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” and approachable in flavor suited for a wider market. Which is good, but it also means they don’t quite showcase the intense pungency that traditional pot still St. Lucian rums can have that make it truly special and significant as a “rum style”

Outside of the popular Jamaican rum style (tropical overripe fruits), I personally feel like St. Lucian rum is right up there as one of the most unique rum styles. It is just so full-flavored and exudes a different type of “heaviness” compared to other styles of rums. Think: an oily spice-filled tropical fruit cake that’s been finished with a layer of tar and salty brine. Yes, it’s kinda crazy and I admit the flavor can be challenging for me at times, but as a spirits nerd, honestly that’s also what I admire most about it and keeps me coming back!

On the Hamilton line of rums – Edward Hamilton is a rum-lover-turned-rum-importer. He is a wealth of rum knowledge, founder of the Ministry of Rum website, and generally a king in the rum world. He’s not a cocktail or tiki rum person, but purely represents the sugarcane spirit in all of its untainted glory. As such, his personal line of rums (independent bottlings from various Caribbean distilleries) really showcases the defining characteristics of truly unique and special rums.

Other than a variety of St. Lucian rums, he also bottles a couple of awesome cocktail-friendly Jamaican rums (gold and black), Guyana rums (151 and 86 proof), a navy-style rum, a couple rum liqueurs, and is also the US importer of Neisson agricole rhums from Martinique – a godsend!