Review: Doorlys 5 Year Old Rum
Doorlys 5 Year Old Rum is a blend of pot and column still rums blended before and after ageing in previously used bourbon barrels. Doorlys is named for Martin Doorly who founded the company. Each barrel is aged a minimum 5 years. Doorlys is one of several rums produced at the Foursquare Distillery. Others include Foursquare Spiced Rum, RL Seale, and the Real McCoy brands. Doorlys has been made on the island of Barbados since 1908, and was the first rum ever to be exported from the island. Read more 
Review: Bumbu Rum
Bumbu Rum is made at the historic West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. The distillery was founded in 1893 by two German Brothers and was recently acquired by Maison Ferrand. Yes this is the rum Lil Wayne shouts out in two of his newest songs featured on his Dedication 6 release. Those tracks are Fly Away and New Freezer. Bumbu Rum is based on the original recipe created by 16th and 17th century sailors of the West Indies. This spice grog was called Bumbu. They made their version by blending navy strength rum with native fruits and herbs of the Caribbean. In making the current Bumbu Rum a little more care is given in crafting the rum base. The Master Distillers select sugarcane from eight countries including Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guyana, and Honduras. The terroir of each countries sugarcane contributes unique flavor characteristics. The spirit is fermented with a yeast strain that dates back to 1840. Bumba is distilled using two continuous stills and aged up to 15 years in Grade A once used bourbon barrels. Spices, fruits, and herbs, all 100% natural ingredients are added to the rum after aging and prior to bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: R L Seales 10 Year Old Rum
R L Seales 10 Year Old Rum is crafted at the Foursquare Distillery on the Caribbean Island of Barbados. The odd shaped black bottle is designed to look like the old style leather flask pirates used to transport their rum. The thumb indent molded into the glass bottle actually feels more comfortable when drinking pirate style, aka straight from the bottle, as opposed to pouring into a glass. It is named for Richard Seale the Great Grandson of Reginald Leon Seale, who founded the Foursquare Distillery in 1926. Richard Seale is also the Master Distiller who created R L Seales 10 Year Old Rum. The Foursquare Distillery crafts several rums including the Doorly, Real McCoy, and 10 Cane line of rums, and the distillery is located on the site of an old plantation that dates back to the early 1600’s. Read more
Review: Saint James Heritage Rum
Saint James Heritage Rum is made with a meticulous blend of rums carefully selected from six of the finest Caribbean Islands by Master Blender Myriam Bredas. These rums are distilled and aged for 12 months in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Barbados. Some of these rums are distilled with molasses, and some with fresh pure sugarcane juice. Saint James was born in Saint-Pierre de la Martinique in 1765 from the hands of Reverend Father Edmund Lefebure. This dignified priest crafted a cane spirit called Guildive. Today this spirit is known as Rhum Agricole. Saint James continues to produce rum from fresh pure sugarcane juice, and one of these rums is included in Saint James Heritage Rum. Read more
Review: Plantation Barbados 5 Year Old Rum
Plantation Barbados 5 Year Old Rum is made from molasses in the birth place of rum, Barbados. The Plantation Rum brand was born in 1997. It was created by Alexandre Gabriel, the President and Owner of Maison Ferrand. Maison Ferrand also produces Pierre Ferrand, and Landy Cognac, Citadell and Magellan Gin, and Froggy B Vodka. Plantation Barbados 5 year old rum is fermented for 3-5 days and distilled in pot still and column stills. The spirit is aged for 3-4 years in bourbon casks in Barbados. The rum then crosses the sea where it is aged a second time, for 1-2 years in Limousin oak barrels previously used to age Pierre Ferrand Cognac. Read more
Review: Don Q Pina Rum
Don Q Pina Rum was released August 2017. It is just making its way to my market. This may be the result of Hurricane Maria shutting down production for several weeks at Destileria Serralles. Pina is one of five flavored rums produced under the Don Q label. The others include Coco, Limon, Mojito, and Pasion. The Serralles Family has been distilling rum in Puerto Rico since 1865 using a copper pot still imported from France. Don Q Pina Rum is made with the finest molasses, fresh volcanic mountain water from the Rio Inabon, and a unique strain of yeast kept alive and in use for over 75 years. After fermentation the spirit is distilled five times and aged 12-18 months in American White Oak Barrels. The rum is charcoal filtered. Natural pineapple juice is infused with the rum base before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Big Five Coconut Rum
Big Five Coconut Rum is one of three rums crafted at St Petersburg Distillery under the Big Five Label. The other two are Big 5 Silver, and Big 5 Gold Rum. Big Five Rum is named for the five grand social clubs that thrived in Havana in the 1950’s. For the record those clubs included The Vedado Tennis Club, Miramar Yacht Club, Biltmore Yacht and Country Club, Havana Yacht Club, and Casino Espanol. Big 5 rum is made from sugar cane molasses sourced from South Florida sugar growers. The rum is column distilled four times and pot distilled once. The spirit is then artisan water proofed over four stages, charcoal filtered twice, and rested for 48 hours at each stage. The resting period gives the water and spirit time to marry. Natural coconut flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Endless Summer Silver Rum
Endless Summer Silver Rum was released in Florida March 2017, and is now also available in South Carolina. Additional distribution will follow. It is part of Grain and Barrel Spirits Company, which also produces Dixie Vodka, and Chicken Cock Bourbon. Endless Summer is named for the 1964 surf film Endless Summer, and the concept that if one had enough time and money it would be possible to follow the summer up and down the world making summer endless. Their search for the perfect rum lead them to the birthplace of rum, Barbados. Endless Summer is made in Barbados at a distillery located on the beach. It is crafted with rum produced and blended from three different stills, and coral filtered water from a spring garden aquifer. It is bottled at 80 proof with the Endless Summer films original movie poster as it label. Read more
Review: Gubba Silver Rum
Gubba Silver Rum was introduced in 2013 along with Gubba Gold Rum. After visiting St Martin with his wife and tasting delicious Island crafted rum liqueur, I’m guessing Toppers Rhum, Gubba Rum owner Steven Gubb was inspired to create a new different tasting rum. Gubba Rums are crafted using a technique that dates back to the 1800’s. These artisanal organic and naturally infused rums are made from pure organic cane and the finest fruits, spices, and herbs. Gubba Silver Rum is distilled at Dancing Pines Distillery in Loveland Colorado. It is unfiltered and infused with organic coconut. Read more
Review: Bacardi Major Lazer Rum
Bacardi Major Lazer Rum was recently released. Bacardi hired DJ and Producer Jillionaire of the musical act Major Lazer to serve as the companies Minister of Rum. Major Lazer is an Electronic Music Trio who’s members include Diplo, Jillionaire, and Walshy Fire. They are probably best know for their mega hit Lean On. Jillionaire who grew up in Trinidad where rum is a big part of life, traveled to the company’s distillery in Puerto Rico and worked alongside Maestro de Ron Manny Oliver in developing this Limited Edition rum. It is made from a blend of 3 and 4 year old amber rums filtered before and after tropical aging. Read more