RhumRhum is the best Rhum Agricòle in the world for the simple reason that it brings all production variables to excess, is a technique study, is an experiment.

Rhum Rhum Distillery: Born from the meeting of Gianni Vittorio Capovilla, Luca Gargano (Velier), Dominique Thierry and Paolo Gargano, it is one of the most radical and ambitious projects ever undertaken in the world of rhum agricole.

The distillery pushes every production variable to the extreme: it is at once a technical study, an experiment and the search for the best possible rum.

Not comparable to any rhum released so far, Rhum Rhum was born with a single declared ambition: to produce the best-tasting rum possible, with no commercial compromises.

The history of the Rhum Rhum Distillery

Luca Gargano, owner of Velier, recounts the genesis of the project: «I increasingly wanted to produce a great rhum, an old-fashioned rhum, double-distilled in Père Labat stills, that in 2000 could give the same sensations I felt discovering in a small warehouse in Saint Rose the Saint James 1885 rhum, bottled in Bordeaux in 1952».

The project timeline is well documented:

2005 — Luca Gargano and Gianni Capovilla travel together to Marie Galante to meet Dominique Thierry. A dense dialogue begins between distillers from different backgrounds, who immediately understand each other — between a freedive and a chaudage in Grand-Bourg.
2006-2007 — The distillery takes shape, with the installation of the first water-bath copper stills designed by Capovilla. [SOURCE NEEDED for the exact founding date]
2010 — First release “Liberation”, which will mark the birth of a benchmark line for aged rhum agricole.
2012 and beyond — New Liberation blends with finishing in French woods (Burgundy and Bordeaux) and Integral full-proof versions.

From the heart of Marie Galante: the terroir

Marie Galante, a small island of the Guadeloupe archipelago, offers an exceptional terroir for sugarcane cultivation.
The raw material used by the distillery comes from still-natural agriculture and includes rare varieties, largely disappeared from the other Caribbean islands.

Canne rouge — a prized variety with an intense aromatic profile.
B 47.259 — a legendary cultivar almost completely vanished in the Antilles.
Natural cultivation, without agronomic forcing.
Traditional hand cutting with the coutelas.
Transport to the distillery with cabrouettes, the traditional ox-drawn carts.

Production method: why Rhum Rhum is unique

Rhum Rhum is the only rum in the world produced from the pure whole fresh juice of sugarcane: unlike other rhum agricoles, which dilute cane juice with water up to 50% to lower the sugar content, here no water is added.
The result is an aromatic concentration without comparison.

Fermentation.
The virgin cane juice is fermented in temperature-controlled cuves for a variable time between seven and nine days, with no addition of chemical agents or acidifiers.
Long fermentation is the first pillar of Rhum Rhum’s aromatic richness and complexity.

Double water-bath distillation.
The fermented must is then distilled twice by Gianni Vittorio Capovilla: a first simple distillation and a second repassed distillation that removes heads and tails to isolate only the heart.
Distillation takes place in two water-bath copper stills, personally designed by Capovilla and manufactured in Germany by the craftsman Müller.

Stabilization and aging.
Before bottling, the white rum rests for about one year in stainless steel containers to stabilize.
The portion destined for aging goes into noble French 228-liter casks (Burgundy and Bordeaux), barrels that impart structure, spice and depth.

In summary, what makes Rhum Rhum unique

Produced from the whole fresh sugarcane juice of Marie Galante.
No dilution of the juice with water.
No addition of chemical agents or acidifiers.
Long fermentation (7–9 days) at controlled temperature.
Double distillation in water-bath copper stills designed by Capovilla and built by Müller.
Signed by master distiller Gianni Vittorio Capovilla.
Stabilization in stainless steel for about one year before bottling.
Aging exclusively in noble French woods.

The Rhum Rhum range

The Distillerie Rhum Rhum range is articulated into two main lines: the Blanc PMG (unaged white rums) and the Liberation (rums aged in French woods), with the addition of Integral full-proof versions.

