All Summaries for The Rumcast

Thanks again to all who listened and voted in our Second Annual Rumcast Fantasy Rum Draft — we reveal this year's champion at the top of this new episode!After revealing the champion (and a bit of gloating from one of us), we get to our latest experiment: investing 6 inexpensive rums we normally would either overlook or outright reject to see if we could find some diamonds in the rough!We each selected 3 rums under ~$20 that we had either never tried or couldn't remember trying and then put them through a series of tasting to see if we could find any pleasant surprises along the way.P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

🗳️ Note: After you listen, go to rumcast.com/vote to help us determine the winner! 🗳️It's here! After a year of trash talk, victory laps, and hardcore preparation, the second annual Rumcast Fantasy Rum Draft has arrived.In this annual competition, we compete head-to-head to “draft” rums from the selection of a single online liquor store for 11 different rum categories. The goal? To create the superior “desert island” rum bar.Now, we need you to determine which of us did the best job.Have a listen, and then head to rumcast.com/vote to help us determine the winner!We "drafted" rums for the following categories from a selection of 300+ rums currently available at Hi-Time Wine Cellars:UnagedLightly Aged (1-4 Years)Aged (5-14 Years)Long Aged (15+ Years)Cane Juice UnagedCane Juice Aged (Any Length)Multi-Country BlendNon-CaribbeanOverproof100% Column100% PotAfter you listen, head to rumcast.com/vote to access the complete list of picks, along with a link to our Fantasy Rum Draft Command Center if you'd like to have a look.This episode is sponsored by independent bottler Raising Glasses. To check out (and order) their latest releases, visit their website.P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

At long last, we speak to our first rum producer from Réunion Island! In this episode, we welcomed Marie Ferrand (Cellar Master) and Yann Auberval (Director of Marketing) to take us inside Isautier Distillery's traditions of both cane juice and molasses-based rums. We discuss:The differences between the rhum agricoles of the Caribbean and RéunionWhy Isautier has long focused on both rhum agricole and rhum traditionnel (molasses-based rum)The approach to aging that contributes to the rum's unique profileHow the recent partnership with La Maison & Velier came aboutThe differences between the LM&V bottlings and Isautier's typical releasesMarie's philosophy on rum blendingA walkthrough of their production process (and some experiments they're currently working on)The story behind Rhum Charrette — the best-selling rum on Réunion that features distillate from all of the island's distilleriesAnd much more!You can learn more about Isautier on their website: https://www.isautier.com/en/This episode is sponsored by independent bottler Raising Glasses. To check out (and order) their latest releases, visit their website.P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the dog days of summer are officially here. And if you're like us, that means it's the perfect time of the year for tasty rum cocktails that don't require much effort to make. So with that in mind, we picked out a handful of our favorite "lazy" recipes we've been experimenting with lately and walked each other through making them.Some are variations on classics, some are riffs on recipes from talented bartenders, and some are just, well...their own kind of thing altogether. But they all have one thing in common—they're simple enough for cocktail amateurs like us to (usually) not screw them up.Recipes are included below.Give 'em a whirl and email host@rumcast.com to let us know what you think! This episode is sponsored by independent bottler Raising Glasses. To check out (and order) their latest releases, visit their website: https://raisingglasses.com/........RecipesCorn and Oil with a Twist:2 oz aged Barbados rum (43-46% ABV recommended)1/2 oz JTD Velvet Falernum (or a touch less if you want it less sweet)Hefty dropperful of Bittermens 'Elemakule Tiki bittersCombine everything in a glass over ice and stir.Not a Ti' Punch:1.5 - 2 oz blanc Agricole or cane juice rumA dash or two of Angostura bittersOne small ice cubeCombine first two ingredients in a Glencairn. Add the small ice cube and swish it around a bit.Hat tip to Colton Weinstein of Liba Spirits for this idea.Willis's Punch:1oz Wray & Nephew Overproof or Rum Fire2 oz pineapple juice1/4 oz simple syrup (optional, but I think it helps)Fever Tree Ginger BeerCombine first three ingredients over ice. Top with ginger beer. Give it a stir.This is a riff on Shannon Mustipher's Miss Ting cocktail. Might-Be:2 oz lightly aged/filtered rum like Havana Club 3 or Bacardi HeritageOwen’s grapefruit lime soda (3/4 cup)Dash grapefruit bitters (Fee's)Barspoon or two of 1:1 simple syrupSprig of fresh mint Muddle mint with simple syrup. Add ice, rum, and bitters. Top with grapefruit lime soda.Angry Daiquiri:2 oz Havana Club 3 (or similar)3/4 oz fresh sour orange (naranja agria) juice 1/2 oz simple syrup (1.5-1 semi-rich)Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain.P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

