RHUM DEPAZ - Aged Rum - Cuvée des Hôtes du Château - 45%
The Depaz distillery is located on the lush slopes of Montagne Pelée in Martinique, on a unique volcanic terroir that shapes the personality of its agricultural rums. The Château Depaz overlooks the sugarcane plantations like a true lookout, symbolizing a centuries-old heritage patiently rebuilt after the 1902 eruption. The soils rich in volcanic ash, the trade winds, and the proximity to the sea provide ideal conditions to produce a pure cane juice with great aromatic intensity. The Depaz house has established itself as one of the major references of the AOC Martinique, with a style combining power, freshness, and woody elegance. The Cuvée des Hôtes du Château was conceived as a tribute to the privileged visitors of the estate, a reception rum that embodies the most refined Martinican art of living. It stands out by a subtle balance between the generosity of aging and the typical liveliness of agricultural rum.
Depaz Rhum Vieux Cuvée des Hôtes du Château 45 percent is made from pure freshly pressed cane juice, quickly fermented to preserve all the vegetal freshness of the raw material. After distillation in a traditional Creole column still, the distillates are aged for several years in oak barrels selected for their fine grain and their ability to bring complexity without masking the cane. The final blend brings together rums of different ages to achieve a harmonious profile, both ample, vanilla, and spicy, supported by an alcohol content of forty-five percent that highlights the structure without harshness. This cuvée is designed as a tasting rum, intended to be served at the château to discerning guests, where every detail of the aging is carefully managed to offer a long and civilized palate. The result is an aged rum with great clarity, accessible yet endowed with true depth, perfectly illustrating Depaz’s mastery in the art of blending. It is a bottle that naturally finds its place in a connoisseur’s cellar as well as on a fine table of Caribbean gastronomy.
On tasting, Depaz Cuvée des Hôtes du Château 45 percent presents a bright amber robe with golden reflections that evoke its prolonged barrel aging. The nose opens with notes of ripe cane, vanilla, blond caramel, and dried fruits, enhanced by touches of candied orange, delicate coconut, and mild spices. On the palate, the attack is round and warm, with a silky texture where noble wood, stewed fruits, light honey, and a hint of cocoa mingle. The structure remains lively and dynamic thanks to the agricultural character of the rum, which brings freshness and tension in the background. The finish is long, elegant, marked by accents of blond tobacco, dried fruits, and a slight roasted note that persists with distinction. Served neat or on a large ice cube, this rum pairs magnificently with a fine cigar, a dark chocolate dessert, a banana tart, spiced roasted pineapple, or a sophisticated Creole cuisine featuring duck or caramelized pork.
