Distillery

La Favorite

La Favorite is the last working distillery inside Martinique's capital, Fort-de-France, and the island's longest continuously family-run house. Five generations of the Dormoy family have made rhum here on a 1906 steam engine that still turns the mill. It is agricole at its most unvarnished, and the community treasures its old La Flibuste vintages as some of the finest aged Martinique rum there is.

  • Historic family ownership
  • Authentic agricole terroir focus
  • Steam‑driven cane mill
Loved by TheJackDrop & 1,160 more

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Community score
8.1/10
ratings
2,151
bottles catalogued
224
available to buy now
64

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11,175 bottles from La Favorite bought by the community.

+150 purchases in the last 3 months.

Added to collections, last 12 months.

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The RumX Guide to La Favorite

From La Jambette to La Favorite

A sugar mill called La Jambette stood on this site from 1843, with two refineries and a small molasses-rum still. When France switched to beet sugar and a hurricane wrecked the estate, the business failed to adapt and was sold to Henri Dormoy around 1902 to 1905. He ended sugar refining, went all in on rhum agricole, replaced the pot still with a copper column, and built the blue steam engine that became the distillery's symbol.

Five generations, no corporate owner

Alongside Neisson, La Favorite is one of only two family-run distilleries left on Martinique, and the longest in continuous family hands. Henri, then Andre, now Franck Dormoy, who took over day-to-day in 2006. At its 1990s peak it distilled 1.5 million litres a year and also made the Saint-Etienne and Courville brands before selling them to Yves Hayot in 1994. The Rum Tour calls it agricole in its rawest form.

A 1906 steam engine still running

The distillery is driven by a diesel steam engine built in France in 1906, which turns the three-stage mill and pumps the juice. It is one of only two bagasse-fired steam setups on the island, alongside Depaz. Around 70 hectares of cane, four varieties, are all hand-harvested. Two copper columns, one from 1957, distil to 72 to 75 percent. Most output is sold as white rhum.

The Castle and the harvest

In the 1920s Henri built a grand great house, the Chateau de La Favorite, to rival Depaz, though it has belonged to the French army since the late 1960s. The aged rum matures in a mix of ex-cognac, ex-bourbon and ex-armagnac casks, filled at 58 percent, across a three-level warehouse: the top loses about 12 percent a year, the bottom only 4 percent. Visitors wander freely among working gears and drifting vapours.

What the RumX community drinks

La Favorite's reputation on RumX rests on one legendary line: La Flibuste. The La Flibuste 1999 and La Flibuste 2000 both score 9.0/10, with the 1992 and 1994 close behind, making them some of the highest-rated aged agricoles on the platform. The unaged Coeur Canne shows the wild side: wet grass, hot vinegar and grated plantain at 50 percent.

How the crew scored it La Favorite

RumX's 0–10 scale is strict , 8.1 lands squarely in the "Very good" band. 90% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →

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Flavour profile of La Favorite

Most frequently mentioned flavors

Aroma

Sugarcane Woody Vegetal Citrus

Taste

Sugarcane Woody Vegetal Vanilla

Frequently Asked Questions about La Favorite

The Dormoy family, privately, across five generations. It is the longest continuously family-run distillery on Martinique and one of only two family-owned distilleries left, alongside Neisson.

Inside Fort-de-France, Martinique’s capital, about 15 minutes from the port. It is the only remaining working distillery in the capital.

La Favorite’s prestige aged vintage line. The 1999 and 2000 releases both score 9.0/10 on RumX, ranking among the highest-rated aged agricoles on the platform.

Largely yes. A 1906 steam engine still drives the mill, the cane is hand-harvested, and one of the copper columns dates to 1957. It is one of only two bagasse-fired steam distilleries on the island.

The Coeur Canne white shows the raw house character. For the aged side, the La Flibuste vintages are the community’s top picks, though they are scarce and collectable.

RumX offers the world’s largest selection of rum through our innovative shop-in-shop marketplace, similar to Amazon. For La Favorite rums, we currently have 102 offers starting from €25.90 across 15 partner shops including Excellence Rhum, Spirit Academy, PASSION RHUM, Corman Collins, Rhum Attitude, Rum Stylez. Our platform compares prices in real-time from specialized rum retailers worldwide, ensuring you always find the best deals.

The RumX database currently contains 224 different rums from La Favorite. This includes various expressions, limited editions, and bottlings across different age statements and proof levels. Our community has contributed over 2151 reviews for La Favorite rums, making it one of the most comprehensive resources for exploring this brand’s full range. New releases are added regularly as they become available.

According to the RumX community, La Favorite La Flibuste 1999 20yr 40% is currently the highest-rated La Favorite rum with an impressive rating of 9.0/10 based on 42 reviews. This expression has earned praise for its exceptional quality and represents the pinnacle of what La Favorite has to offer. However, taste is subjective, and we encourage you to explore the full range to find your personal favorite.
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Rating guide

RumX's 0–10 scale is strict. Here's what each band means.

9.0–10.0 Excellent Stash as many as you can afford. Tell no one.
8.0–8.9 Very good Bank a backup. Tell everyone you meet.
7.0–7.9 Good Buy one and recommend it to your friends.
6.0–6.9 Pleasant Solid, super glad I drank it.
5.0–5.9 Average Totally acceptable.
4.0–4.9 Drinkable Not vocally complaining.
3.0–3.9 Poor Wish I was drinking something else.
2.0–2.9 Very poor Nothing nice to say.
1.0–1.9 Unpleasant No, that's not for me.
0.1–0.9 Inedible Pour it out.