In this episode, we sit down with Mike Streeter, founder of Down Island Spirits — a brand that's part of the new wave of American independent bottlers hitting the rum scene over the last few years. We talk through all aspects of starting a rum brand (and sourcing great rum), including:The hardest parts of becoming an independent bottlerDown Island's process for selecting what to bottleHow he arrived at Down Island's inaugural four selectionsSourcing from brokers versus directly from distilleriesThe story behind Down Island's two newest releases from Brazil and MartiniqueThe style of Brazil's Epris DistilleryThe unique effect of aging rum in amburana casksHis love of St. James DistilleryOverlooked amazing rum travel destinationsGetting into the rum importing businessWhat types of releases we can expect to see in the futureAnd much more!You can learn more about Down Island at their website: https://www.downislandspirits.com/P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

In this episode, we asked ourselves an interesting question: what gaps currently exist in rum brands' lineups that we'd love to see them fill?We each privately constructed our own list and then revealed and debated our wish list rums in real time.Have a listen and let us know — which of these rums would you most like (or NOT like) to see in the market? What ideas do you have for rums that should exist (but don't right now)? Send us an email at host@rumcast.com and let us know!P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

In this episode, we sat down with co-founder Elisandro Gonzalez Molina to learn all about Dakabend Rum — an aguardiente de caña made in the Sierra Norte region of Oaxaca in Mexico. We discussed:The journey Elisandro and his cousin, Edgar Gonzalez Ramirez, took from building their own mezcal palenque and brand (Mezcal Tosba) over the last 20+ years to getting into rum productionThe culture of aguardiente de caña and sugarcane in his region of OaxacaDakabend's unique production process (which includes a continuous fermentation that never stops during harvest season)The wider category of Mexican rum (and what the future might look like)The history of sugarcane in OaxacaHow the presence of Mezcal Tosba and Dakabend has impacted his hometown, San Cristóbal LachirioagThe story behind the name DakabendEarly experiments in aging Dakabend and what their aging program might look like going forwardAnd much more!If you want to learn more about Dakabend and Elisandro, check out these links:The 2014 episode of NPR's Planet Money that featured the story of Mezcal Tosba Mezcal Review's article about their trip to San Cristóbal Lachirioag (which has some info on Dakabend in addition to Mezcal Tosba)The Dakabend website P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

In this episode, we sat down with Calbert Francis, global export manager for Antigua Distillery Ltd. to talk all things English Harbour Rum. Antigua Distillery Ltd. is interesting, as it doesn't fit neatly into the English/Spanish/French categorizations (and is a great example of why they're flawed categories in the first place). While some might expect it to be "English" style, there isn't a pot still to be found at the distillery—everything is 100% column (and the column is quite unique).We chatted with Calbert about:Antigua Distillery's Portuguese origins and the unique backstory behind the distillery (which dates back to the 1930s)The birth of the English Harbour brand (and why it almost didn't get off the ground)The distillery's unconventional modified column still (and what makes it different from other column stills)The potential return of English Harbour's 25-year releaseExperiments with high-congener rum production and atypical maturation that led to some of the distillery's most memorable limited releasesCarnival culture in AntiguaThe difference in the local market and export markets' rum tastesThe evolution of English Harbour's cask finish releasesThe additives questionWhat the distillery is planning for its 90th anniversaryAnd more!Photo Credit: Prayitno PhotographyP.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

