Rhum Agricole
Encyclopedia
Rhum Agricole is a type of rum
distilled in one of the French West Indies
islands from freshly squeezed sugar cane juice rather than from molasses
. Most rum is made from molasses, a byproduct of sugar refining but when France began to make sugar from sugar beets, sugar prices plunged heavily. The debt ridden sugar factories could not survive solely on sugar production. The French islands found that fresh cane juice was available for fermenting and distilling into rum.
Much Rhum Agricole comes from the island of Martinique
though other islands in the French Caribbean, including Guadeloupe
, Marie-Galante
and St. Barths also produce it. Reunion Island and Mauritius
, in the Indian Ocean
, also produce rum known as Rhum Agricole. Some Haitian Rums are considered agricoles as well.
Martinique is most well known for Rhum Agricole because French law allowed for (and current European Union law allows for) an "Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée" (protected designation of origin) of "rhum agricole AOC Martinique" for rums produced on the island of Martinique that meet certain standards .
It is the main ingredient in Ti'Punch
.
Rhum Agricole is usually distilled to 70% alcohol
(140 proof in the U.S.) and then watered down to 40~55% (80-110 proof)when bottled. It may be aged as little as a few months (3 months at least for AOC rhum agricole) or for several years. After three years of aging in Oak
Barrels it may be called "rhum vieux," or "old rhum" .
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
distilled in one of the French West Indies
French West Indies
The term French West Indies or French Antilles refers to the seven territories currently under French sovereignty in the Antilles islands of the Caribbean: the two overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique, the two overseas collectivities of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, plus...
islands from freshly squeezed sugar cane juice rather than from molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
. Most rum is made from molasses, a byproduct of sugar refining but when France began to make sugar from sugar beets, sugar prices plunged heavily. The debt ridden sugar factories could not survive solely on sugar production. The French islands found that fresh cane juice was available for fermenting and distilling into rum.
Much Rhum Agricole comes from the island of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
though other islands in the French Caribbean, including Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante is an island of the Caribbean Sea located at the south of Guadeloupe and at north of Dominica. Marie-Galante is a dependence of Guadeloupe which is a french overseas department....
and St. Barths also produce it. Reunion Island and Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, also produce rum known as Rhum Agricole. Some Haitian Rums are considered agricoles as well.
Martinique is most well known for Rhum Agricole because French law allowed for (and current European Union law allows for) an "Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée" (protected designation of origin) of "rhum agricole AOC Martinique" for rums produced on the island of Martinique that meet certain standards .
It is the main ingredient in Ti'Punch
Ti'Punch
The Ti'Punch is a rum-based mixed drink that is especially popular in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti, French Guyana and other French-speaking Caribbean states...
.
Rhum Agricole is usually distilled to 70% alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
(140 proof in the U.S.) and then watered down to 40~55% (80-110 proof)when bottled. It may be aged as little as a few months (3 months at least for AOC rhum agricole) or for several years. After three years of aging in Oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
Barrels it may be called "rhum vieux," or "old rhum" .
External links
- http://www.newgrove.mu "New Grove Rum from Mauritius"
- http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39 "What you should know about RHUM AGRICOLE" from ministryofrum.com
- http://www.caribbean-spirits.com/rhumagricole.htm Rhum Agricole at caribbeanspirits.com
- http://www.cocktailatlas.com/Rhum_Agricole/Rhum_Agricole.htm Rhum Agricole at cocktailatlas.com
- http://www.amountainofcrushedice.com/?p=374 Descriptions of Rhum Agricole and Brazilian Cachaca
- http://www.rhum-agricole.net Rhum agricole at rhum-agricole.net (mainly in French)