The Rumcast
Explore the world of rum by hearing from the people who are shaping it.
Episodes
![160: [Free Bonus Episode] Blind Tasting Alambique Serrano's New Vida Nativa Series Rums](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e194b17d343ec0c523648df/1791639953956-8Y2NIKJ8GZ6GPPVC5CBZ/Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+of+Copy+%281%29.png?format=1500w)
160: [Free Bonus Episode] Blind Tasting Alambique Serrano's New Vida Nativa Series Rums
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.For more bonus episodes like this one, subscribe to the Rumcast Patreon community.In this free bonus episode, we blind taste through 4 of the new Vida Nativa Series rums from Oaxaca's Alambiq
159: Kate Perry's Next Chapter + Looking Back on 9 Years at Velier
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.Hey all! It's time for a bittersweet episode — this month, we sat down with Rumcast veteran Kate Perry, who will be stepping away from her position at La Maison & Velier at the end of the
158: The Ultimate Blind Rum Tasting: 6 Incredibly Old & Rare Single Casks from Caroni, Hampden, DDL, and Beyond
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.This is an episode that's been months in the making. After our Rumcast Reserve project, Main Rum Company put together a mystery box of old and rare cask samples that they promised would wow u
157: What's After Black Tot + the Real Life of a Rum Brand Ambassador with Mitch Wilson
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we caught up with Mitch Wilson just a week before the end of his 7-year run as the brand ambassador for Black Tot Rum to discuss his exciting next gig, reflect on his Black T
156: The Rumcast Daiquiri Bracket Round 2: Modern Daiquiris
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.It's time: we're back with the second entry in our series to determine the best daiquiri rums available on the market, the Rumcast Daiquiri Bracket!This time, we're breaking down the "modern"
155: The Search for the Best American Rums with Mainland Rum's Seth Benhaim
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we sat down with the founder of the only independent rum bottler exclusively focused on sourcing rums from the United States, Seth Benhaim of Mainland Rum.Since launching a l
154: Classic Daiquiris: Which Rum Makes the Best One?
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.This episode is the first entry in our ongoing Daiquiri Bracket series. Join us for a head-to-head showdown between 8 rums to see which one makes the best daiquiri in the classic category — t
153: The Rumcast Daiquiri Bracket Part 1: The 32-Rum Selection Show
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.We've got something totally different for you today — a new series of episodes to determine the ultimate daiquiri rums currently available in the (mostly U.S.) market! We're calling it the Ru
152: Behind The Rums of Mexico Series with Jason Cox
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we caught up with Alambique Serrano founder Jason Cox about his latest project, The Rums of Mexico — a wide ranging series of rums sourced from aguardienteros and distillerie
151: Blind Tasting & Selecting La Maison & Velier's Next Flag Series Rums
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.This episode is something fun we've never done before: Kate Perry (La Maison & Velier) and Brett Kozinn (PM Spirits) presented us with 7 mystery samples that are all candidates for the ne
150: Richard Seale & Ian Burrell Part 2: Jamaica Rum GI Debates, Aging Myths, and History vs. Tradition
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.We're back with Part 2 of our conversation with Foursquare's Richard Seale and Ian Burrell, the Global Rum Ambassador.In this episode, we discussed common misconceptions of the Jamaica Rum GI
150: Richard Seale & Ian Burrell Part 1: Their New Project, the Future of Foursquare's ECS, & More
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode we sat down with the dynamic duo of Foursquare's Richard Seale and the Global Rum Ambassador himself, Ian Burrell, for a conversation that covered so much ground we broke it i
149: Our Top 8 Predictions & Questions for Rum in 2026
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.It's time for our annual predictions for the rum world in 2026, but with a slight format twist. Rather than just making predictions, we also include the biggest rum-related questions on our m
148: The Rumcast's Favorite Rums of 2025
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.It's time once again for our annual lookback at our favorite rums of the year! This time, we both select favorites from the following categories for 2025:Value rum"New to me" rumUnaged rumAge
147: Carrying on the Mount Gay Legacy with Trudiann Branker, Master Blender
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode we sat down with Trudiann Branker to go inside her role as master blender at one of the rum world's iconic distilleries, Mount Gay. After taking over for former master blender
146: O Reizinho and the Tradition of Madeira Rum Making (with Pedro Ferreira)
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we sat down with Pedro Ferreira, founder and distiller of O Reizinho, one of the jewels of Madeira's fascinating rum scene. While O Reizinho is one of the island's smallest d
145: Building a Beginner's Rum Bar in 2025
Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we discussed something that we've somehow never dedicated a show to (but with a twist, of course): assembling a rum bar that would offer a beginner a complete view of the rum
Announcement: The Rumcast Reserve Pre-Sale Is Live!
