The Bellevue estate in Grande Terre, Guadeloupe, was founded in the 19th century by the Martinique family Rimbaud. It was bought in 1962 by Robert Damoiseau, a trained engineer who put himself heavily in debt to buy the property. Out of necessity, he initially produced sweets and jams, before soon turning to rum. His son Roger took over in 1968 and led the distillery into a period of prosperity that continues today under his children’‘s management. Now Guadeloupe’‘s largest distillery, Damoiseau produces rhum agricole and molasses-based rum.

A very old Damoiseau rum distilled in 1953. Seemingly “forgotten” in the warehouses, it was bottled in 1984 at the impressive aged of 31 years. Most likely a blend of traditional and agricole rum.