Barbancourt

Haiti
Founded in: 1862

All about Barbancourt

Rhum Barbancourt is Agricole in style, i.e. produced from sugarcane juice rather than molasses and this means you can expect more vibrant, fruity, grassy notes in the unaged or young Rhums.

These Rhums are light in style due to continuous column distillation. The Rhum Blanc (unaged and colorless) is a wonderful example of how the difference in distillation method affects the final taste: twin column Barbancourt vs Creole Column Martinique Rhum.

Rhum Barbancourt is produced at the distillery in Port-au-Prince. After the 2010 earthquake, one-third of its aged stock was lost. 

The aging process in French Oak means that the older the Rhum gets, the more the wood impacts on the flavor and the vibrant base Spirit becomes less discernible.

Currently, Rhum Barbancourt offers a Blanc, a four, eight and fifteen-year-old expressions, as well as Pango, a pineapple, mango, and spice infused expression.

 

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All about Barbancourt distillery

Barbancourt is the most famous of all Haiti’s distilleries and dates back to 1862. Dupré Barbancourt brought the process of double distillation using pot stills as per the Cognac producers in his home region of Charente, France employed.

Working entirely with fresh sugarcane juice, rather than the more commonplace molasses as found in the rest of the Caribbean and beyond.

There are times when the juice is reduced to a syrup to allow it to be kept longer prior to fermentation.

Currently, Barbancourt produces their Rhum on a more efficient three-column continuous distillation system and so not directly comparable to the original double-distillation process.

There is one exception: that the first column strips the solid matter from the wash and the second and third columns serve to concentrate the Spirit.

The Rhum is then aged in French Oak barrels and is run through a complex blending system to impart complexity and ensure consistency. All Barbancourt Rum bottled free from any additives.

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti had a big impact on the facility and around a third of its aged stock (valued around $4M) was lost, however, the company continues to rebuild.
 
 

Distillery info

  • Country: Haiti
  • Established: 1862
  • Address: 16, rue Bonne Foi, Boîte Postal 33, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
  • Phone: +509 2223-2457
  • Website: http://www.barbancourt.net