Rhum Rhum Blanc PMG 41°.
The moderate-proof white version, ideal for appreciating the floral and vegetal aromas of Marie Galante’s whole cane juice.

Rhum Rhum Blanc PMG 56°.
Considered by Whisky Magazine — one of Europe’s leading spirits publications — the best rhum agricole in the world.
A more intense expression of the Blanc, with a powerful and defined aromatic signature.

Rhum Rhum Liberation.
The name “Liberation” indicates the year of leaving the barrel (not the year of distillation), making each release a snapshot of the project at that precise moment of maturity.
After the success of the first Liberation 2010, Liberation 2012 45° followed (blend aged half in Burgundy barrels and half in Bordeaux barrels), then 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2024, each at 45% ABV.

Rhum Rhum Liberation Integral.
The Integral Version offers the same Liberation blend at full proof (typically around 58–59.8°), with a different, more explosive and structured aromatic profile.
The Liberation 2012 Integral, for example, was bottled in only 1,420 bottles at 59.8°.
The name Integral evokes the races and the mechanical past of Master Capovilla.

Available references for sale

Below are the bottles from Distillerie Rhum Rhum currently in the catalogue:

Rhum Rhum Blanc PMG Vol. 41% — 70 cl.
Rhum Rhum Blanc PMG Vol. 56% — 70 cl.
Rhum Rhum Liberation 2015 PMG Vol. 45% — 70 cl.
Rhum Rhum Liberation 2015 Integral PMG Vol. 58.4% — 70 cl.
Rhum Rhum Liberation 2017 PMG Vol. 45% — 70 cl.
Rhum Rhum Liberation 2017 Integral PMG Vol. 58.4% — 70 cl.
Rhum Rhum Liberation 2020 PMG Vol. 45% — 70 cl.
Rhum Rhum Liberation 2020 Integral PMG Vol. 58% — 70 cl.
Rhum Rhum Liberation 2024 Vol. 45% — 70 cl.
Rhum Rhum Liberation 2024 Version Integral Vol. 58% — 70 cl.
Rhum Rhum Vieux Millesime 2013 Vol. 59%.

Frequently asked questions about the Rhum Rhum Capovilla Distillery

What does the PMG acronym on Rhum Rhum bottles mean?
PMG stands for Pure Marie Galante: it indicates that the rum is produced exclusively with sugarcane cultivated on the island of Marie Galante, Guadeloupe.

What is the difference between Rhum Rhum Blanc 41° and 56°?
Both are white rums produced with the same method.
The 41° is more approachable and highlights the floral and vegetal notes of the cane juice.
The 56°, awarded by Whisky Magazine as the best rhum agricole in the world, expresses the maximum aromatic intensity of the terroir and the double distillation.

What does the year on the “Liberation” bottles indicate?
The year shown on the Liberation bottles (2010, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2024) indicates the year of leaving the cask, i.e., the moment when the rum was “liberated” from aging in French wood — not the year of distillation.

What does the Integral Version mean?
The Integral Version corresponds to the same Liberation blend but at full proof, without reduction with water.
It is an homage to Gianni Capovilla’s past as a mechanic and motors enthusiast.

Why is Rhum Rhum different from other rhum agricoles?
The fundamental difference is the absence of dilution: most rhum agricoles dilute the cane juice by up to 50% with water before fermentation to lower sugar content.
Rhum Rhum works instead with undiluted whole fresh juice, achieving a unique aromatic concentration.

Who is Gianni Vittorio Capovilla?
Gianni Capovilla is considered one of the greatest living master distillers, famous for his fruit distillates produced in Rosà (Vicenza) and for having personally designed the water-bath copper stills — made in Germany by the craftsman Müller — used to distill Rhum Rhum.

Discover the full range of Distillerie Rhum Rhum and buy the bottles available in our catalogue online.