Malagasy rum aged in oak and often infused with the island’s own vanilla. It has been distilled at Nosy Be since 1980 from local cane and is Madagascar’s best-known rum abroad.
It is a commercial distillery’s rum, and distilling spirits without a licence is a criminal offence.
What goes into it
- sugarcane juice or molasses
- yeast
- oak casks
- Malagasy vanilla, for the infused expressions
How it is made
Cane from the Nosy Be plantations is fermented and distilled, then aged in oak in the tropics where evaporation runs fast and a few years does the work of a decade in a cooler climate. The vanilla expressions steep whole Malagasy pods in the aged rum before bottling.
How long it takes: three to ten years in tropical oak
How it is eaten
Neat, over ice, or in a punch with local fruit.
History
Distilled at Nosy Be since 1980 from local cane and vanilla, and Madagascar’s best-known rum abroad.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dzama?
Dzama is a wine & spirit from Madagascar: malagasy rum aged in oak, often infused with vanilla. Distilled at Nosy Be since 1980 from local cane and vanilla, and Madagascar’s best-known rum abroad.
How is Dzama made?
Cane from the Nosy Be plantations is fermented and distilled, then aged in oak in the tropics where evaporation runs fast and a few years does the work of a decade in a cooler climate. The vanilla expressions steep whole Malagasy pods in the aged rum before bottling. It takes three to ten years in tropical oak.
Can I make Dzama at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. It is a commercial distillery’s rum, and distilling spirits without a licence is a criminal offence.
What goes into Dzama?
Sugarcane juice or molasses, yeast, oak casks, malagasy vanilla, for the infused expressions.
How is Dzama eaten?
Neat, over ice, or in a punch with local fruit.