Hey Rumcasters, we’re making one of this month’s bonus episodes (typically exclusive to patrons) free for all!This past week, Appleton formally announced the coming special release of the long-awaited Appleton 17-Year Legend rum, which they've billed as a "faithful recreation" of the legendary J. Wray & Nephew 17-Year rum used in Trader Vic's first ever mai tai.The reactions from the rum enthusiast community have been strong, to say the least. In fact, we struggled to think of any other recent limited release that sparked this level of reaction in rum enthusiast circles.With that in mind, we recorded this episode to talk through our thoughts on the rum itself, why the rum community got so excited about it, why there seems to be so much frustration with the release, whether the release of these 1,500 bottles could be done in a better way, and the perils of limited releases in general.If you'd like to get more episodes like this every month, just head on over to patreon.com/therumcast!Relevant Links:Forbes Article: "Rum's Holy Grail: Appleton Recreates the Rum Used in the First Mai Tai"Rum Wonk: "Appleton Estate's "Legend" 17-Year Rum: What We Know"

In this episode, we caught up with Ben Jones (director of North America for Spiribam) to catch up on all things related to Spiribam's portfolio of rum brands/distilleries, like Rhum J.M, Rhum Clément, St. Lucia Distillers, and their latest acquisition — Saint-Maurice Distillery in French Guiana, makers of La Belle Cabresse and other brands.We chatted with Ben about:New and upcoming releases from J.M and Clément (including several off-the-wall cask finishes)How involved he/Spiribam are with product development and feedback at each distilleryThe cool story behind the making of Chairman's Reserve Legacy, which we've often lauded as a great value rumWhat the future of sugarcane cultivation (and cane juice rum production) looks like at St. Lucia DistillersWhy Rhum J.M VO is being replaced by Terroir VolcaniqueAn update on high ester production at St. Lucia DistillersThe growing market for cane juice spirits from around the world and how that impacts the rhum agricole categoryWhat to expect from Spiribam's acquisition of Saint-Maurice in French GuianaThe future of Spiribam's Mauritian rum brand, ArcaneAnd more!P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

In this episode, we embark on a journey to discover which Foursquare rums that are $50(ish) or less are truly the best value. To do this, we went through a blind tasting of 10 widely available affordable rums distilled at Foursquare Distillery:Alleyne Arthur's Special Barbados Rum (43% ABV)Old Brigand Black Label (43% ABV)Real McCoy 5-Year (40% ABV)Doorly's 5-Year (40% ABV)Doorly's XO (40% ABV)Doorly's 8-Year (40% ABV)R.L. Seale's 10-Year (43% ABV)Doorly's 12-year (43% ABV)Real McCoy 12-Year (40% ABV)R.L. Seale's 12-Year (46% ABV)Note: We mention in this episode that some online sources state that Doorly's 12 is a blend of 90% ex-bourbon cask rum and 10% ex-Madeira cask rum. We reached out to Richard Seale to ask about it and he responded with, "We have never released any info on the blend of Doorly’s 12."Along the way, we rate each rum blind so we can walk away with our own personal rankings (and a Rumcast average ranking). We edited in a reveal of each rum so that you will know which rum we are talking about as we taste it.You can find the spreadsheet with our scores and the reveal of each rum here (spoiler alert!): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pJ--B3oDKMu4pXVkHF7uBEwgyXFfC_gMN1AXnXHwEMc/edit?usp=sharingThese rums represent one of the most common gateways to Barbados rum, Foursquare, and even the rum category itself for so many people. It was a blast to go through them, and we came away with a bunch of surprises.P.S. If you’d like to watch a video version of this episode, it’s already available for our Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/therumcast.

In this episode, we sat down with Ed Tiedge, master distiller at Copal Tree Distillery (the makers of Copalli Rum) in Belize. Copalli is yet another example of a large, relatively new operation devoted entirely to making cane juice rum all the way from field to glass. They have some interesting upcoming releases that caught our eye (we noticed them in the TTB label registry), so it was a good time to connect with Ed and get the scoop on everything they're up to. We discussed:Ed's journey from owning a craft distillery in New York to moving to Belize to become a rum distiller nearly 8 years agoHow he applied his eau de vie background to making rumHaving their early rums evaluated by Richard SealeHow Copalli arrived at its initial lineup of releases (and how they landed on a 75% column / 25% pot blend for their unaged rum)The different cane varietals they're cultivating (and how each expresses itself differently in the rum)Experimenting with various cask typesTheir upcoming single cane varietal 100% pot still releaseHow a self-avowed hater of flavored rums ended up making a cacao rumAnd more!You can learn more about Copalli on their website. P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

