Rhum Saint James Musée du Rhum, Martinique


Entering St. James gingerbread visitor center inspires awe for the history and craftsmanship of Martinique rhum.

St. James gingerbread-adorned Visitors Center is an island treasure, inspiring awe for the history and craftsmanship of Martinique rhum.

Step inside Saint-James' Visitors Center for truly impressive artifacts and the sidle up to the expansive tasting bar.

Step inside Saint James' Visitors Center for truly impressive artifacts. When you've had enough history, sidle up to the expansive tasting bar for impressive rhum.

Shortly after stepping inside Saint-James Welcome center, you encounter a couple of baby copper pot stills. Just looking at them makes me want to start playing novice rum maker

Shortly after stepping inside Saint-James Welcome center, you encounter a couple of baby copper pot stills. Just looking at them makes you want to play novice rhum maker. Or at least sample some rhum.

Welcome to St. James Distillery. The facility is as much a museum as it is a hard working distillery.

Saint James offers an incredibly comprehensive museum dedicated to the practice of making rhum. It's also a hard working distillery.

Saint-James musée du rhum has the most thorough collection of Centuries-old Alembic and Column stills ever seen by The Rum Gallery. The equipment is beautifully polished and restored.

Saint-James Musée du Rhum has the most thorough collection of Centuries-old Alembic and Column stills ever seen by The Rum Gallery. The equipment is beautifully restored, and provides a fascinating tour for Martinique visitors.

A couple of restored copper pot stills and retorts greet you upon entering Saint James' musée du rhum

A couple of restored copper pot stills and retorts greet you upon entering Saint James' Musée du Rhum

Copper as sculture- Boiling tank, condenser coil, pot still and retort. There's much more to follow too

Copper as sculture - a boiling tank at left, condenser coil, and pot stills at right.

Stills in the entry to Musée du Rhum at Saint James distillery

Close-up of restored copper pot stills at entrance to the Musée du Rhum

Inside view of Saitn James' Musée de Rhum. Their presentation of historic stills is the best the Rum Gallery has ever experienced.

Inside Saint James Musée – the presentation of historic stills is the best the Rum Gallery has ever experienced.

Inside the museum, you'll discover many polished Alembic pot stills, Column stills, distillation plates of various designs, descriptive posters and much more. Saint Jame's musée de rhum is overwhelming.

You'll discover many polished Alembic pot stills, Column stills, column still plates of various designs, descriptive posters and much more. Saint Jame's musée de rhum is overwhelming.

A copper Coumn still stands to the left of two dirrent styles of pot stills. Hung from the wall are plates from a column still.

A copper Coumn still stands to the left of two dirrent styles of pot stills. Hung from the wall are plates from a column still.

Column still plate design detail #1 @ Saint James Note the "mushrooms", inverted cups that help separate alcohol vapors from steam

Column still plate design detail #1. Note the "mushrooms", inverted cups bolted to the top of the plate. They help separate alcohol vapors from steam.

Copper column still plate design detail #3 @ Saint James. More "mushrooms"

Copper column still plate design detail #2. More "mushrooms."

Copper column still plate design detail #2 @ Saint James. Reputedly very effective at stripping off alcohol vapors, but difficult to clean

Copper column still plate design detail #3. The caps are reputedly very effective at stripping off alcohol vapors, but require careful disassembly of the still to clean.

Old Copper Column still on display at Saint-James.

Our guides Jessica Marie and M. Michel Fayad are dwarfed by an old polished copper column still on display at Saint-James Musée du Rhum.

Sized just perfect for home use. Jealous and awestruck at the variety of stills exhibited at Saint James' Musée du Rhum, Martinique.

Pot still – the perfect size for home. I'm awestruck at the variety of stills exhibited at Saint James' Musée du Rhum, Martinique.

Copper Pot an Column Stills on exhibit at Saint James Musée du Rhum. The historical variety is spell binding

Copper Pot and Column Stills are tastefully exhibited at Saint James Musée du Rhum. The historical variety is spell-binding.

Parts of a Copper pot still and condensing coil.

Copper pot still and condensing coil.

Small pot sill with gooseneck and cooling coil.

Small pot sill with gooseneck and cooling coil.

Large Informative posters like this one titled "The Birth of Distillation" are well done, full of history and provide a concise narrative of the distilling technologies and methods on exhibit at the museum

Large posters are hung at appropriate places in the museum. They're full of historical Information, and provide a concise narrative of the distilling technologies and methods on exhibit.

When stills are sexy. Curvaceous copper wonder, a classic Charentais pot still is used for double distillation. This type of still is typical of tradiional Cognac production, but not allowed by AOC regulations

When stills are sexy. Curvaceous copper wonder; a classic Charentais pot still is used for double distillation. This type of still is typical of tradiional Cognac production, but not allowed by AOC regulations.

Still, more, still, Art.

Be still my beating Art.

A humbling and hollow, wanting sight -- Rums dating back to the 19th Century on diplay at Saint-James Musée du Rhum

A humbling, wanting sight -- Saint James rhums dating back to the 19th Century.

Colorful wall at Saint James Distillery and Museum

Colorful wall at Saint James Museum. Next stop, the Distillery.

© Dave Russell 2017