Thursday 29 April 2010

Le Pere Labat

Hello Rum Lovers,

it's a pleasure being able to post again. Today I wanted to introduce the Pere Labat distillery from Marie Galante in Guadeloupe.

The distillery was created in 1860 and is located in Grand Bourg, Marie Galante in the Guadeloupe Archipelago. Marie Galante is completely different from all the different Caribbean islands. It is an island completely made of limestone produced by the corals what differentiate it from all the other islands that are of volcanic origins. The ground, peculiar, rich, deep and well drained, offers a unique environment to the sugar cane. Also, as one can imagine, in Marie Galante, it is hot, 28° average and regularly rains. These 3 elements unified are what make the cane from Marie Galante unique in taste and aroma.

Marie Galante is the cradle of the Pere Labat distillery. It is also one of the smallest distilleries in the world. The best cane is chosen for their aromatic richness, most of it is handpicked. It is often referred as one of the best, if not THE best rum in the world.

The Father Labat is an incontrovertible legend in the Caribbean when it comes to rum he’s like the Dom Perignon of rum. Voluntary missionary, he travelled in Guadeloupe and Martinique in 1696. His heritage? He perfected the rum elaboration process. Labat applied himself to modernising and developing the sugar industry on this island, and owned -and brutalized- his own slaves. Fonds-Saint-Jacques which was his estate was for a long time regarded as a model to be copied. In Martinique, Labat's memory has survived in the vocabulary: La Tour du père Labat ("windmill"); les chaudières Père Labat (the Père Labat boilers"), or the standard of distillation known as type Père Labat.

He introduced the Distillation methods from Charente- the same one used to produce cognac - and instead of obtaining a sharp and burning taste, was obtained a floral and round taste.

Gold Medal at the General Agricole Competition in Paris in 1999, this classic from Marie-Galante (island of the Guadeloupe archipelago) is the locals’ favourite rum. It’s a great tribute to the Father Labat who is, in the 17th century, a pioneer in the rum elaboration technique.

This is very high quality white rum fruity, vegetal, very perfumed, and fresh; a breath of Pere Labat rum can transport you to the lands of Marie Galante. Here’s what Jean-Claude Jambon, the best sommelier in the world had to say about Pere Labat rum in 1986. In terms of the eye, the rum has a slightly off-white colour with an ‘aged’ aspect, neat and limpid and an abundant capillarity. Regarding the nose, it is delicate and distinguished with a subtle and complex aromatic palette where one after the other, vegetal and fruity, fresh and finely ethereal on a balsamic and woody background notes can be found.

In the mouth, the rum is smooth and lightly perfumed in first impression. The alcoholic richness appears and is amplified, well refined by extraordinarily intense aromas and in retro-olfaction finesse. It is fine in mouth with a suave and long aromatic persistence. This why the Pere Labat rum is considered one of the best.

Hope you can get a hold of a bottle. If not you can get in touch with Guadeloupe spirit who distribute premium products from Guadeloupe including the best Rhum Agricole.

info@guadeloupespirit.com

Until next, savour your rum.

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