“The educated people of this nation…have named the more notable constellations; they know their diurnal motion and use it to navigate their course across the open sea from one island to another…Their compass is the path of the sun during the day, and the position of the stars during the clear nights of the tropics.”

Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, 1771

The abundant generosity of Polynesian nature has produced a sugarcane that preserves the unique qualities of Tahiti’s island landscape. Drawing its vitality from the volcanic, iron-rich soils, and thriving under abundant sunlight and rainfall, the O’Tahiti sugarcane embodies the exceptional heritage of Polynesia. In 1809, the Dictionnaire Raisonné et Universel d’Agriculture praised this ‘beautiful sugarcane, ripening faster than that of the Antilles.’ Today, it flourishes on the island of Tahaa, in the valleys of Utuone and Pueheru, as well as on Moorea in the Opunohu valley.

At the heart of Domaine Pari Pari in Tahaa and on the Hotu Fenua plots in Moorea, the sugarcane flourishes, expressing its full aromatic richness thanks to a unique terroir. Hand-cut and immediately crushed on-site without the addition of water, the fresh cane retains all of its natural flavors. The resulting vesou, carefully fermented, already hints at the smooth and complex notes that define the identity of Manutea Tahiti agricole rum. From harvest to fermentation, each gesture accompanies the cane from its full maturity, between August and November, to its complete expression.

Loaded onto schooners, the fresh sugarcane juice, or vesou, departs the Leeward Islands (Raromatai) bound for Moorea and the Manutea Tahiti distillery, nestled at the base of Mount Rotui between Cook and Opunohu bays. A passage through the copper still releases delicate, refined aromas of mint, liquorice, and pear. This traditional craft demands the utmost precision from the master distiller, who carefully oversees each stage of distillation to capture the aromatic richness of the O’Tahiti cane. By adjusting each cut, the distiller refines the heart of the distillate, achieving an 80% ABV spirit that embodies this unique terroir.

The final stages involve resting (aeration and stirring) and a slow reduction, preserving the rum’s exceptional aromatic profile as it reaches the desired strength. Manutea Tahiti draws pristine water collected from the slopes of Mount Rotui, where it filters naturally through basaltic layers. This pure water, essential to Manutea Tahiti’s agricole rum, imparts a distinctive smoothness and lightness to the spirit.