Rhum Saint James - Martinique

At Saint James, distillation is the most delicate phase and the most important

At Saint James, distillation "is the most delicate phase and the most important."

fresh cut sugarcane stalks being loaded into conveyor for crusing at Saint James distillery.

Fresh cut sugarcane stalks are being loaded into the conveyor for chopping and crushing at Saint James distillery.

The claw as seen from another view. Sugarcane stalks are about to be loaded into the crushers

The hoisting claw as seen from another view. Sugarcane stalks are about to be loaded onto a conveyor for chopping and crushing to extract the sweet vesou.

The sigarcane stalks are crushed, rinsed, and sent to the crushers again, reducing them to a pulpy mush

The sigarcane stalks are chopped, crushed, rinsed, and sent through the crushers again, reducing them to a pulpy mush and extracting all of the sugary juice.

Sugarcane pulp going into the crusher rollers for the second or third time.

Sugarcane pulp goes into the crusher rollers for the second or third time.

Fresh sweet sugarcane juice "Vesou" flows from the crushers.

Fresh sweet sugarcane juice "Vesou" flows out of the crushers. Add water, yeast, steam and you get rhum!

Stainless Steel fermentation tanks at Saint James Distillery

Large stainless steel fermentation tanks at Saint James Distillery.

Saint James Fermentation Tank being filled with cane juice and yeast.

Fermentation tank being filled with sugarcane juice and yeast; bubbles are CO2.

As the yeast converts sugar to alcohol and CO2, the bubbling action declines, signaling the fermentation is nearly complete at about 4-6%ABV

This fermentation tank is becoming more tame. As the yeast converts sugar to alcohol and CO2, it begins to die of alcohol poisoning after 24-36 hours. The bubbling declines, indicating that the fermentation is complete at about 4-6% ABV.

Saint James's column stills

Saint James' column stills

More column stills at Saint James Distillerie, Martinique

More column stills at Saint James Distillerie, Martinique. Each column distills the spirit in a single pass, the columns are not linked.

The ABV from the stills is monitored with hydrometer and thermometer in these small tanks

The percent ABV of the spirit coming off the stills is monitored with hydrometer and thermometer in these small tanks.

Closeup view of hydrometer and thermometer measuring alcohol percentage of the raw spirit.

Closeup view of hydrometer and thermometer measuring % ABV of the raw spirit.

Large oak blending/aging tank at Saint James distillery

Le Grand Bois - Large oak blending/aging tank at Saint James distillery.

A Cathedral of beautiful oak aging tanks make beautiful rhum Saint James.

Cathedral-like beauties – oak aging tanks resting rhum at Saint James.

Thick. solid steel rods contain powerfully great rhum inside this oak aging/blending tank at Saint James.

Thick steel rods contain powerfully great rhum inside this aging/blending tank.

Rhum agricole vieux maturing in aging barrels until just right, at Saint James Distillery, Martinique

Stacks of oak barrels age rhum agricole vieux until it is sufficiently mature.

While any color could cover the wall, Saint James Distillery turns every aspect of rhum making into an art.

While any color could cover a wall, at Saint James Distillery every aspect of rhum making is approached as art.


© Dave Russell 2017