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 […]
Kō Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum is produced by Kō Hana Distillers – a Hawaii-based boutique rum distillery. Using carefully-sourced native heirloom sugarcane varieties, Kō Hana creates agricole style rums that are completely farm to bottle. Each bottle of Kō Hana Hawaiian Agricole is made from fresh sugarcane juice using sugarcane that is hand harvested on site. The juice is fermented using closed tank fermentation, before being distilled in a custom still. This particular bottle of white rum is rested for 90 days in a stainless steel tank before bottling. BOTTLE SPECS ❖ ABV: 40% ❖ Distillery: Kō Hana Distillers ❖ Aging: none ❖ Price […]
SelvaRey Chocolate Rum is produced by SelvaRey – a U.S.-based, celebrity-owned rum brand that partners with distillers in Panama. With the help of master rum distiller “Don Pancho” Francisco Fernandez, SelvaRey releases single estate rums that aim to elevate the perception of rum in the U.S. market. Each of SelvaRey’s rums are produced from start to finish at the same distillery. The brand goes so far as to brag about the labor conditions of the sugarcane harvesters, who work 4-hour shifts to avoid the midday heat, receive clean water and food, and get paid at least minimum wage for their efforts. The pesticide-free sugarcane is then […]
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 […]
Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum is produced by Smith & Cross – a London-based rum producer with roots dating back to 1788. A blend of pot still “Plummer” and “Wedderburn” style rums, Smith & Cross boasts a flavorful product reminiscent of 19th century Jamaican rums. The different rums used in this blend are each distilled in Jamaica at the Hampden Estate Distillery, before being aged for a range of 6 months to 3 years. They make a point to advertise that this blend is not chill filtered, which results in a high ester product with potentially more character. It also does not include any added sugar before bottling. BOTTLE SPECS […]