A Tale of Agave and Sugarcane

“Mmm . . . “ is the sound that vibrates from the back of my tongue as the rum hits it, tingling with a surprising—albeit gentle—spice. 

“That’s what I say every time I sip it,” smiled Chip Noel, master distiller and visionary behind Noël Family Distillery. 

The rum, made from Grade A molasses, is a blend of North and Central American rums aged for six years and proofed onsite in Donaldsonville. The kick, Chip’s daughter and business partner, and the distillery’s CEO Natalie Noel explained, comes from the cask finish in tequila barrels. 

It’s been almost six years since Chip and Natalie first set out on this journey together—enacting Chip’s vision of Louisiana sugarcane-produced rum made in their hometown. “We had no idea when we thought about doing this that it would take this long,” said Natalie, who mentions that almost everything that could go wrong, did. “But resiliency is our motto,” she said. And finally, on May 17, the Noël Family Distillery officially received the license to open its doors and sell its hard-won products. 

While six years is a long time to get a business started, it’s not all that long when it comes to producing the high-quality aged rum of Chip’s dreams. So, the first barrel of Chip’s own rum made with Louisiana sugarcane—the very heart of the operation—is still cheerfully aging right by the entrance of the distillery. During the hardest moments along the journey, Chip explained, this barrel is what has kept them going. “It represents a lot to us,” he said. “I don’t like to open it up to even try to taste it. The angels have gotten enough.” The rum will be available at the end of this year.

In the meantime, Chip and Natalie are working with established distillers across the world to create spirits—especially rums—that are true expressions, taste and quality-wise, of their own ambitions at Noël Family Distillery. Alongside the tequila-finished rum is a more traditional barrel-aged version, blended from Caribbean and Central American rums and distilled from high-test molasses. 

“I wanted you to be able to taste the agave,” said Natalie. “We wanted it to be sippable, but also hold up in a cocktail.”

The vodkas are made 100% from American-grown corn, distilled six times through a charcoal filter, and proofed and bottled inside the Noël Distillery. “We just wanted a vodka that could do well in a martini,” said Natalie. They also offer a pickle vodka, mixed here in Donaldsonville, that comes from a recipe Natalie dreamed up during her pregnancy pickle cravings. 

And then there’s the tequila—Louisiana’s first. “I fell in love with tequila,” said Natalie. “And there is a gap in this market. There’s no local distillery offering authentic agave tequila.” For tequila to be tequila, it must be made in one of five authorized states in Mexico—which is where Natalie and Chip went. Working closely with the woman-owned agave farm and distillery Casa Maestri, Natalie developed two small-batch luxury tequilas she felt would suit Louisiana palates, while staying true to the authentic spirit of the liquor. The Blanco is meant to be a true celebration of agave, smooth and with just a hint of sweetness—no additives. “I wanted you to be able to taste the agave,” said Natalie. “We wanted it to be sippable, but also hold up in a cocktail.” The Reposado, which is aged in former Jack Daniels’ oak barrels, is a delightful and unique expression of tequila that Natalie said has been a favorite at tastings—delicious on the rocks, with a spritz of lime; in a margarita; or even as a rum or bourbon replacement in a stylized Old Fashioned. 

[Read Beth D'Addono's look at other Louisiana-based distilleries from 2019 here.]

“This is not your grandfather’s tequila with the worm in it,” said Chip, emphasizing that just because the tequila wasn’t made in their distillery doesn’t mean it wasn’t an enormous effort they conducted with utmost intentionality. “To have these bottles sitting here, it was a massive undertaking that Natalie and her team did. Massive—to go talk to these people, to manage the legalities, the paperwork, the tastings. These are her babies.” 

“I’m kind of blown away by the people who walk through that door,” said Chip. “I’ve been here my whole life, but they’re so appreciative to have something like this in Donaldsonville.” 

Following the great struggle of getting started, the Noels see themselves aligned with the crops at the heart of their operation—which draws deeply on their multi-generational roots as a farming family in Donaldsonville. “The agave plant, the sugarcane plant—these are both resilient crops,” said Natalie. “The agave plant—you just plant it and ignore it for like seven years, and then harvest it. And sugarcane, it’ll get attacked by hurricanes every year, and it’ll still be here.” 

The father-daughter duo look forward to being a part of the revitalization efforts in their hometown, and to offering a gathering place for their community. “I’m kind of blown away by the people who walk through that door,” said Chip. “I’ve been here my whole life, but they’re so appreciative to have something like this in Donaldsonville.” 

Currently, Noël Family Distillery is open for tours and tastings (they also have a full cocktail menu) from 9 am–4 pm Monday—Friday, and by appointment on Saturdays. You can find their spirits at Hokus Pokus Liquor in Prairieville and  Calandro’s, Mulberry Market, French Market Bistro, Ivars, La Carreta, the Main Lobby, and Bin 77 in Baton Rouge. shop.noeldistillery.com.