Check out this recent article from Yachting Magazine that gives us a nice look into Martinique’s rich culture of Rhum Agricole.
“The best rum in the world comes from Martinique,” Laurent Assier de Pompignan insists. The silver-haired connoisseur is Martinique’s largest importer of fine wines, Champagnes and spirits, and he assures me there’s no need to take his word for it. The rhumeries, as distilleries are called on this French Caribbean island, welcome visiting yachtsmen and invite, no, expect us to taste what comes out of their stills and barrels. As Assier de Pompignan puts it: “The rum made here is the best because it’s rhum agricole — agricultural rum — made straight from sugar-cane juice, not molasses. You’ll see.”
The barrel-aging process is key to rum production. The wood in the barrels lends the rum color and flavor, and it helps make each batch unique.
