Rhumerie de Chamarel

The Rhumerie de Chamarel opened in 2008 and makes rhum agricole, distilled from fresh pressed cane juice rather than from molasses, which is the distinction that separates it from most Mauritian and Caribbean rums and gives a grassier, sharper spirit. The cane is grown on the estate around the distillery in the Chamarel valley, and the tour follows it from the field through the mill, fermentation vats and column still to the ageing cellar, where casks hold the aged expressions. Tasting at the end covers white, aged and flavoured rums, with vanilla and coffee versions among them. A restaurant on the site looks out over the valley toward the coast, and the coloured earths are a few minutes further up the road.

What you actually see

• The cane fields - the estate crop the distillery works from.
• Mill and fermentation - the pressing and vats in the production hall.
• The column still - the distillation equipment at the centre of the tour.
• The ageing cellar - the casks holding the aged rums.

When to go

May to December for the drier weather. Cane harvest and distilling run roughly July to December, when the plant is most active; outside that the tour shows idle equipment. Book the tour in advance in high season.

Honest expectations

The distillery only runs during the harvest season, so many visits see static machinery. The site is modern and purpose-built for visitors rather than historic. Tours are timed and the tasting is oriented to the shop. Chamarel is often cloudy in the afternoon.

Nearby

The Chamarel coloured earths and waterfall lie above; Ebony Forest is beside them.