Among rum cognoscenti, Jamaica’s Hampden Estate is held in exceedingly high reverence; a visit to the distillery is a rite of passage for hardcore rum geeks. Beyond just the extremely funky rums which draw high prices and attract collectors, Hampden’s distillery is revered as a step back in time a century or more into rum’s... Continue Reading →
The topic of Spanish, French and French style rums come up frequently in rum discussions. It’s confusing to many, especially newcomers trying to make sense of the vast world of rum. Section Three of my book, Minimalist Tiki, has a very lengthy and detailed overview on rum. What follows is an adaptation of a small... Continue Reading →
It’s common knowledge In the rum world from sheer repetition: The fabled British Navy rum, served to bluejackets for three centuries, is a blend of rums from the Four Horsemen of British Colonial rum: Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, and Trinidad. It’s an appealing narrative. Who doesn’t love funky Jamaican rum? (Mrs. Wonk will come around eventually... Continue Reading →
Grenada has more sugar cane than it can handle, an unprecedented situation relative to the prior two centuries. From the south to the north, vibrantly green sugar cane stalks rise several meters into the deep blue January sky. The cane is ready to cut -- scratch that -- the cane is past prime time for... Continue Reading →
I’ve been thinking a lot about rum categories lately, even dropping a rant or two along the way. As I’ve mentioned in my various musings, the problem with most categories is that they’re not applicable in all situations, and for all needs. A masterful categorization based on technical production parameters is likely not useful to... Continue Reading →
In late 2019 I visited Guyana as the guest of Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), makers of El Dorado rum and home of the historic Port Mourant, Versailles and Enmore wooden stills. I came away with an enormous quantity of material about the distillery and Guyana’s rum history to share. Thus far, I’ve published: A detailed... Continue Reading →
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