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.You can now pre-order our first-ever Rumcast Reserve single cask releases online! Head to our online retailer to grab your bottles today.
144: Adventures in Rum Experimentation at South Africa's Mhoba Distillery
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode we finally caught up with Robert Greaves, founder of Mhoba Rum, the South African cane juice rum distillery that's pumped out a steady supply of distinctive, high-oct
143: Unveiling the 2025 Rumcast Fantasy Rum Draft Champion + Results Breakdown
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.We've tallied the votes and are ready to reveal the champion of the 4th annual Rumcast fantasy rum draft (along with the debut of a new hit rum-themed song from John Gulla — be sure
142: Habitation Velier: Tasting Their 2025 Releases + a Brief History of an Iconic Rum Series
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we take a deep dive into one of the iconic series of the rum world: Habitation Velier, Luca Gargano's collection of unique pot still rums from all corners of the glo
141: The 4th Annual Rumcast Fantasy Rum Draft
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.Note: We need your help to make the most of this episode! Go to rumcast.com/vote after listening to help determine the winner of this year's Fantasy Rum Draft. Thank you!For the four
140: Behind Our 2nd Cask Selection + the Rumcast Reserve Label Reveal
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.Today's the day! We’re revealing the identity of the second cask selection that will be featured in our upcoming Rumcast Reserve release. And since two reveals are more fun than one,
139: Inside Rum Buying at The Whisky Exchange, with Dawn Davies
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we caught up with Dawn Davies, head buyer for The Whisky Exchange—one of the premier spirits stores in the UK.Dawn is a huge rum fan with an excellent palate (she's
138: The Rumcast Guide to Guyana Rum (Part 2)
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.After releasing Part 1 last week, we're back with the second installment of our guide to all Guyana rum. We kick off Part 2 with a discussion of DDL's influence on the modern rum lan
137: The Rumcast Guide to Guyana Rum (Part 1)
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In the latest chapter in our Rumcast Guides series, we turn our eyes to Guyana and the legendary style of Demerara rum. As one of the world's most distinct, essential rum categories,
Blind Rum Reviews #9 & 10: Dead Reckoning "The Black Pit" & Roaming Road 17-Year Spain Rum
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.We're back with another chapter in our series of blind rum reviews — this time with two rums we've both had before, including one we just reviewed in a bonus episode for you a few we
136: Roaming Road Spirits: From Liquor Store Owner to Rum Bottler with Mike Gilmore
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we sat down with Mike Gilmore, founder of Roaming Road Spirits, to go behind the scenes at one of the newest independent rum bottlers in the U.S.Roaming Road first g
135: Revealing the Identity of Our First Ever Single Cask Release (and Why We Picked It)
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.It's finally time — we're revealing which rum we will be releasing for the Rumcast Single Cask Project (and our release date goal)! This is the cask we ultimately purchased from Main
134: Behind the Blends at Black Tot Rum with Head Blender Oliver Chilton
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we sat down with Oliver Chilton, the head blender at Black Tot Rum, to nerd out on all things blending—from their recently reformulated flagship blend, to their new
133: The Rumcast 2025 Hot List: The Top 20(ish) Buzziest Bottles (and Upcoming Releases) of the Year
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we attempted a new mid-year exercise — picking 10 bottles each we think are the most talked about / anticipated releases of the year among rum enthusiasts, including
132: Inside rum et al. — Los Angeles's Must-Watch Experimental Rum Distillery, with Robyn Smith
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we sat down with the founder and distiller behind one of the most interesting rum projects in the U.S. right now, Robyn Smith of rum et al., a chemical engineering P
131: 20 Rums in 60 Minutes: The First Rumcast Sample Extravaganza!
