The A1710 expertise
At the heart of the Habitation du Simon, we elaborate several vintages of white rums, including La Perle Rare, produced from organic cane, as well as vintages of extra-aged rums and an exclusive barrel-aged rum. Each production stage is a subtle balancing act combining the excellence of ancestral expertise with the demands of modern techniques to ensure that our rums reflect all the wealth and heritage of Martinique and the West Indies.
Agricultural white rums
The A1710 white rums are entirely produced at the Habitation du Simon:
planting, milling, distillation, and bottling.
Cane harvest
Canes are harvested throughout the year to meet daily production requirements.
Small neighbouring local growers deliver their batches of various varieties of cane to ensure a broad range of flavours.
We also farm our own cane plantation on the Habitation du Simon grounds.
Canes are hand-cut due to the characteristics of the land and our concern to retain the quality of the harvest.
The cutting process requires rigorous expertise including great concentration, precision, and accuracy in each movement.
The gesture is precise and incisive, once the canes have been cut, they are assembled in bundles ready for pressing.
To ensure the freshness of the juices and limit oxidation, our hand-cut canes are transported to the mill house, at the heart of the domain, where they are pressed in our three-roll mill, similar to those used since the 19th century.
Once collected, the fresh cane juice is immediately placed in our fermentation vats. Next, it is stored in the latest generation of refrigerated vats.
The distillery
Our slow refrigerated fermentation process is combined with the use of specific strains of yeasts. The cooling system creates deeper aromas by allowing the yeasts to thrive.
The A1710 agricultural white rums are distilled in a Charente copper still. A 7-tray distillation column, also made of copper, has been incorporated into this bare-heated still, known as ‘La Belle Aline’. The presence of copper generates a saponification effect (the interaction between copper and vapours) imparting a different flavour to the distilled wines.
An ancestral yet modern process.
Extra-aged rums
Our three vintages of extra-aged rums, ‘Soleil de Minuit’, ‘Tricentenaire’, and ‘Nuée Ardente’
are all hand bottled at the Habitation in our exclusive decanter, each one is individually numbered.
In their own way, our extra-aged rums sublimate the terroirs of Martinique and the West Indies by highlighting the diversity of flavours.
The A1710 extra-aged rums are produced in the Habitation cellar using a blend of great agricultural rums, and also, depending on the vintages, some Grands Crus molasses which are added in subtle quantities. These extra-aged rums matured between 8 and 17 years and originate from Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Cellar maturing of A1710 aged rums
Our cellar is located at the heart of the domain in an old timber and stone building. It benefits from a remarkable thermal amplitude given its location, between the sea and the mountains, which facilitates the work of our tun, once used by great Cognac houses.
Following a three-year period, rums are blended in tuns, large capacity wooden barrels, in two stages.
First, the basic cut is removed. This first blend, left to rest for 8 weeks, will be the common base for our three vintages.
Next, we add other rums to the basic cut in the desired quantities, and leave this combination to rest for a further 8 weeks. Finally, all our rums are poured into ‘goutte’ (drop-shaped) decanters and numbered at the property. This expertise is unique and exclusive to A1710.