North Mills Distillery

Visiting Engenhos do Norte was an absolute highlight of my trip to Madeira! Nestled in the charming village of Porto da Cruz, this historic rum distillery beautifully captures the island’s heritage and spirit. From the moment you arrive, the scent of sugarcane and the sound of the old machinery transport you back in time. The guided tour was fascinating – informative without ever feeling rushed – and I loved learning how traditional techniques are still maintained today. Seeing the steam-powered machinery in action and understanding the process from cane to glass gave me an even greater appreciation for the craft and dedication behind every bottle. And the tasting experience? Exceptional. Each sip of their agricole rum revealed the unique flavors of Madeira, rich and complex, with a character you simply won’t find elsewhere. It’s easy to see why Engenhos do Norte is regarded as such an integral part of the island’s culture. Beyond the rum, the staff were incredibly warm, welcoming, and passionate about sharing their knowledge. Their pride in keeping this tradition alive was infectious, and it added so much to the experience. If you’re visiting Madeira, I cannot recommend Engenhos do Norte enough. Whether you’re a rum enthusiast or simply curious about the island’s history, this is a must-see destination that will leave you with wonderful memories (and maybe a bottle or two to take home!).

A fantastic place to discover Madeira’s local rum tradition! 🥃 North Mills Distillery offers a great mix of history, craft, and tasting. The distillery itself has a lot of character, with old equipment and displays that show how sugarcane is turned into rum. The atmosphere is authentic and welcoming.

The rum is good. The distillery is interesting to see. Still, everything is designed to bring you to the store to buy rum, ugly souvenirs or bottled poncha, which will not taste after you are back home. And: there are (too) many people there. All of that is a pity, because the rum, especially the non-standard destillations are really good... perhaps you'll have the opportunity to taste them somewhere else, like we did

A very interesting experience. In front of the sugar cane processing plant, there are several small trucks loaded with sugar cane. Inside, which is partially open to the public at least on Sundays, you can see how the raw material is processed, ground and transformed into semi-finished products. This is followed by further processing and storage in wooden barrels. Possibility of purchasing and tasting the products.

Visiting a rum distillery in Madeira was a true highlight of my trip. The tour offered a fascinating look at traditional rum-making, with original machinery still in use and passionate guides sharing the island’s rich history of sugarcane production.

The "Masterclass" in rum tasting lets you learn about the process of pure sugar cane rum production without any alterations or additives. The sugar cane juice is fermented, distilled and then bottled; or it is aged in barrels for various lengths of time (starting in 1970 to the present, so the 45 year old barrel aging is the oldest on site) shows how the aging process works. Different barrels are used (madeira, port), along with blending of different barrels versus single barrels. All of the staff do a really amazing job of educating you and answering all of the questions: Lillianna was fluent in English, German, Portuguese, and French -- able to answer any and all questions posed! A delight to learn from.

Very cool museum celebrating the local rum history. A surprisingly large amount of artifacts and historical value inside this building. It's large, it houses grand machinery, and it maintains the aromas of history as you stroll about. Informative, visually appealing, and worth your time to stop. Parking and restrooms are available.

Not a fan of the approach of this store. I stood in line just to ask something, but both employees were too busy with their friendly chat to each other. I don't have a check in luggage, so I wanted to taste the rums and buy some of them in the duty free on my way back home. However, they don't have any tasting package for you to try (like just 20cl of the best 5 rums, let's say) - you need to buy the whole shot of rum. And if you don't like it, and you would need to mix it with a soft drink to be able to drink it (or just something to drink after the rum), they don't have any soft drinks either. Then I thought that I'm going to get a coffee with milk to mix the rum in, but they have only black coffee. If I had a chance to try more rums in smaller samples, maybe I would pick one to buy later. But that's not the case, and I'm not buying a whole bottle just to be disappointed later. A visit to this place was worth it just because of the nice scenery with cliffs and sea a bit further. If you don't have this place on your route, don't make a detour just because of it.