Kō Hana Hawaiian sugarcane rum. This rum has become a must-have Hawaiian souvenir for me. It’s not impossible to find on the mainland but quite rare so don’t miss this if you find yourself in the Pacific paradise! In short, this rum is AMAZING. It’s an “agricole”-style rum, referencing the…
Admiral Rodney HMS Princessa. While St. Lucia is often associated with the Caribbean oasis of resort-life and white sand beaches, the island has a deep rum culture. This rum is part of the newly launched Admiral Rodney line from St. Lucia Distillers, which produces some of the most distinctive rums…
Paranubes Oaxacan Rum. This is a fascinating bottle of rum hailing from the land of mezcal in Oaxaca, Mexico. Oaxaca is known as the region where most mezcal are produced, and one of the biggest draws of mezcal is its rustic nature – essential libations produced purely based on tradition…
Barbancourt rhum 15 years. Barbancourt is notably the most famous Haitian rum. Although Haiti has the most number of rum “distilleries” in the Caribbean (over 500 producers compared to under 50 in the entirety of the rest of the Caribbeans), most of these are micro operations distilling essentially sugarcane moonshine…
Foursquare Probitas rum (“Veritas” outside the US). I am SOOO excited for this rum, a collaboration between the famed Barbados Foursquare Distillery and Jamaican Hampden Estate, two absolute powerhouses of rum production in the Caribbeans. This “white” rum is touted as a cocktail-oriented rum (& thankfully also priced as such!)…
Copalli white rum. This is a relatively new rum on the market, made in Belize from nothing but fresh sugarcane juice, yeast, and rainforest canopy water. The company and founder are huge supporters of the rainforest preservation effort, and the rum is made on a rural farm within the rainforests…
Hamilton St. Lucia 2006 7 Year rum. Let’s talk about St. Lucian rum! St. Lucian rum is not super common in the rum market, with Chairman’s Reserve, Admiral Rodney, and maybe a Plantation bottling making up the majority of mainstream products. Those tend to a lean a bit more “consumer-friendly”…
Hampden Overproof Rum. Calling all rum fans! Calling all liquor fans (of all types)! You need this bottle in your life. Regardless of whether you’re a rum enthusiast or just someone who’s been wanting to explore the world of what rum has to offer, this is for you! In the…
So what is Jamaican rum? Sure, it’s rum from Jamaica, but there is reason why it’s often regarded as a category on its own and almost universally esteemed by rum enthusiasts. Here’s a quick primer: Jamaican rum is best known for the funky flavors it possesses (sometimes referred to as…
Saint Benevolence Caribbean Rum. This eye-catching bottle is a fairly new product on the market, a 5 year old rum blend from various Caribbean islands. Beyond the unique packaging and tasty quality rum inside, what’s really exciting about this bottle is that *100%* of its profits from sales go towards funding…
Clairin. Clairin is a sugarcane spirit produced by *truly* ancestral methods in the Caribbean country of Haiti. If you’re a spirit geek who loves the history and traditions behind spirits, this is the stuff of your dreams. Flavorwise, it’s comparable to agricole-style rums (made from fresh sugarcane juice), but like,…
El Dorado 15. This post is loooong overdue. When I began my rum journey last year, it pretty much kickstarted with my first rum love – El Dorado 12, which was also my first *ever* rum bottle talk. 50+ bottles of rum later, and I’ll admit, El Dorado is still…
Grander 8 Year Rum. This is a Spanish-style rum from the Central America country of Panama. Grander rum comes from the Ingenio San Carlos distillery (same place that produces Panama-Pacific rum) and is aged for 8 years before being bottled. Grander proudly promotes the lack of any added sugar or…
Diplomatico Planas. Diplomatico is most well known for their Reserva Exclusiva rum, which is often regarded as a higher end “sipping rum.” While that one does have its fan base, I really think the true treasures in their line actually lie in their other two rums, the Planas and the…
Rhum JM XO. This here is a fantastic 6+ year aged agricole rhum, produced by the oldest active distillery on the island of Martinique (since 1790!). If you’re completely new to agricole rhums, you might want to first check out this post for more info. In short, “rhum” is just…
Neisson L’Esprit Rhum Agricole. This is one of THE best agricole rhums on the market. No question. Martinique is the only country that has a special protected designation of origin in the rum world, and building on that, Rhum Neisson is not only a premier producer of Martinique AOC rhum,…
Appleton Estate 21 Year Rum. This bottle here is one of the *best* readily available rums on the market. It does not come cheap, but ohhh is it good. Composed of a blend of rums aged at least a full 21 years in Jamaica (the hot climate on the island…
La Favorite Blanc rhum agricole. This is an unaged rhum agricole from the island of Martinique in the Caribbeans. Rhum agricole is a style of rum production traditionally employed in the French-colonized Caribbean islands that uses fresh sugar cane instead of the more common molasses (more details on this style…
Stolen Overproof Rum. I’ve seen the This Is Stolen products and ads around and was honestly a bit skeptical, but after finally seeing this at my local liquor store, I had to pick it up and give it a try. Man, this is good stuff. This is a…