Review: Downslope Vanilla Rum
Downslope Vanilla Rum is one of five rums created at the Downslope Distillery in Centennial Colorado. They also distill Gin, Vodka, and Whiskey. The distillery was founded May 2008 by three friends, Mitch Abate, Matt Causey, and Andy Causey. The first two spirits, white rum and a vodka made from sugar cane were released in August 2009. Downslope Vanilla Rum is made from dried Maui cane juice that has been processed into sugar. The cane juice is fermented in 300 gallon tanks and double distilled in 220 gallon batches in a Double Diamond pot still created by Copper Moonshine Stills in Arkansas. The rum is than filtered through The Lichtenstein, a devise designed by Master Distiller Mitch Abate. Tahitian and Indonesian Vanilla Beans are steeped in the white rum infusing only the natural flavor of these two unique beans with their well crafted white rum. Read more 
Review: Muddy River Coconut Carolina Rum
Muddy River Coconut Carolina Rum was released June 2015. It is one of four rums crafted at a distillery that is located 50 yards from the Catawba River. Hence the name. They also produce two Moonshine varieties. The husband and wife team of Robbie and Caroline Delaney moved into 500 feet of warehouse space they found on Craigslist in 2011. Their first product Muddy Water Silver Rum was introduced September 2012. They soon quit their full time jobs and needed more space to keep up with demand. Today they operate in a 6100 square feet warehouse in the same old textile mill. Their other rums include a Spiced, and Queen Charlotte Reserve, their oak barrel aged rum. Each rum starts with high quality molasses sourced from Louisiana and Florida sugarcane. Two new custom hybrid reflux column stills are used. After distilling, natural flavors are blended with the rum base, before hand bottling and labeling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Toppers Mocha Mama Rhum
Toppers Mocha Mama Rhum is one of six rhums crafted in St Maarten at the Toppers Distillery. For years Melanie Daboul created several flavored rhums out of her home kitchen. These rhums were given as a complimentary after dinner drink at the 2 restaurants she and husband Topper Daboul own on the Dutch side of St Maarten. These rhums were so well received they were soon selling bottles of this rhum at their restaurant. On November 1, 2012 they opened a distillery on St Maarten where they now craft their rhum. Mocha Mama is a premium rhum made with roasted coffee, and decadent chocolate with notes of vanilla. Read more
Review: Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum
Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum was created by Alexandre Gabriel, Cellar Master of Plantation and David Wondrich, author of the book Imbibe. This rum was not intended for sale it was created to share among colleagues and friends at Tales of Cocktail 2014. The rum is named for Reverend Stiggins whose favorite drink was Pineapple Rum in the Pickwick Papers novel by Charles Dickens. The hand cut bare rinds of Queen Victoria Pineapple are macerated with Plantation 3 Star White Rum for 1 week, and then distilled in a copper alembic pot still. It is then blended with Plantation Original Dark Rum which has been infused with the fruit of the pineapple for three weeks. The rum is then rested for three months in oak casks. Read more
Review: Toppers White Chocolate Raspberry Rhum
Toppers White Chocolate Raspberry Rhum is one of six handcrafted rhums produced on the island of St Maarten at the Toppers Distillery. Rhum is the French spelling of rum. The other Toppers rhums include Coconut, Spiced, Mocha Mama, Banana Vanilla Cinnamon, and Caribbean White. These rhums are based on recipes Melanie Daboul has been perfecting since 1994. Each Toppers Rhum is handmade with natural ingredients and hand bottled in St Maarten. Read more
Review: Toppers Coconut Rhum
Toppers Coconut Rhum is one of six handcrafted rhums produced on the island of St Maarten at the Topper’s Distillery. Their other rhums include Spiced, Mocha Mama, White Chocolate Raspberry, Banana Vanilla Cinnamon, and Caribbean White. Each flavor is handmade with natural ingredients, and hand bottled in it’s own beautifully colored bottle on the Dutch side of the Island of St Maarten. Each bottle features a glass embossed Topper’s on both bottles sides, and a hand painted palm tree on the flip top bottle topper. If there is a more attractive rum bottle design it doesn’t come to mind. Read more
Review: Toppers Banana Vanilla Cinnamon Rhum
Toppers Banana Vanilla Cinnamon Rhum is one of six handcrafted rhums produced on the Island of St Maarten at the Topper’s Distillery. Rhum is the French spelling of rum. The other varieties include their unflavored Caribbean White, Coconut, Mocha Mama, Spiced, and White Chocolate Raspberry. The rhums are based on recipes Melanie Daboul has been perfecting since 1994. They were given as a complimentary after dinner drink at the two restaurants owned with her husband Topper. A partnership was later formed with good friends Mike and Thelma King and a distillery was build. Unfortunately the Kings were killed in a random home invasion and robbery shortly before Topper’s Rhum was first released for sale November 2012. One of Mikes brothers Todd took his role in the company. Toppers Banana Vanilla Cinnamon Rhum is handmade with natural ingredients and hand bottled in St Maarten. Read more
Review: Wicked Dolphin Coconut Rum
Wicked Dolphin Coconut Rum was released November 2014. It was originally only available at the Wicked Dolphin Distillery in Cape Coral Florida, but after quickly selling all 250 cases they knew they were on to something. It is one of three rums they currently craft with 100% Florida sugar grown 35 minutes from the distillery. While Florida may be best known for their orange groves, over half of the sugar cane produced in the US is grown in Florida. The rum is small batch distilled in an American built Copper Pot Still. Real coconut water and natural ingredients are then blended before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Lola Belle Cherry Rum
Lola Belle Cherry Rum is named for a legendary burlesque dancer who adorned herself with cherries on stage. It is made with Caribbean rum and infused with dark maraschino cherries. Lola Belle Cherry Rum is a rum I have seen on many a liquor store shelf, but the $19.99 price and several options I felt at the time were better, prevented me from picking up a bottle. I purchased this bottle for $12.99. After finding the www.lolarum.com site no longer active, and Lola Belle no longer appearing on the Proximo webpage, I have concluded this rum is not longer produced. I still see it on liquor store shelves and I picked up my bottle yesterday. That said at some point supply will be limited. Read more
Review: Club Caribe Coconut Rum
Club Caribe Coconut Rum is one of seven flavored rums launched in 2013 by Florida Caribbean Distillers. The other flavors include Mango, Banana, Lemon, Citrus, Pineapple, and Raspberry. The rum is distilled in Cidra Puerto Rico in a building once owned by Glaxo Smith Kline Pharmaceuticals. After distilling, the rum is aged for one year and shipped to Florida where natural flavors are infused before bottling at 55 proof. Read more