In this episode, we sat down with Shaun Caleb, master distiller at Demerara Distillers Ltd. (makers of El Dorado Rum) to discuss a wide range of topics related to DDL and his career in rum, including...His path from Guyana to Princeton University and back to Guyana to work for DDLLearning to distill on some of the oldest stills in the worldHow DDL's range of both historic and modern stills allow them to produce an array of 20+ rum marquesThe differences between the Port Mourant double wooden pot still and Versailles single wooden pot still, and how they express themselves in the rumHow DDL had the foresight to preserve its heritage stillsWhy modern distilleries don't use wooden stillsHigh ester rum production at DDL (and how it differs from Jamaican high ester rum production)Why there aren’t “lost” DDL rum marquesThe backstory on DDL's decision to reduce its practice of aging rum with caramel in the barrelsThe one type of still Shaun would add to DDL if he couldWhat to expect from El Dorado Rum in the futureAnd much more!Also, before we got to the interview, we created a March Madness themed bracket of Demerara rums (it ties into the interview, we swear).You can find out more info about El Dorado Rum and Demerara Distillers Ltd. at the following links:Official El Dorado Rum websiteMatt Pietrek’s deep dive into Demerara Distillers Ltd. on Cocktail Wonk:Part OnePart TwoQ&A with Shaun CalebP.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

Announcement: We’re now offering annual subscriptions that allow you to save 10% on the Rumcast Patreon community! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.In this episode, we're picking back up with our Rumcast Guides series and turning our focus toward home with the United States. With hundreds upon hundreds of distilleries making rum (most of which have spotty distribution at best), it can be a difficult to actually find the stuff worth exploring in the first place. Which distilleries are actually serious about making rum? What kind of styles are emerging? What do we even mean when we say "American rum"? We explore all this and more, including...The most common characteristics of American rumDoes American rum have a style?The most intriguing regions within the categoryWhat's up with so many distilleries using crystallized sugar as a portion (or all) of their rum base rather than 100% molasses?The landscape of cane juice rum in the U.S.A high-level look at 20 noteworthy distilleries What we would put in our "Intro to American Rum" rum flightsAnd moreIf you'd like to explore our past episodes on some of the producers mentioned in this episode, check out:Episode 37 with Kyle Reutner of Ko Hana Distillers: https://www.rumcast.com/episodes/kohana-distillers-hawaiian-sugarcaneEpisode 27 with Erik Vonk of Richland Rum, Steve Jefferson of Kuleana Rum Works, and Pepe Alvarez of San Juan Artisan Distillers: https://www.rumcast.com/episodes/the-sugarcane-filesTo explore other episodes in our Rumcast Guides series, check out:The Rumcast Guide to Jamaican Rum: https://www.rumcast.com/episodes/jamaican-rum-guideThe Rumcast Guide to Mexican Rum: https://www.rumcast.com/episodes/mexican-rum-guideThe Rumcast Guide to Puerto Rican Rum (Part 1): https://www.rumcast.com/episodes/puerto-rican-rum-guide-1The Rumcast Guide to Puerto Rican Rum (Part 2): https://www.rumcast.com/episodes/puerto-rican-rum-guide-2P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.

In this episode, we sat down with Shannon Mustipher (rum educator, cocktail consultant, and author of Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails) to dive deep into the art of making modern rum cocktails. Shannon has spent the better part of a decade designing and launching many rum-focused bar programs and is known for her modern approach to cocktail making.Topics discussed include:The creative process of constructing rum cocktailsNaming cocktailsWhat she's been up to since the 2019 release of Tiki: Modern Tropical CocktailsHow to use multi-spirit split bases in recipesKnowing when to use Rum Fire vs. Wray & Nephew vs. Rum Bar OverproofRum styles that are the most challenging to work with in cocktailsHer thoughts on cocktail competitions and shows like Netflix's Drink MastersWhat is was like to appear on a recent CBS segment about rumHer favorite bar right nowAnd much more!You can find Shannon on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/shannonmustipher/You can find all the info on her book, Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails, here: https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780789335548/Photo Credit: Noah Fecks - https://www.noahfecks.com/P.S. Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.