Meet Matthieu Lange, advisor at Excellence Rhum

Hello Matthieu. When did you first cross paths with rum?

In 2012, I had the chance to go twice to Guadeloupe and I felt fascinated with the world of distilleries. Imposing machines with reflections of copper and silver, contrasting with the dark cogs of the cane mills. This visual and sound environment grabbed me quite quickly.

And then the product, rum, which I liked, when to be honest, I was not very interested in the world of spirits and alcohols in general.

Passionate about history, I wanted to learn about the history of rum and realized that at the time, little had been written. So I started to write articles and give lectures on the subject. That's how it started.

How did you come to work at Excellence Rhum?

I was working in another sector before, but the idea of going completely into the field of rum was growing in me and the opportunity presented itself to me.

I obviously knew rum but not necessarily from a commercial point of view and by presenting my profile and my approach, it worked.

What does rum represent for you?

Rum is first and foremost an elsewhere. A product that comes from where I don't come from. So it is an encounter and the reception of another culture.

But it is above all the product of a multiplicity of cultures and histories, of a multiplicity of know-how and traditions that, in my opinion, must be preserved. Each population has its relationship to rum, its appellation of rum sometimes, and it is necessary to preserve these traces of diversity that reach us.

Finally, from all this stems an obvious sharing, a journey, a desire to discover and make people discover rum.

What aspect of your work today appeals to you the most?

Precisely this cultural and historical relationship of rum. We are currently living in a golden age of rum, distilleries are being set up all over the world, social networks are bringing enthusiasts and producers into contact, and sharing all this with customers is an exciting thing.

What rums or types of rum do you want customers to discover?

I have a preference for agricol rum and an openness to Jamaican rums. This generally pushes me to recommend less sweet rums. But I also wish to explain to customers that they are buying as much an object of pleasure as an object of culture. Also, I want to explain that everyone in the world has their own definition of rum and that one tradition is not, in essence, superior to another, even though production requirements vary from one land to another.