Mana'o Rum: Olympian rum between tradition and modernity

In 2010, Fabrice Baffou, Sébastien Thépenier, and Olivier Duret relaunched a high-quality agricultural rum line in Polynesia under the Mana'o brand. Grown organically in Tahaa, Rangiroa, and on the Tahiti peninsula, the project is based on five ancestral varieties of indigenous cane. Cutting is manual, the juice extracted without adding water a few minutes after harvesting, then fermented with organic yeasts for several days depending on climatic conditions. Fermentation transforms the sugar into alcohol, but its duration can be extended—especially in hot weather like December—from three to four days to sometimes a week to ensure good yeast activity. The resulting cane wine is then distilled: traditionally in a batch still (sometimes an old Holstein in Taha'a) where the process requires several passes to reach high levels, or on a modern 5-head column in Tahiti which allows, in a single distillation, to reach around 89°. The distillate is then transported to Rangiroa for aging in oak barrels, preserving its aromas while softening it. After three months, a gradual dilution is carried out daily with water until the alcohol content stabilizes at 65°. Nine months after the start of the process, Mana'o rum is ready: a rare balance between the intensity of a powerful distillate and the finesse brought by wood and time. Mana'o embodies a contemporary artisanal approach respectful of its terroir, where the care taken at each stage—from cane to bottle—reveals an exceptional rum, at once expressive, woody, and deeply rooted in Polynesia.