Dzama
Dzama rum was created in 1982, well after Madagascar's independence in 1960.
In the past, locally consumed rum was of fairly variable quality, with no single brand predominating.
Lucien Fohine, half Malagasy and half Chinese, created the company and Dzama rum. He took over a distillery on the island of Nosy-Bé, northwest of Madagacar, close to a sugar refinery where it drew its molasses.
The name Dzama is short for Dzamandzar, where the rum is produced. Similarly, the name of the company that owns the brand, Vidzar, is a contraction of "Vieux Rhum de Dzamandzar".
Later, a production center was also set up in the Malagasy capital, Tananarive, and other distilleries were created. Today, Dzama is no longer produced on Nosy-Bé, the island where it was born.
Dzama then began using oak barrels to age its rums, a first on an island not accustomed to aged rums.
The casks used for ageing come from Scotland and are full when they arrive. Indeed, Lucien Fohine, who distributed Scotch whisky even before his interest in rums, is qualified to bottle single malts. He then reuses the barrels to age the rum.
When Lucien died in 1996, his son Franck Fohine, then just 17, took over the family business. After studying oenology, viticulture and distillation in France, he became the distillery's cellar master. He expanded the range of products on offer, including punches.
Dzama's spirits market share in Madagascar is now 60%. Read less