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.Sometimes we get in the mood to do something a little crazy, and this episode is one of those times.After the debut of the latest musical number from John Gulla (don't miss this one)
130: The Alambique Serrano Vida Nativa Series Tasting Guide
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.If you keep up with rum releases it's been pretty hard to ignore the arrival of Alambique Serrano's Vida Nativa series — 5 limited release bottles from the Oaxacan cane juice rum pro
129: Heavy Rum from Panama? The Making of Grander's New Cane Harvest Rum
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we invited Grander founder Dan DeHart on the show to break down the making of an atypical new unaged rum called Cane Harvest. Unlike the vast majority of rums that c
128: Uruapan Charanda: 100+ Years of Making Mexico's Other "Rum" with Miriam Pacheco
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, after a quick discussion of potential bottles for our Rumcast Single Cask Project, we dive into all things charanda with Miriam Pacheco, the general manager of Uruap
127: American Cane: A New Chapter in the American Rum Revival with Maggie Campbell & Darin Vest
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we're excited to bring you the first public window into American Cane — the new American rum company that announced Maggie Campbell would be joining as CEO back in O
126: Inside Our Trip to Liverpool's Main Rum Company: The Rumcast Single Cask Project Part 3
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.At long last, the day arrived — we visited the Main Rum Company in person to taste through dozens of incredible rum casks in search of the perfect one for our ongoing single cask pro
125: Our Top 6 Rum Predictions for 2025 (Plus Grading Our 2024 Predictions)
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.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.It's that time of the year again! Per our annual tradition, we each make three predictions for the world of rum in 2025 — from types of releases, to specific distillery developments,
124: The Future of the Jamaica Rum GI with Christopher Gentles, GM of the Spirits Pool Association
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 get an inside look at the status and future of the Jamaica Rum GI (Geographic Indicator) with Christopher Gentles, general manager of the organization championing the GI (and doing other interesting things), Jamaica's Spir
123: The Rumcast Single Cask Project Part 2: Name Update + Bottle Possibilities
Click here to watch this episode on YouTube and subscribe to our channel!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 the second installment of our Rumcast Single Cask Project series, we decide on a name for the brand and debate bottle designs ahead of our trip to Main Rum Company a
122: 2024 Favorites: Our Top Rums, Distilleries, and Bottlers of the Year
Click here to watch this episode on YouTube and subscribe to our channel!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.Happy holidays and New Year (in advance), everyone!In our fifth (!) annual Year in Review episode we take a look back at our favorite rums of the year in the following
Semi-Blind Rum Review #8: Swell de Spirits Réunion Rhum Agricole 2011 (Isautier)
Click here to watch this episode on YouTube and subscribe to our channel!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.We're back with another entry in our semi-blind reviews series — but yet again with a twist! In this mystery sample edition, both of us have no idea what the ident
121: Introducing Rosalie Bay: Dominica's First-of-Its-Kind Rum Distillery
Click here to watch this episode on YouTube and subscribe to our channel!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 went inside a brand new distillery in a rarely explored rum origin of the Caribbean — Dominica (not the Dominican Republic). Rosalie Bay Distilling
120: The Rumcast Guide to Madeira Rum
Click here to watch this episode on YouTube and subscribe to our channel!In this return to our Rumcast Guides series, we dive into Portugal's twist on agricole rum — Madeira!Madeira has been producing amazing cane juice rums for a very long time, but has only started becoming more well known in the broader rum world in recent years. So there's no better time than now to explore it!We take you thro
A Flag Series Tasting Guide: Trying 3 New Rums from La Maison & Velier
Want to see video of this episode? Click here to watch on YouTube and subscribe to our channel!Check out the Rumcast Patreon community for more bonus content like this!In this free edition of our monthly bonus Patreon episode, we taste through three highly anticipated new rums in La Maison & Velier's Flag Series:Cambodia 2016: an 8-year-old pot still rum from Samai Distillery (48.7% ABV)J
Semi-Blind Rum Review #7: Compagnie Des Indes Trinidad 2003 (TDL)
Want to see video of this episode? Click here to watch on YouTube and subscribe to our channel!We're back with our semi-blind reviews series — but with a twist! In this mystery sample edition, both of us have no idea what the identity of this rum is before diving in headfirst for a review. Along the way, we offer our best guesses as to the rum's origin and key characteristics. This time, it's a 20
119: Introducing the Rumcast Single Cask Project: Part 1 - What's in a Name?
