July 2014- Rum in the News

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As we celebrate the 4th of July here in America, here are some small artisan distilleries you might have missed.

LYONS DISTILLING

Ben Lyon and partner Jaime Windon have opened the second new distillery in Maryland in the last 40 years. They craft their White Rum from a combination of cane sugar, molasses and water.The White is the basis for a seasonal caramel-flavored rum and an aged rum that matures in American-oak, Bourbon barrels. Lyon and Windon chose rum as their first offering because of they consider it to be the ‘original’ American liquor. In the 1700’s, there were five working rum distilleries in Maryland.This may be repeated soon, as the State Comptroller’s Office shows that a total of five distilleries now have their licenses in Maryland.

JERSEY ARTISAN DISTILLING

Another new startup, this one the first new distillery in New Jersey, is Jersey Artisan Distilling. Brant Braue, a former electrical engineer, and Krista Haley,a former lawyer, have joined forces to produce Busted Barrel Rum. It is made from Louisiana molasses, distilled in their custom copper still and aged in American White Oak barrels. Both their Silver and Dark rums were awarded Silver Medals at the New York World Wine and Spirits Competition.

BERKSHIRE MOUNTAIN DISTILLERS

Now to Massachusetts, where the first legal distillery in the Bershires is making Ragged Mountain Rum. Chris Weld,a former emergency room Physician Assistant, has had great success in various spirits before he attempted rum. Using a high-grade black strap molasses, he triple-distills the wash and ages it for two to three years in used Woodford Bourbon barrels. Chris’s goal was to create a sipping rum that falls somewhere between a heavier Jamaican rum and mellower Spanish rum.

RICHLAND RUM

In the March issue of “Got Rum?”, I mentioned that Richland was one of the few American Distillers making rum from fresh cane juice. Sourcing and processing of the cane syrup, fermentation,distilling, aging and ultimately bottling are all handled in house, or Field To Glass, creating a magnificent 86-proof Single Estate Rum. The rum has not only impressed the spirits critics, but has won several gold medals. To help expand distribution, Richland has now teamed up with TAG USA to pursue additional East Coast Markets.

KOLOA RUM

Koloa Rum is expanding their rum selection and their facilities. The latest offering from Koloa is a Coconut Rum that offers a taste of Hawaii in a glass with hints of young coconut, toasted coconut and cocoa flavors with a smooth,natural tasting finish. Koloa Rum is in the planning stage of a new facility in  the town of Koloa that will include 45,000 square feet production area, a 3,000 square-foot office space, a 4,500 square foot tasting room, a 30,000 square-foot interactive garden and a 4,500 square foot café. Just another good reason to start planning that trip to Kaua’i.

And now, to the rest of the world...

PAPA’s PILAR RUM

Named after Ernest Hemmingway’s favorite boat, Papa’s Pilar Dark and Blonde rums are crafted to reflect Hemingway’s passions on both land and sea. They area blend of multiple rums, hand-selected from the Caribbean, Central America and Florida. The rums are then brought to the U.S.A. and married together in a unique Solera aging and blending process. The special bottles have the form factor of an iconic WWII canteen. Check out the special bottles at their website: www.papaspilar.com.

VISCAYA RUM

Viscaya has added two new expressions to their line of rums. Viscaya Cask 12,a dark rum that possesses the same rich character and high quality as VXOP Cask 21, but with a slightly lighter body that makes it great for mixing. Viscaya Cristal is made with the same dedication to detail as their other award winning rums. It is distilled from the juice of freshly pressed sugar cane, using time honored methods. It is rested in carefully selected oak barrels, to give it the signature complexity that characterizes all Vizcaya rums.

BUNDABERG RUM LIQUEUR

Bundaberg now has a rum liqueur that combines their favorite passions/vices:rum, coffee and chocolate. The next time you are down under, stop by the Bundaberg distillery and look for the brown Bundy bottle that claims to have the perfect balance of rich coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, Bundy.

BACARDI

If you have visited the impressive Casa Bacardi Visitor Center in Catano, Puerto Rico recently, you have noticed the two large wind turbines. These industrialsized turbines generate 250 KW of power, enough energy to run the Visitor Center. They are part of Bacardi’s Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future Initiative. Since the program started in 2006, they have reduced their packaging weight by 7%, cut energy use by 25%,and cut water use by 54%. They have set a goal to obtain 40% of their sugar cane ingredients used to make rum from certified, sustainable sources by 2017,and 100$ by 2022.

These are the most recent and noteworthy headlines in the rum industry. If you want us to share your news with our readers, please send an email to Mike@gotrum.com. Mike Kunetka is a a land locked rum enthusiast, he is based in Colorado, USA and is our newest contributor.