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Author Topic: Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits  (Read 1956 times)

Offline narcout

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Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits
« on: August 08, 2016, 04:30:06 pm »
I recently returned from a trip to Maui where I had a chance to visit the Hawaii Sea Spirits distillery.  I thought some of you might be interested in seeing a few pictures.

This is the sugar cane press.  They grow their own organic sugar cane (both the vodka and rum are made from it) and import cane juice from somewhere else (I think South America).



These are the fermentors.  They ferment the cane juice to 10% ABV before distilling.  That's the bottom of the column still poking through the roof.



The pot still is on the left; that's the blending tank on the right where they add water back to the distillate.  All the water they use is desalinized deep ocean water which is pulled up off the coast of the Big Island.  Apparently, this water is marketed in Japan as a health drink and sells for something like $20 a bottle (not by the distillery).



Column still



Sugar cane; they grow a couple of different varieties



Sugar cane field with still in the background; it's a beautiful property



Bottling line



This picture is from somewhere else on the island, but I thought it was worth sharing.  These are old mill rollers from the sugar cane processing plant.  The grooved part of the roller is six or seven feet long.  Apparently, 2016 is the last year of commercial sugar cane production on Maui.



 
Sometimes you just can't get enough - JAMC

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2016, 04:34:34 pm »
Great pics, thanks for posting. Sounds like a great trip. I assume you got to sample the product?
Jon H.

Offline dls5492

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Re: Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2016, 05:14:52 pm »
Nice.
David S.
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Offline 69franx

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Re: Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2016, 07:27:59 pm »
Must have missed that on my trip to Maui back in 2007. Next time
Frank L.
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Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)

Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2016, 09:34:12 pm »
Had a really good time in Maui in April this year. There was a lot of talk then that sugar cane is no longer financially viable in Hawaii and there's a lot of uncertainty about employment and what agriculture might replace it. It could be bad for the other crops grown on the islands because many of the workers migrate from farm to farm working one crop to the next.
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Offline narcout

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Re: Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2016, 11:04:44 am »
I assume you got to sample the product?

I did.  The vodka is pretty good, and in my opinion better than the rum (which is strange considering that vodka usually isn't made from sugar cane and rum is).
Sometimes you just can't get enough - JAMC

Offline blair.streit

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Re: Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2016, 04:08:13 pm »
I assume you got to sample the product?

I did.  The vodka is pretty good, and in my opinion better than the rum (which is strange considering that vodka usually isn't made from sugar cane and rum is).
Vodka can be made from almost anything since it is distilled to the point of being "almost" flavorless. Historically, it's been made from either cheap and/or regional ingredients (often grains), but you can make it from fruit or even pure sugar cane:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodka

Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2016, 10:36:19 am »
I assume you got to sample the product?

I did.  The vodka is pretty good, and in my opinion better than the rum (which is strange considering that vodka usually isn't made from sugar cane and rum is).

Did you come across the Sammy Hagar Red Head Macadamia Nut Rum on Maui? It comes from a different distillery. I'm not usually a fan of flavored liquors and definitely not usually a fan of celebrity-sponsored liquors but it was delicious. I didn't find it in bottles, only served at the Sammy Hagar restaurant in the Maui Airport (aka the only part of the airport with AC).
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Offline erockrph

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Re: Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits
« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2016, 03:13:46 am »
Very cool! For the rim, do they ferment the unprocessed cane juice, Cachaça-style?
Eric B.

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Offline narcout

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Re: Maui - Hawaii Sea Spirits
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2016, 01:37:26 pm »
Did you come across the Sammy Hagar Red Head Macadamia Nut Rum on Maui?

I didn't, but it sounds interesting. Maybe next time...

Very cool! For the rim, do they ferment the unprocessed cane juice, Cachaça-style?

My understanding was that they ferment the unprocessed juice for both the rum and the vodka.  I think they said the only difference was in the distillation. 
Sometimes you just can't get enough - JAMC