Engenhos Do Norte
Engenhos Do Norte ("northern mills") are arguably the biggest player on Madeira Island. Established in 1927 in Porto Da Cruz, in the north-east, they were taken over in 2013 by the Faria family. This large, lively and vibrant house houses a series of vintage machines under its roof. Notable among them is a steam mill still in operation. Its 9 cement fermentation tanks are nestled within the walls of the distillery. They are coated with a resin-based paint to ensure optimum hygiene. Fermentation generally lasts 48 hours. It can be extended to 4 days for rums distilled in Charentais stills. In this case, fermentation is cooled and slowed by the addition of fresh cane juice.
3 columns are installed side by side, giving rise to 3 different brands of rhum agricole. The main brand, Branca, is a blend of the 3 distillates. As for ageing, Engenhos Do Norte uses its own new French oak barrels. An initial 2 or 3-month run produces an amber rum. The casks are then used for successive, increasingly longer aging periods: 6 months, 3 years, 6 years, etc. The main brand of aged rums is 970, with blends, single casks, bruts de fûts and sometimes Madeira casks.
A new winery is currently under construction (2022). It will enhance a production already maturing in several locations on the island, including the distillery store. Read less
