French can also produce good quality Rum, find them in Rhum Fest Paris!
12 min read
Occurring every year in a row, the Rhum Fest of Paris, the essential Rum event, is usually taking over the Parc Floral of Vincennes in Spring, with an even larger exhibition area to celebrate the arrival of Rum within its phase of maturity. A premium event by sponsored by the Rum Porter magazine.
At this Rhum Fest, where are welcomed 50 exhibitors, 40 animation sessions, 2500 individual visitors and 2800 professionals, it’s always the occasion to discover the legendary brands but also the last trends. This fair remains for professionals, in order to favor the comfort and the fluidity of the visitors, plus to make them live an optimal Rum tasting experience, in the best conditions, through limiting the number of entries. Plus, each year the Rum brands are competing within the biggest Rum contest of the World, so-called the Rhum Fest Awards, where 350 samples are tested by a jury composed of 60 professionals.
Then, we will have a further look below about some of the French actors of this wide Rum galaxy, whether their cane juice arises from different sides of the Planet. Just to prove that Rum has no borders and is renewing all the time! By Alex Plato
First you have to know, the Rhum Charrette is the emblematic Rum, an institution straight from the french Reunion Island… (photo credits: Rhum Charrette).
As far as we know, the spectacular volcanic relief of this Reunion Island favored the development of small farms where, more than ever, the cane is cut, with the help of sabers, by harvest experts, really engaged to respect of the cycle seasons. Indeed, for several centuries, most of the island lives, from June to December, at the rhythm of the cane cutting, like any harvest in vineyards. We can affirm that the hot and humid climate of the Reunion is conducive to sugar culture. These ideal conditions boost the molasses juice, from the cane particularly rich in aromas. Thus, the Rhum Charrette is developed for the sake of keeping natural flavors from this ancestral cane tradition.
Launched in 2016 with “Le Vanillé” (including a real vanilla clove inside, infusing aromas), the Charrette Héritage range is enriched by two new references:
Pursuing our exotic journey, we are pleased to announce the release of the latest creation from Plantation Rum! This Maison Ferrand‘s property is glad to hose your favorite nearest department store, with this exotic wave of flavors, arising straight from the Pacific Ocean! Kindly baptized Isle of Fiji, this singular amber Rum has been imagined in tribute to the heavenly landscapes of these illustrious and so distant Fiji Islands, deeply anchored in the Polynesian Archipelago 🇫🇯
Indeed, you surely keep a sunny picture in your mind within their pristine lagoons and their lush jungles, this Isle of Fiji tenderly created by Plantation Rum tends to reflect the beauty of this postcard from faraway, as an ode to the beauty of the local endemic fauna and flora. For instance, a particular attention has been paid to the Fiji native iguana Fiji is highlighted in the azure blue packaging of the bottle, surrounded by natural barrel strings, reminiscent of the local lagoons (photo credits: Jokes Brew).
With this original creation, the Maison Ferrand, led since 1989 by the Master Blender named Alexandre Gabriel, wished to offer a premium Rum with a powerful personality, to the mainstream market. This is not the first time that this French independent distillery, famous for its various inspired spirits, initiated such an avant-garde synergy. Already strong with its own brands, declined in many specialities, as proves the essences developed by Plantation Rum, but also Ferrand Cognac and Gin Citadelle (have a look on our other article). It’s true that this laboratory of gustatory ideas has not stopped to surprise us!
Especially here, where their distinctive know-how is identifiable in the distillation process of this Rum, since their original double aging signature, paired with a certain Fijian tradition, generated a Rum enriched with warm notes of exotic fruits and raisin. Indeed, this double tropical and continental aging method is not innovative for a Rum, but here it’s the fruit of ancestral techniques and a local sugar cane. Moreover, this juice is enhanced by one of the purest waters of the world, doubled by a real volcanic rooted terroir, resulting in a very high quality sugar cane. For you information, all the processing stages are operated by craftsmen, since canes are cut by hand, before being crushed in old sugar mills (photo credits: Just Rum With It).
Furthermore, the Isle of Fiji Rum is first aged, between 2 and 3 years, in Bourbon barrels, basically in a hot and humid tropical climate. These parameters accelerate the aging process and offer to this elixir a notable complexity, completed with its inner exotic accents. Then, the ensemble follows its journey to reach Cognac (in France), in order to accomplish its ultimate aging stage, this time under more continental conditions, in the proper Maison Ferrand oak barrels. This last period, common to all the other Plantation Rums, provides here the homemade and unique character.
