DEPAZ - Château Depaz - 1922/2022 - 100 Years Cuvée - 45%
The Depaz Distillery is located in Martinique, nestled on the majestic slopes of the Montagne Pelée, in the north of the Caribbean island. Originally dedicated to the cultivation of tobacco, indigo, and livestock farming, these lands were quickly converted by Victor Depaz to intensive sugarcane cultivation, an activity that experienced considerable growth thanks to innovations and improvements in traditional distillation techniques. However, on May 8, 1902, the fearsome volcano Montagne Pelée erupted, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre. Victor Depaz, then a student in Bordeaux, learned of the tragedy simultaneously with the loss of his entire family. Orphaned and ruined, he exiled himself to Canada. But during a stopover in Martinique, he made the decisive choice to return to Saint-Pierre, to the Périnelle estate where he was born. On May 8, 1917, just 15 years after the disaster, he relaunched his distillery, supplied by his 521 hectares of sugarcane planted on the slopes of Montagne Pelée. He also built a sumptuous family home, a replica of the Périnelle Estate of his childhood, quickly named Château Depaz. In 1922, Victor settled there with his wife and their eleven children. In the 1950s, his sons, André and Raoul Depaz, took over, modernizing sugarcane cultivation and optimizing the distillery facilities, now officially recognized under the name Depaz distillery.
The Depaz distillery remains one of the smallest and most authentic agricultural rum production units in Martinique. True to its traditions, the distillery still operates today thanks to an old steam engine, a true symbol of its heritage. This historic machine is at the heart of the process, providing the essential steam to power the mills that crush the sugarcane as well as the distillation columns, thus ensuring an exceptional rum combining traditional know-how and qualitative excellence.
This prestigious Anniversary Cuvée was launched to commemorate the centenary of Château Depaz (1922-2022). The exceptional rum is the result of an exclusive selection of 10 barrels from the vintages 2011, 2013, and 2016, offering a perfect balance between aromatic richness, complexity, and finesse, reflecting the history and passion that have driven the Depaz distillery for a century.
