Brand History
Beginning in the 18th century with Jean Assier's entrance into Martinique, the Distillerie Simon has a long history. He bought this estate with its tropical environment during this period. His descendant, Yves Assier de Pompignan, built the brand-new A1710 rum distillery in the center of Flower Island decades later, at the start of the twenty-first century.
Official website: rhum-a1710.com
With utmost regard for tradition, the distillery creates agricultural rums from pure sugar cane juice. In 2006, Yves Assier from Pompignan embarked on a bold and exciting project of creating a new rum distillery bearing the history and richness of the terroir of the West Indies. Indeed, the takeover of the Habitation du Simon, the passion that drives him for Martinique, and the know-how of an entire team have enabled him to create a brand of rum with criteria of excellence combining tradition and modernity. At the heart of the Habitation du Simon are several cuvées of white rums, one of which, La Perle Rare, is made from organic cane, cuvées of very old rums, and a cuvée of rum-aged undergrowth. Each stage of production is a subtle balance between the excellence of ancestral know-how and the requirements of modern techniques so that the rums carry within them all the richness and history of Martinique and the West Indies. The sugarcane used in the distillery is manually cut according to the daily production quota. The small local planters of the neighboring localities deliver their batches of canes of different varieties to ensure a diversity of flavors. The A1710 Martinique distillery undoubtedly offers you the best agricultural rum.
Domaine Simon on the island of Martinique offers the A1710 agricultural white rum with great pride. Looking more closely at this operation, you understand why the A1710 estate is incredible and fascinating. Here are the elements that differentiate it from other distilleries on the island of Martinique.
The Plantation
The farmland used for the plantations of organic sugar cane is owned and grown in the A1710 estate without fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and various chemicals, an all-natural crop based on two varieties, blue cane and red cane. Precious parcels that make it possible to produce a high-quality organic white rum, such as the Perle Rare Red Cane rum and the Perle Rare Blue Cane rum. Produced in small quantities each year.
La Maison du Moulin
The sugar cane from the plots is entirely cut by hand and is then transported to the Maison du Moulin, in the heart of the estate, where it is crushed by a mill with three Rolls, similar to that of the 19th centuries which is a method that preserves the aromas during the tasting of the freshly created rum.
The A1710 distillery
The estate's distillery produces a perfectly pure rum with, in particular, an extraordinary and exclusive character that only A1710 rums offer such powerful notes during the tasting.
The distillery has a Charentais copper still La belle Aline, which incorporates a column also in copper with seven trays. The distillery is, above all, a renaissance and is one of the eight rum distilleries made from cane juice from Martinique.
The cellar
The brand's cellar is located in the heart of the estate in an authentic old stone and wood building. Its location between the sea and the mountains is perfect for the thermal amplitude of all the barrels. Here are all the elements that allow us to say that A1710 is looking for authenticity, respecting the history of sugar and rum from Martinique; A1710 rums want to promote and recognize all the nobility of the work done manually. Planting canes, ensuring their maintenance and cutting by hand, is the pride of the intimate contribution of A1710 rums to the life of nature.
The Tricentenaire is the culmination of a long journey that began when we set out to create an artisanal rum that was worthy of our time and attention. The aim of creating something unique in flavor and quality was achieved and culminated in this product. The result is a blend rich in character and complexity yet maintains elegance through every stage. The Tricentenaire is a subtle blend of 5 exceptional rums aged between 6 and 17 years, then refined in French oak barrels.
Sweet hints of candied melon and blond tobacco may be detected in its woody aroma. A lovely balance between an all-encompassing warmth driven by oak and exquisite flavors of candied fruit develops on the palate. Its mahogany hue is brilliant and beautiful, adorned with golden reflections. It is vintage limited to 1000 bottles in 2016.
From Farm to bottle, the sugarcane used in the production of the La Perle category was cultivated organically using mule dung as manure. The distillery used Creole cats to fight rodents and transported the sugarcane on mules' backs at harvest. No chemical or additives was added, thus giving it this unique taste and aroma.
The Rare Pearl's categories each represent a particular type of sugar cane. These rums are the first white rums that are mono-varietal, organic, and fractured. For example, the La Perle Rare collection comes from the Habitation du Simon plot corresponding to B69-566 (blue cane) and R579, respectively (red cane).
These two products have different aromatic profiles even though they come from the same plot, were harvested under the same conditions, and were fermented and distilled in the same manner, which is interesting and a first. There is varietal influence! The Cristalline cane used to make the cuvée comes from our organic property in Vauclin. It is one of the most delicate garden canes, distinguished by its sugarcane juice. The bottles produced by this exceptional work of art are just limited to 816 bottles.
La Perle Fine is a brand-new white rum from the A1710 distillery, it is a white rum made from fresh cane and based on farming is called La Perle Fine Collection.
It is produced using a distillation without reduction in a copper still called "la belle Aline" that has a column with seven trays. Canne Bleue, Kariba, and Doucelette from Monsieur Jean-José Henry, cultivated on his plot in François, were chosen by Rums A1710 for this cuvée. They are manually cut, hauled to the center of the Habitation du Simon property, and then crushed once in a three-roll mill that has been in operation in the distillery since the 19th century. A fantastic rum drunk undiluted and at its original strength. 67.5 degrees of finesse with 816 bottles produced.
Nuée ardente is a sophisticated blend of 11 outstanding rums aged between six and twenty-two years in oak barrels. It is solely produced at the Habitation du Simon au François in Martinique.
Its rich mahogany cloak reveals accents of gold and copper. Fruit and licorice scents dominate its sophisticated nose, which is then accentuated by subdued roasting, vanilla, and bourbon notes. A rich, fragrant explosion with supple tannins and traces of spices and roasted chocolate develops on the tongue. Peppermint and candied apple flavors bloom into a delightful length at the end.
In 2021, 463 bottles of this premium rum were made.
Rum Journal's "New Rhum Agricole of The Year 2016" was awarded to Rum A1710 Nuée Ardente.
The objective in developing Renaissance was to produce a tasting white rum that combines freshness and complexity, lightness and strength, and can be used as an aperitif and a digestive.
The lengthy fermentation lasts 5 to 6 days. The use of oenological yeasts, a distillation in our all-copper still fitted with a tiny column, and finally, a brief stay in oak barrels. All accounts for this work of craft in rum making and gives the products a distinct personality.
This pure cane juice rum is the result of extensive cellar labor, and it was meticulously created with the same care and devotion as each of our masterpieces.
"Renaissance" was hand-bottled, and the number of bottles stood at 726.
