Visit to HSE Rum Factory |

L'Habitation Saint-Etienne,

A magnificent centuries-old house

At the bend in a winding road lined with lush vegetation between Saint-Joseph and Gros Morne, in the heart of deep tropical Martinique, stand – preserved and restored – the centuries-old buildings of Habitation Saint-Etienne.the age-old buildings of Habitation Saint-Etienne. Every time I visit, I’m filled with emotion and wonder at the sight! The splendid mansion, all in red, overlooks the rum factory. I walk down the driveway lined with majestic royal palms before parking. I head for the boutique named “Les Foudres “, inaugurated in 2011 by Edouard Glissant, where Sophie is waiting for me.

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The boutique itself is already a work of art ! Beautifully restored, the space houses the tasting room as well as artists’ exhibitions. The atmosphere is both refined and warm. We’ll be back at the end of our visit to taste the precious nectars. Throughout our visit to the Habitation, Sophie, our guide for the day, tells us about the history and manufacture of HSE rums, which are intimately linked.

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How HSE rums are made

The site and its buildings were renovated in 1994, anddistillation now takes place at the Simon distillery in Le François. The distillation column for Saint-Etienne rums has been transferred to Le François, in order to preserve their distinctive character. Apart from distillation, all other stages are carried out on site: reduction, bottling, ageing, storage and marketing.

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Manufacturerhum Rhumshse Grosmorne Martinique

In 2008 , Saint-Etienne rums becameRhums HSE . New packaging makes a clean sweep, or almost, of the past. A more qualitative, resolutely modern bottle gives a new lease of life to a rum that everyone agrees is excellent!

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“We control the process from A to Z : we own 550 hectares of our own sugar cane. This covers around 70% of our needs. As soon as the cane is cut, it is transported to the Simon plant. Once distilled, the white rum is trucked back to Habitation St Etienne. Time is of the essence, because for the AOC, the cane must be cut, crushed and fermented in 48 hours! At the height of the season, we’re distilling 50,000 liters a day… Some of the rum goes to bottling, while the rest is destined for ageing. “

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The cellar

In the “Chai aux oiseaux”, the poetry of the place combines aligned barrels with the bird mobiles of artist Federica Matta, creator of the immense fresco painted on the façade. It’s here that the cellar master expertly blends, refines and polishes his aged rums to produce cuvées with strong personalities. The work of a true goldsmith!

Tuns

“These large casks are called foudres, and we also use them for blending. In fact, today you can see our cellar master Lionel Lampin blending 2017 old rum with 2020. He tastes, then adds water to reduce the alcohol content. The aim is to get down from 52° to 42°, which is the titration of HSE VO old rums. Other casks are used for ” wood-aged ” rum (“amber” rum), which is aged for between 1 and 2 years. Old rum is transferred to 200-liter American casks.

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Choice of casks

The choice of cask is an important factor in the taste that the cellar master wants to give to his aged rum. Size, material and toasting are all part of the alchemy. The first 3 years of aging are spent in Bourbon-type American oak barrels. This is how Black Sheriff, one of our best-sellers, was born… After 6 years, the rum is transferred to French oak barrels. The exposed barrel shows a cracked interior: the result of “crocodile-skin” toasting. The smaller the barrel, the stronger the extraction, which will give this woody, spicy side, with aromas of nuts and fruit peel.”

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A site steeped in history

Alongside the rum-making process, our guide takes us on a tour of the rich history of the Habitation Saint-Etienne, an essential part of Martinique’s heritage.

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A former sugar mill

“In the 19th century, there was a large sugar mill here called Habitation La Maugée, named after the township. At the time, its land covered 440 hectares spread over the communes of Gros-Morne and Saint-Joseph. It was built near the Lézarde river, as water was essential to the sugar industry. The La Maugée sugar mill was bought by Amédée Aubery in 1882. He had a 500 m canal dug from the top of the garden to the new building where the rum would be distilled, and in 1883, Saint-Etienne rum was flowing for the first time! And it wouldn’t stop until 1988. In the early 1920s, Henry Simonnet took over Saint-Etienne. These were good years for Saint-Etienne rum, as the local market grew rapidly.

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New mills, a new copper distillation column and a bold marketing strategy initiated by Jean Simonnet made Rhums Saint-Etienne the leading brand on the local market, and the famous bottle with its traditional label that all old-timers know would remain the most widely consumed in Martinique until the 1970s. Then agricultural rum, still little appreciated outside the West Indies, went through a period of crisis, with sales plummeting. The land and the Habitation gradually fell into disrepair. “

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The revival of

HSE Rums

between Tradition and Innovation

In 1994, José and Florette Hayot fell in love with this sleepy site, with its magnificent tropical vegetation. Fascinated by heritage, art and history, they bought the property and embarked on a complete restoration of the site and gardens.

Which was then listed on the Inventaire Supplémentaire des Monuments Historiques. And today, the old distillery, the Creole column and the canal trap are classified as Historic Monuments!

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Althrough the building no longer houses a distillery, the remains have been preserved and restored.The facade, with its 28 arched windows, is one of the last and finest examples of industrial architecture in Martinique!

Visit HSE's remarkable garden

An oasis of serenity

The sublime garden has been awarded the “Jardin Remarquable” label since 2015. “Our garden has a botanical dimension, with over 180 plant species from all over the world: Antilles royal palms, balisiers, a bamboo grove, an orchard, horticultural trees, red palms, cursed fig trees, roucouyers, calebassiers, alpinias, coconut palms, a zamana, lemon trees, queen palms and a large population of birds including the kayali, an endemic green heron. Three gardeners work full-time to maintain the 5 hectares! “

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The historical and heritage dimension emerges as you stroll along: the canal, the waterfall and its little bridge, witnesses to an age-old activity. An artistic dimension too, with 3 gigantic sculptures on the theme of anti-colonialism: Victor Anicet’s ” Sainte-Alliance” and ” Vision des vaincus “, and Philippe Perrin’s ” Stairway to Heaven” , a masterly reminder of an era at the heart of so much beauty.At the end of our stroll, we return to Les Foudres, where one of the highlights of the visit awaits us: TASTING!

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Store and exhibition

The magnificent boutique houses both the free tasting and sales area for all HSE rums, and an exhibition room – currently featuring Kalalou ” Des plantes et des hommes ” – and artists Karl Joseph and Marc Alexandre Tareau.

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Exhibition Habitationsaint Etienne Rhumshse Grosmorne Martinique

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In this hushed atmosphere, Sophie invites me to discover the XO “à la française”, a limited edition 2016 vintage, a blend of extra-vintage rums. I’m also tempted by a Finitions du Monde extra-vieux rum, which has been finished in Kilchoman whisky casks – an Islay single malt – for 4 to 5 months. Each sip of HSE rums reveals a unique story, steeped in Martinique’s terroir.Of course, I also take the opportunity to buy a few bottles to give as gifts, as well as some HSE goodies, which are always really cool!

HSE Rums

Many thanks to Sophie who accompanied us… A passionate, erudite and committed woman.

Practical info:

The visit is free, but if you’re lucky enough to take part in the guided tour, don’t hesitate: it’s PASSIONFUL and a must for all rum and history lovers! Guided tours take place every Tuesday and Thursday at 2.30pm (and on Sundays at 10am during the tourist season).
Master classes, cocktail and rum-chocolate workshops, exhibitions, concerts and shows are regularly organized at Habitation Saint-Etienne. Keep an eye on thecalendar!

Distilling origin. Cultivating difference. Join the Circle!

Philosophy of the HSE rum distillery

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