Brugal Añejo Superior Rum is produced by Brugal & Co. – a Dominican Republic based rum brand. Founded as a family-run company in 1888 by Don Andres Brugal Montaner, it was acquired by Edrington Group in 2008. Still, the rum production is done under the guidance of 5th generation master “roneros” Jassil Villanueva and Miguel Ripoll. Each of their rums are made using locally-sourced molasses, fermented with a proprietary yeast strain, and then distilled twice in steel column stills. It is then diluted and aged. Brugal takes extra pride in the wood casks used to age their rum, which include both American Oak ex-bourbon and European Oak ex-sherry […]
Botran Ron de Guatemala No. 8 is produced by Industria Licorera Quetzalteca – a Guatemala based company obtained by a group of 5 Spanish brothers in 1940. These brothers created the Botran brand, which produces several different rum blends from start to finish. In 2022, they achieved new certifications including ICSS (for sustainability) and SGS Carbon Neutrality. The beginning stages of their production process take place in Retalhuleu, Guatemala. There, the sugar cane is grown, and the sugar cane honey is fermented with pineapple yeast, before being distilled in copper stills. Then, the distillates are brought to the high altitudes of […]
I often find the rum section to be a bit overwhelming. There are so many different styles from so may different countries at so many different price points, and it can be difficult to narrow down all the choices. But since I’ve been focusing on spirits for cocktail mixing, I was on the look out for a reasonably priced rum from a brand that’s likely widely available. And, I thought Mount Gay Eclipse would be a perfect rum to try, since I tend to see the brand everywhere. Mount Gay has a long history in the Barbados rum industry. The distillery was inherited by John Sober in 1703 and was originally named for the mountain on which […]
Cane Island Jamaica Rum is produced by Cane Island Rum – a rum brand owned by the Amsterdam-based company Infinity Spirits. As a brand, Cane Island produces a variety of different rum blends, each of which focuses on a specific country or estate of origin. This particular bottle of Jamaica Rum is one of their “single island” blends, meaning that it includes rums from a few different estates located on the island of Jamaica. The rums in the blend are produced from molasses, and are primarily pot still. They are aged for a range of 3-5 years in American white oak bourbon barrels – with the exception of one unaged, high-ester rum. The […]
Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum is produced by Destilerías Unidas S. A., a Venezuelan spirits company and distillery. Originally established in 1959, Diplomático is produced near the beautiful Andes mountains in Venezuela. The brand was bought out in 2002, and is now family owned and operated. Each rum is “field to bottle”, with each step of the production process controlled by Diplomático. All their rums are made using either sugar cane molasses or sugar cane honey, which are sourced from up to 10 varieties of sugar cane. The company also cultivates its own strain of yeast for the fermentation process. After 1-2 days of fermentation […]