Damoiseau is a brand producing agricole rhum from Guadeloupe’s Grand-Terre. We take a look into its naturally flavoured range, which borrows from the local tradition of “Les Arrangés” and how this island favourite it produced.
Damoiseau
Setting the scene
Guadeloupe is an archipelago made up of six inhabited islands, all with their own distinctive terrains. Damoiseau is made on Grand Terre – a very green, flatter, sunnier and drier piece of land than its volcanic, near-neighbour Basse Terre where most of Guadeloupe’s distilleries are located. Farming is prolific on Grand Terre, with sugarcane and fruit production making up a huge part of the industry.
With this in mind, it’s no wonder that the tradition of making arranges came into being. Arrangés are a very local Guadeloupean drink made to family recipes and include rhum, sugar and fresh fruit. Sold at markets and happily sipped all day long, they celebrate agricole’s fresh notes and relaxed island living.
A bit of history
In 1942, Roger Damoiseau bought the Domaine Bellevue sugar factory from the Rimbaud family. He transformed the plantation into a distillery and began to produce agricole rhum from fresh sugar cane juice (and occasionally molasses). Four generations later, his family continues to make some of the most popular rhums on the island, as well as the new Les Arrangés range.
Damoiseau Les Arrangés
Production
Local sugarcane is harvested and quickly brought to the distillery for processing before oxidisation can take place. We say “quickly” and we mean it – the maximum amount of time between the crop leaving the field and arriving in the distillery is three hours. Shredders break up the sugarcane and the juices are left to ferment with local sugarcane yeast for 24-36 hours. This short ferment period is enough to add floral and fresh notes that are typical of Guadeloupe rhums.
Next, it is distilled in Creole column stills, heated by steam up to 200°C. The resulting distillate runs off at 40-44% ABV. This is then left to rest in wooden foudres for 90 days, before being brought down to 30% ABV for the two Damoiseau Les Arrangés expressions.
Local, hand-picked fruit is hand-cut on site and placed through the necks of empty bottles: pineapple joins vanilla bean pods for one arrangé, whilst mango and passion fruit make up another. These bottles are then filled with a mixture of the 30% agricole rhum and local Grand Terre sugar (7g/bottle). The island’s abundance of farming means that Damoiseau is happily able to keep its ingredients supply chain entirely local, which in turn feeds the surrounding economy. The filled bottles are then left for 45 days so that the fruit can macerate and impart its natural flavours to the rhum. As the fruit makes up between 20-25% of the bottle contents, it imparts vibrant and juicy aromas that manifest beautifully on the palate.
Tasting Notes – Damoiseau Les Arrangés
Damoiseau Les Arrangés Pineapple Victoria
30% ABV
Nose
An incredibly full aroma of fresh, juicy pineapple. Bright syrupy sweetness with delicate white floral notes and
Taste
Sweet, super fruity vibes with a subtle grassiness. Round vanilla sweetness pairs with the fruit well, allowing the more tangy pineapple notes to come through. A great summer drink, perfect for those with a sweet tooth and highball cocktails.
Suggested Serve
Arrangé Tonic
60ml Damoiseau Les Arrangés Pineapple Victoria
120 Tonic water
Pour Damoiseau Les Arrangés Pineapple Victoria into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Build with tonic and garnish with a piece of pineapple from the bottle (if you can reach it) or a fresh slice of fruit of your choice.
Price
SPECIAL OFFER: £36.95 (reduced from £41.95). Buy it here at Master of Malt.
Damoiseau Les Arrangés Mango Passion
30% ABV
Nose
Wow. A perfectly tart-sweet rendition with thick, ripe mango comfort providing a guiding hand to vivacious passion fruit.
Taste
The palate lives up the the nose, with a balanced display of fruity mango sweetness and tart and tangy passion fruit. The agricole’s grassy backdrop and limited added sugar ensures that this expression is well shy of saccharine, making it a phenomenal cocktail ingredient or sweet treat enjoyed over ice.
Suggested Serve
The Creole Bellini
30ml Damoiseau Les Arrangés Mango Passion
80ml Prosecco
Add Damoiseau Les Arrangés Mango Passion to a flute and top up with Prosecco or sparkling wine of your choice
Price
SPECIAL OFFER: £36.95 (reduced from £41.95). Buy it here at Master of Malt.