| Dzama Rhum | |
| Type: | Private |
| Foundation: | 1980 |
| Location: | Groupe Vidzar SARL Immeuble Dzama Anosibe Angarangarana BP 4403 – Tananarive Madagascar |
| Key People: | Franck Fohine |
| Industry: | Distilled beverages |
Dzama (/ˈzɑːmə/) "Rhum" is the brand name for rums produced by Groupe Vidzar in Madagascar.[1] These rums are exported throughout the world, and have won numerous awards and high praise from rum critics.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
When France lost its colony of St. Domingue in 1803, then the richest European colony in the world, it looked for a substitute suitable for the kind of sugar cane and aromatic plant cultivation it had practiced in the Caribbean. The opportunity came in 1861 when Queen Ranavalona I of Madagascar, who had expelled most Europeans from that island, died. It eventually became a French colony in 1896, and remained under their political control or influence until 1960, when Madagascar became fully independent. But the French cultural influence remains to this day.[10] Under French rule, Madagascar became one of the world's main producers of sugar cane and vanilla (originally from Mexico). The agricultural landscape of this spice island reflects the French endeavor, with serendipitous consequences to the complexity and uniqueness of its rums.
Dzama Rhum was the idea of Lucien Fohine (half-Chinese, half-Malagasy) and his wife. They owned a grocery business and a scotch whiskey distribution company. After importing by the bottle, the Fohines took advantage of the economies of scale afforded by importing in barrels and bottling domestically. The resulting empty barrels found natural use in the aging of rum from the island of Nosy Be (off Madagascar's northwest coast) which he had found to bear the particular terroir influence of its volcanic soil and the surrounding plantations of aromatic plants such as vanilla, Ylang-Ylang, citrus, clove, pepper, wild pepper, and others. The minerals of this soil and the essential oils from the plants he knew to produce a rum that was impossible to duplicate naturally elsewhere.[11] [12]
A variety of rum products were quickly added. Production was transferred to Antananarivo (the capital) when the success of the rums and the cost of transportation made it imperative by 1984.
The company that started out with two station wagons and two light trucks now has 60 vehicles that cover the whole island of Madagascar. Dzama dominates 60% of the spirits market on the island. The population is 22 million.[10]
In 1996, upon the early death of Lucien Fohine, his son Franck (17 years old) took over the reins of the company, and continues to this day in the tradition and methods of his father, while applying his own knowledge from an extensive education in viticulture, oenology, and distillation in Marseille and Montpelier, France. Franck Fohine introduced white rums and cocktails that turned out to be very popular with women buyers. He also introduced quick ageing in new barrels for certain products to help retain the original qualities of the rums, while insisting in continuing the tradition of creating products that are free of any artificial ingredients.[11] [12]
The name "Dzama" is derived from the city of Dzamandzar, where the base rum is produced, and is a reference to the local colloquialism for trust between friends. The name Vidzar is derived from a combination of letters in French for "Old Rum of Dzamandzar."[11]
Barrels come mainly from the Chivas Brothers Distillery in Scotland, old American oak barrels that were previously used for Sherry or Bourbon production. Used and new Limousin oak barrels are also employed in the aging of the higher-end rums.[11] [12]
Their Classique Cuvee Blanche has gained notoriety in rum lover circles as the first white rum found to be delightfully smooth, complex, and soft on the palate with no throat burn. The only sipping white rum many have ever experienced. It undergoes a very short stay in the used Scotch barrels that are first washed with a citrus solution. The remaining fresh acidity adds dimension to the other complex terroir-derived influences of cloves, vanilla, and others.
This Classique Cuvee Blanche and its companion the Classique Cuvee Noire (still bottled by hand) are impressive in their complexity and finesse even when stood against their elders listed below — the Prestige and Nosy-Be lines, which are bottled in separate modern facilities.
A five-part filtration system is used to ensure water purity: a sand filter to remove impurities and solids; Carbon to remove odors; Cathanion to remove chemicals; Cartouche for minerals; and Ultraviolet to kill germs.
Quality Control: All possible sanitary precautions are taken to ensure a pure, untainted product. Masks, gowns, headgear, shoe covers, and disinfectant basins are used by all who enter the bottling plants. Walls are painted twice a year to prevent the development of mold and mildew. Employee hands are inspected.
Special yeasts are used in the distillation of each rum to ensure ideal fits between— the rums derived from sugar cane of different regions with different aromatic plant influences, and the blending to occur at later dates. This care in the selection and matching of batches is what differentiates the Dzama Rums from all others in the market. Dzama Rums are terroir-specific products.[11] [12]