HSE 2012 Rhum Blanc 1 Litre

An HSE brand rhum from the distillerie Le Simon.

The Le Simon distillery, also referred to as Rhumerie du Simon, has origins dating back to 1862. It was built by the architect Emile Bougenot., and for over 100 years produced bulk rum for blending alongside various other sugar products. In 1971 it was bought by the Groupement d’Intérét Economique, a company run by Yves Hayot, and focus was turned exclusively to rum. The distillery operates four creole column stills, one each for the production of the Clément and Habitation Saint-Étienne (HSE) brands, and the other two for its contract-distilling operations. It is believed all four originate from the Habitation Clément.

The Habitation Saint-Étienne dates back to the early 19th century, but its focus on rum production dates to 1882 when it was purchased by Amédée Aubéry. This was a period of decline for the Martinique sugar trade, and Aubéry was one of several to see rum as an opportunity to make money from the oversupply of sugarcane. The Aubérys sold up to the Simonnet family in 1909, who retained it into its eventual decline, closing in 1988 after struggling to financially recover from the effects of two hurricanes at the beginning of the decade. The estate was then taken over by Yves Hayot in 1994. Although production of HSE rum was moved to Le Simon, much like the Clément brand it is still aged at its original home, which includes a number of notable cask-finishing experiments.

This rhum blanc agricole was distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2015.