Rhum du Père Labat

The island is famous among lovers of agricultural rums for the quality of its production. Its nickname "the island of a hundred mills" sums up its privileged link with the cultivation of sugar cane and the creation of rum. Even today, cane fields represent more than 20% of its surface area.

The Poisson distillery, created in 1863, is the oldest and most authentic of the island. Originally, it was dedicated to sugar production, but in 1916, Edouard Rameau, owner of a distillery that produces molasses rum, acquired the distillery Poisson. He then decided to embark on the development of a more noble agricultural rum, derived from the distillation of pure sugar cane juice.

He installs a copper still in the 30s - one of the peculiarities of the Poisson distillery - and a Creole column in 1955 to elaborate its agricultural rum. He baptizes it as Père Labat in tribute to the missionary monk Father Labat (1663-1738), known for having improved the operation of stills in the 17th century.

Today, more than 150 years later, the distillery perpetuates the traditional production of this agricultural rum by distilling the "vesou", a pure freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. The vesou is the must extracted from sugar cane, it is the basis of agricultural rum. The canes of Marie Galante are known worldwide for their aromatic richness. They are cut and picked by hand in accordance with traditions.

Surrounded by lush vegetation, the Poisson Distillery is one of the smallest in the world of rum, yet it has 150 hectares of cultivated land.

If some of the rum is put to rest in huge oak barrels with a capacity of 10 000 liters then reduced with very pure water before being bottled, the other part of the production is placed in small barrels of oak and takes the direction of the cellars. These are the future old rums, like the beautiful 8 years old. The quality of Père Labat's rum is very appreciated with warm and fruity notes of sugar cane and spicy tips.