MONTEBELLO
History 1942: Roger Damoiseau establishes the distillery on the Bellevue estate. 2017: The distillery is undergoing modernization. The Method The plantations, located on limestone soil, are the foundation of Damoiseau rums' esteemed reputation, characterized by their light structure resulting from a low concentration of congeners. The secret lies in two Creole columns, each topped with wine heaters that feature fifteen drying plates and are equipped with nine and eleven concentration plates, respectively, yielding distillates with an ABV of 89%. These columns effectively eliminate certain acids and fatty esters from the distillates while maintaining their complexity. Regrettably, the distillery has ceased production of the grand blends based on pure juice and molasses from the Gardel sugar factory that established its legacy, now focusing exclusively on rhum agricole. The narrative 1930: The Dolomie family established the Carrère distillery on the initial hills of the Petit-Bourg plain. 1966: Jean-Marsolle acquires the distillery. 1975: The distillery underwent modernization, incorporating a Savalle column and a Sofag column, and was subsequently renamed the Montebello distillery. The Method The distillery crafts its rums using both pure cane juice and molasses obtained from the SIS Bonne-Mère distillery in Sainte- Rose. The sugarcane is harvested by hand. Another distinctive characteristic of the Montebello Distillery is that it is among the few remaining distilleries to utilize steam engines. It functions entirely autonomously, combusting bagasse, a fibrous byproduct of sugar cane, to generate the steam required for its operations. History 1862: Establishment of the sugar factory on the Courcelles estate 1884: The sugar refinery was the first to transition from shale oil lighting to electric lighting. 1932: Armand Aubéry consolidated the Courcelles estate with that of Gardel, establishing the distillery on this newly unified property and registering the brand "Rhum supérieur Courcelles." 1949: André Bon, the manager of the Société des Sucreries de Saint-Louis, reacquires the estate. 1965: The Courcelles distillery halted production, and its facilities were allocated to the Gardel and Sainte-Marthe distilleries. Amédée Huygues-Despointes managed the relocation of the still and cellars from Courcelles to Saint-Marthe. The brand was rebranded as Courcelles de Saint-Marthe before vanishing entirely in 1972 with the closure of the Saint-Marthe distillery. History 2006: Karukera is primarily a brand managed by a distinct company founded by Grégoire Hayot, Sylvain Guzzo, and François Longueteau père; it shares a cellar with the Longueteau distillery at the Domaine de Marquisat de Sainte-Marie. 2020: The Karukera brand and the Longueteau distillery severed their partnership. Subsequently, Karukera's rums were produced by another distillery on the island, the Espérance distillery, one of the oldest in the region, while preparations were made for the establishment of its own distillery in Petit-Canal, located in the northwest of Grande-Terre. Longueteau was solely responsible for the sugarcane milling for Karukera.
€ 13
Le vieux.
Brut de fut 3 ans € 13 Cuvée Prestige 1982 € 105
€ 18 € 16
VSOP 42°
8 ans d’age 42° Club Blanc 50°
€ 12
Vieux Millésime 1972 € 72
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