89: From Rhum Agricole to Traditionnel at Réunion Island's Isautier Distillery

The Rumcast

At long last, we speak to our first rum producer from Réunion Island! In this episode, we welcomed Marie Ferrand (Cellar Master) and Yann Auberval (Director of Marketing) to take us inside Isautier Distillery's traditions of both cane juice and molasses-based rums. We discuss:

The differences between the rhum agricoles of the Caribbean and Réunion

Why Isautier has long focused on both rhum agricole and rhum traditionnel (molasses-based rum)

The approach to aging that contributes to the rum's unique profile

How the recent partnership with La Maison & Velier came about

The differences between the LM&V bottlings and Isautier's typical releases

Marie's philosophy on rum blending

A walkthrough of their production process (and some experiments they're currently working on)

The story behind Rhum Charrette — the best-selling rum on Réunion that features distillate from all of the island's distilleries

And much more!

You can learn more about Isautier on their website: https://www.isautier.com/en/

This episode is sponsored by independent bottler Raising Glasses. To check out (and order) their latest releases, visit their website.

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