Review: Clement Mahina Coco
Clement Mahina Coco is crafted in Martinique at a former sugar plantation that was purchased by Homere Clement in 1887 when it went into bankruptcy during the peak of the sugar crisis. He made the investment to transform the plantation into a producer of Rhum Agricole. Mahina Coco is made with their Premiere Canne rhum. This rhum is made with juice from the first pressing of sugar cane and it is distilled once. The rhum rests for 9 months in a stainless steel vat and is slowly reduced with distilled volcanic spring water. Pieces of young coconut is soused in the rhum agricole before it is bottled at 36 proof. Read more 
Review: Calico Jack Key Lime Rum
Calico Jack Key Lime rum is one of nine flavored rums Beam Suntory creates under the Calico Jack label. White Rock Distillery launched this line of rum and originally sold it without the Calico name. This line of rum was sold with the flavor ahead of the Jack name. Examples include Coconut Jack, and Mango Jack. In 1993 White Rock sold Calico Rum and Pinnacle Vodka to Beam. Calico Jack Key Lime is made with rum distilled in St. Croix at the same distillery where Cruzan rum is crafted. Natural key lime flavor is added in Frankfort Kentucky where it is bottled at 46 proof. Read more
Review: Bacardi Tangerine Rum
Bacardi Tangerine rum will be introduced later this month. I was able to get my hands on a bottle a little early. It is one of 16 flavored rums they create with rum distilled in Puerto Rico. They start with molasses and a single strain of yeast, Le Levadura Bacardi that is fermented for 30 hours in closed fermentation tanks. The fermented molasses is split with some column distilled and some beer distilled. Each is aged separately in charred American white oak barrels previously used to age bourbon. Once mature the rums are blended and filtered through a mix of charcoal made from tropical woods and coconut shells. Natural flavors are then infused before bottling in Jacksonville Florida at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Monkey Toasted Coconut Rum
Monkey Toasted Coconut rum was created by Zane Lamprey, the host of Three Sheets, Drinking Made Easy, and Chug. The name comes from a stuffed monkey he would hide somewhere in each episode of his TV shows. The first person to spot the monkey could make everyone in their viewing party take a drink. Not only did Zane use his own money creating the brand, he selected the rum, and the natural flavors. He even designed the bottle which reminds me of a little of the old Barrel of Monkeys container from my youth. Monkey Toasted Coconut is made with Caribbean molasses and it is distilled in column stills in Angostura Trinidad. The rum is aged in American oak barrels that were first used to age bourbon. The rum is then infused with natural toasted coconut and Caribbean spices before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Blue Chair Bay Vanilla Rum
Blue Chair Bay Vanilla rum was just released along with a seasonal Banana Rum Cream flavor. Vanilla joins their unflavored white, banana, coconut, and coconut spiced rums that are available year round. The brand is owned by Kenny Chesney, and the rum is distilled and aged in oak barrels at the West Indies rum distillery in Barbados. Natural vanilla flavor is added before bottling at a former Kodak plant in Rochester New York at 53 proof. Read more
Review: Blue Chair Bay Banana Rum Cream
Blue Chair Bay Banana Rum Cream was just released along with a Vanilla flavored rum. While Vanilla joins their previous four year round rum varieties, Banana Rum Cream is a limited release, following their Coconut Rum Cream which was offered last fall and winter. It is crafted with their white rum that is distilled and aged in oak barrels at the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. Real cream and caramelized banana flavors are then blended before bottling at 30 proof. Read more
Review: Selvarey Cacao Rum
Selvarey Cacao rum was introduced in 2014 along with a white rum. It is co-owned by three brothers and Bruno Mars. Selvarey is crafted with sugarcane grown in the small town of Pese Panama. The sugar cane is pressed through rollers and boiled. The raw sugar is removed creating a grade A molasses. A natural yeast derived from pineapple is added. A four column copper still built in 1922 is used before the rum is aged for five years in American White Oak barrels previously used to age bourbon. Pure water and Panamanian cocoa is added before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Brinley Gold Lime Rum
Brinley Gold Lime rum is one of six flavored rums made in St Kitts, the smallest country in the Western Hemisphere, by the Brinley family. They have been crafting rum since 2002. The rum is column distilled and aged for four years in oak bourbon barrels. It is then infused with natural Tahitian lime juice before being bottled at 72 proof. While I still find Brinley Gold Lime rum on the occasional liquor store shelf, it no longer appears on the Brinley web site, so availability is limited. Read more
Review: Cruzan Blueberry Lemonade Rum
Cruzan Blueberry Lemonade rum is set for release in April. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle a little early. It is one of 16 rum flavors they create with rum distilled in St Croix with tropical rain water and high quality molasses. The Nelthropp family has been crafting rum for eight generations since they launched the Cruzan brand of rum in the early 1800’s. They use a five column distillation process before aging in oak barrels. The rum is shipped to Florida where natural blueberry and lemon flavor is added before bottling at 42 proof. Read more
Review: Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum
Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum was introduced May 2009. It is one of 15 flavored rums they create in Puerto Rico. They start with molasses and a single strain of yeast, Le Levadura Bacardi and ferment for 30 hours in closed fermentation tanks. After fermentation the fermented rum is divided with some column and some beer distilled. They are aged separately in lightly charred American white oak barrels previously used to age bourbon. Once mature the rums are blended and filtered through a mix of charcoal made from tropical woods and coconut shells. It is then infused with natural flavors including strawberry and dragon fruit before bottling at 70 proof. Read more