AOC Martinique Distilleries

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Sugar cane has been traced to Papau New Guinea

Flowering Cane

Flowering Cane ready to be harvested

The first step in rhum making is selecting sugar cane sutied for the climate and soil on which it will be grown.
Only 12 varities of sugar cane can be used to make AOC Martinique rhum agricole.

Sugar cane lines the dirt road leading to the Neisson distillery.

Sugar cane lines the dirt road leading to the Neisson distillery.

Cane is selected by the rhum producer based on a number of factors including soil, drainage, sunlight conditions, disease resistance and yield.
Many of the sugar cane varieties cultivated in the Caribbean today came from the sugar cane research facility on Barbados.

B 80.08 Canne Zikak Barbados 1980, 8th hybrid of this cane variety.

B 80.08 Canne Zikak Barbados 1980, 8th hybrid of this cane variety.

Canne Rouge is one of the popular varieties of sugar cane grown on Martinique.

Canne Rouge B 64.277 Barbados 1964 277th hybrid.

Canne Rouge B 64.277 Barbados 1964 277th hybrid.

The sugar cane industry has been part of the fabric of the Cariibean for centuries.

Canne Roseau Barbados 1959.

Canne Roseau Barbados 1959.

Home to the first university in the New World, Barbados has been a center for sugar cane research and development.

Canne Caimite Barbados 1980, 689th hybrid

Canne Caimite Barbados 1980, 689th hybrid

The French South Pacific Islands have also been part of the development of the sugar cane industry.

Canne Merise, some cane on Martinique came from Reunion

Canne Merise, some cane on Martinique came from Reunion

sugar cane

Barbados 1951 129th hybrid commonly known as Canne Vanille.

Barbados 1951 129th hybrid is commonly known as Canne Vanille.

Canne Crystaline is considered the original sugar cane on Martinique.

Canne Crystaline is considered the original sugar cane on Martinique.

Canne Rouge Barbados 1964 277th hybrid

Canne Rouge Barbados 1964 277th hybrid

Much of the sugar cane on Martinique is cut with machines, though some of the terrain isn't accessible to machines.
Hand cutting gives the grower better control of the cut at the bottom and top of the stalks.

Cane cutter at Neisson

Cane cutter at Neisson, notice the protective clothes, gloves and leather boots.

Hand cutting gives the grower better control of the cut at the bottom and top of the stalks.

After being harvested, sugar cane grows from the roots left in the ground.

After being harvested, sugar cane grows from the roots left in the ground.

Cane cut by hand, notice how clean the stalks are.

Cane cut by hand, notice how clean the stalks are.

The dense fiber of the sugar cane stalk holds the juice until it is crushed.

Fresh cut cane.

There is no free run cane juice.

Before the cane can be crushed it is shredded by the machine in the middle of this picture.

Shredding cane.

The dense fiber of the sugar cane stalk holds the juice until it is crushed.

Crushing fresh cane on YouTube.

Steam engines power most of the cane crushers on Martinique.
Crushed cane called 'bagasse' is used to power the boiler.
Larger distilleries can generate their own electricity though older distilleries didn't use any electricity in the distillery.
Work commenced at daylight and finished at dusk.

Neisson steam engine starting for a day's work.

Steam engines power most of the cane crushers on Martinique.

La Favorite steam engine

La Favorite steam engine.

St James updated their steam engine to smaller turbines and gear reduction to run the cane mills.

St James steam turbine

St James steam turbinee.