Sugar cane is best harvested very dry, when it has not rained. At this point it has the highest sugar content.
The Pressing Process
Immediately after cutting, the sugar cane is shredded until a kind of fibrous scrub remains. According to AOC guidelines, this must be done on the same day. Pressing then begins in four stages with the help of mechanical rollers. From the second pass onwards, recycled sugar cane juice is added to the now very dry fibres in order to achieve the maximum sugar content. The press is still driven in the traditional way using a steam engine that is around 150 years old. The result is a very sweet juice called 'vesou' on the one hand and a fibrous residue called 'bagasse' on the other, which is used for energy production and composting. The juice obtained is filtered and sent for fermentation.
The Fermentation
Depaz has 26 fermentation tanks, each with a volume of 40,000 litres, although not all the tanks are always in operation at the same time. The fermentation time is 48 hours, which is slightly longer than usual. When the sugar is fully fermented, a type of sugar wine (vin de sucre) with four to five per cent alcohol is obtained, which is then sent for distillation.
The History
In 1651, Jacques Duparquet, the first governor of the island of Martinique, founded the agricultural estate La Montagne. The land was originally used to grow tobacco and indigo. Livestock was also raised here before sugar cane began to be cultivated. Along with several other families, Victor Depaz's family also farmed the estate. The resulting Rum production became increasingly successful, and the town of Saint Pierre became the world's first Rum port. It was therefore soon nicknamed the "little Paris of the Antilles". However, not much remained of the town after the eruption of the Montagne Pelée volcano in 1902 and Victor Depaz, who was studying in Bordeaux at the time, lost his entire family in the disaster. Originally just passing through on his way to Canada, where he now wanted to settle, he decided to stay in Martinique and set up a Rum distillery himself. This was put into operation in 1917. In addition, a family house was built on the estate, the Château Depaz, where Victor lived with his family.
In the 1950s, Victor's sons André and Raoul took over the company and carried out several modernisation measures.
The Visitor Centre
During a visit to the Depaz distillery, guests can learn everything about Rum production on a tour with display boards or an audio tour. Afterwards, there is also the opportunity to taste different Rums. The entire Depaz range is also available in the well-stocked, large shop. In addition, you can combine the excursion to Depaz with a walk through the five-hectare Depaz Park with its over 100-year-old trees and visit the Château Depaz or the Depaz Museum.
Distillery Adress:
Destillerie Depaz
Plantation de la Montagne Pelée
97250 Saint-Pierre
Tel: +596 596 786498
User Notes about the Distillery
Share your experience with other whisky lovers. Write a note about your trip to the Depaz distillery.