Regarding its smell, you could easily feel its intense notes of molasses and pear at first sight, followed by more fruity notes, several evocations of apple, banana, gooseberry, and even a wedding between the spicy nutmeg and vanilla, underlined into a smoky undertone, at the end. Once in your palate, a coherent round and gourmet taste, starts with notes of vanilla, plus honey before leaving room for a cocktail of exotic fruits, composed of ginger, plum and coconut. Soft like the Fijian sun, this suave amber Rum displays then intense fruity aromas, along hints of spices and on top of that, a touch of smokey caramel. You would be amazed by its lush finish, ending on a smooth dried banana and some allspice suggestions (photo credits: Maison Ferrand).
By the way, Plantation Rum advises you to enjoy it wether pure or in a cocktail of coconut water and a dash of lemon juice, the all on ice. This 40% Rum is exclusively distributed in supermarkets, in a 70 cl bottle, for a recommended price of 29,90€. Bula! as we say in the Fiji Islands…
The Whisper Rum straight from Antigua, since 2015… Another example of rum particularly niche and young since launched in 2015 by two young French entrepreneurs, including Anne-François Houzel having lived in the Caribbean archipelago, especially in Antigua, eventually before returning to France for his studies. At this occasion, he got the opportunity to meet his fellow and future associate, Humbert Achard de la Vente (photo credits: Whisper Rum).
From there, they got closer to the only distillery of Antigua which is a distillery of 1932 whose distillation columns are vintage! In addition, Antigua being a former English colony, the distillery thus made traditional rum, that is to say from molasses.American oak barrels, formerly used for the aging of Kentucky Bourbon, were included in the process to maturate the cane juice imported from Antigua to Cognac, the final production step. And after nearly 3 years of work, the brand was launched in October 2015 at a trade show organized by their French distributor, the Dugas company.
Born in Caribbean and also grown up in France… Following the trend to import the sugar cane juice from the production spot and maturing it in France, the Hedonist Spirits, a spirits production company, based in Bordeaux, moreover mixes their rums from various origins and turns them into an unique product, through his new selection (photo credits: Hedonist Spirits).
Their vision is simple and ambitious, they focus on the reinvention of spirits, through the recipe, the method of assemblying or aging of their products. Their actual Hedonist, selection is composed of a modern liqueur of cognac and ginger, Hee Joy, a range of Rums, following a British tradition within an assemblage of traditional Rums from Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana, and finally the last born, the rebel and wild Gun’s Bell, an exceptional spicy Caribbean Rum. In a more accessible version, the latest Gun’s Bell edition is a mix of Caribbean Rum, smoked and including more fruity taste, also assembled with Cognac.
Still elaborated in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, we already had a review about their fabulous Gin. The Moon Harbour factory also proposes two precious Rums. Both are distilled from cane sugar, directly coming from the enchanting Mauritius Island, formerly called Isle De France. All the juice is matured in their Bordeaux‘ distillery, aged in some barrels (for the Amber Rum), previously used for their Moon Harbour Whiskey.(photo credits: Moon Harbour).This Moon Rhum Gold can either be tasted nature, to enhance your aperitif time, or even in the shape of a cocktail, for example a Mojito.
The second item is a Moon Rhum Blanc is also a Premium Rum, composed of muscovado, this Mauritius mixture made of unrefined cane sugar and molasses. After distillation, the Rum remains for a couple of weeks in a stainless steel tank, in order to aerate the product and thus develop its aromas.This alternative Rum, still distilled in Bordeaux, already offers aromas of vanilla, from the first sight A frank attack on the first sip would express you, in addition to vanilla, its disseminated herbaceous notes.
Once again, Moon Harbour recommends you to enjoy it on ice (as an aperitif or digestive) or in a cocktail (such as the classics Ti-Punch, Caïpirinha), in order to further enhance this French product exclusivity.
Last but not least, if you’re not into the strong forces conveyed by a good Rum.. why wouldn’t you try the Rum without any alcohol? The French Lyon-based company Fin Pallet produces this concept, poetically untitled Quintessence, made from a real West Indies Rum, but fully de-alcoholized and then guaranteed without alcohol (photo credits: Fin Pallet).
Then the creators Calixte Payan and Édouard Pellet made a collaboration with a Grasse perfumery, expert in the extraction of perfumes, in order to strictly de-alcoholize this Rum, they imported from the West Indies. Their product, born in their La Croix-Rousse offices (close to Lyon) in 2016, was then launched after many efforts, notably during Spring 2017. This revolutionary Rum would eventually satisfy the mixology and the alcohol-free enthusiasts plus of course the bartenders. You should try it in the classic cocktails recipes, such as the mojito or the punch, you would be muchly impressed by the taste similitude with an authentic Rum!
The product is now available at La Maison Du Rhum, for a price of 16 euros. The Fin Pallet company also organizes your cocktail party with their team of inspired mixologists. Moreover their imagination is not outdone since they propose edible straws to animate your good times, they are also available to be customized. Several flavors are offered (apple, cinnamon, strawberry, lemon, green lemon and even ginger).
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