Want to watch the video version of this episode? Head to YouTube to watch and subscribe.Big news: we're buying a cask and branding, bottling, labeling, and releasing our own single cask rum! Throughout this process, we'll be taking you along on the journey as we conceptualize the rum, travel to the Main Rum Company in Liverpool to find the perfect cask, and do all the other stuff that goes into a
118: Putting Sicilian Rum on the Map: The Making of Mater Rum with Hugo Gallardo
Want to watch the video version of this episode? Head to YouTube to watch and subscribe.In this episode, we're excited to take you inside a very new emerging rum locale — Sicily, the Italian island where Distilleria Alma is bringing back sugarcane cultivation. Since 2021, Hugo Gallardo and his co-founders have been crafting cane juice rum from multiple varietals and bottling it under the label Mat
RESULTS SHOW: Crowning the 2024 Rumcast Fantasy Rum Draft Champion
Want to watch the video version of this episode? Head to YouTube to watch and subscribe.In this special mini-episode, we reveal the full results and official WINNER of the 2024 Rumcast Fantasy Rum Draft! You can view the official results totals here (Spoiler Warning, obviously).As always, THANK YOU to everyone who listened and voted, and a special shout out to our special guest participant this ye
117: The 3rd Annual Rumcast Fantasy Rum Draft
Note: We need your help to make the most of this episode! Go to rumcast.com/vote after listening to help determine the winner of this year's Fantasy Rum Draft. Thank you!Want to watch the video version of this episode? Head to YouTube and subscribe: https://youtu.be/ZMT9r_GXk0wFor the third year in a row, we're back with our annual Rumcast Fantasy Rum Draft. In this annual competition, we compete
116: Inside PM Spirits, Providers of Geeky Rums (and More) w/ Nicolas Palazzi
Note: Watch this episode on YouTube for video of the whole interview!In this episode, we sat down with Nicolas Palazzi, the founder of PM Spirits. As a self-proclaimed "provider of geeky spirits" PM is an importer/distributor known for supplying the US with many sought-after rum releases thanks to relationships with brands like La Maison & Velier, Père Labat, Alambique Serrano, and many m
Semi-Blind Rum Review #6: The Rhum JM Atelier Series
Want to see video of this episode? Click here to watch on YouTube and subscribe to our channel!In this edition of our Semi-Blind Reviews series, we blind taste Rhum JM Fumée Volcanique (not to be confused with Rhum JM Terroir Volcanique), followed by the other two bottles in the distillery's new Atelier series — Jardin Fruité and Épices Créoles.These are all modestly priced, lightly aged rhum agri
115: Behind the Bottle: Holmes Cay Infinity Cask with Eric Kaye
Note: Watch this episode on YouTube for video of the whole interview!In this episode, after a quick look at some of our favorite reactions to the Best Designed Bottles episode, we get the behind-the-scenes story of one of the year's most unique rum releases — the Holmes Cay Infinity Cask bottle.This bottle features a blend of exceedingly rare rums from 13 distilleries (five of which are no longer
114: The 10 Best Designed Rum Bottles in 2024 (Or at Least Our Favorites, Anyway)
Note: Watch this episode on YouTube to see all the bottles we discuss!In this episode we have something completely different — rather than talking about the rum in the bottle, we're talking about the bottle itself!We each selected our five current favorite bottle designs, considering a range of factors like bottle aesthetics, functionality, label design, stopper, and much more.As you may know, our
113: Raising a Glass with Raising Glasses: A Fresh, Bold Take on Independent Rum Bottling
In this episode we sat down with John Hsu and Lorri Kern to learn all about their bold approach to bottling rum as the relatively new independent bottler Raising Glasses. This year alone, they've released rums from the Netherlands, Madeira, Ecuador, and other unexpected locales, which is all part of their willingness to try things other rum brands aren't doing.It was a great conversation that feat
Semi-Blind Rum Review #5: Roulaison Overproof Rum
Want to see video of this episode? Check it out on YouTube and subscribe to our channel! We're back with another bite-sized episode in our Semi-Blind Rum Reviews series. This time, John braved the challenge of blind-tasting and attempting to identify Roulaison Overproof, a pot-distilled, molasses-based rum from Roulaison Distilling out of Louisiana. Along the way, we both share our overall thought
112: Managing Rum’s Most Famous Single Cask Collection: The Main Rum Company Revisited w/ Ian Hoyles
Note: See the end of this episode description for the Hurricane Beryl aid links we mention in the intro.In this episode we revisited one of rum's iconic institutions from a totally different perspective from our previous episode (from over 2 years ago!) on it. We're talking, of course, about The Main Rum Company — keepers of E&A Scheer's boutique single cask program, and possibly the most
Semi-Blind Rum Review #4: Down Island Ghana 2020
Want to see video of this episode? Check it out on YouTube and subscribe to our channel! https://youtu.be/8b99b-s4isgWe're back with another episode in our Semi-Blind Reviews series — this time with a rum sourced from a region that came up quite a bit in our 100th episode a few months back: Ghana!From Down Island Spirits, this is a 4-year-old pot still cane juice rum sourced from Ghana's MIM Disti
111: The Legacy of Angostura Rum and Trinidad’s Distilling Heritage with John Georges, Former Master Distiller
In this episode, we sat down with John Georges, former master distiller of Angostura Rum / Trinidad Distillers Ltd. to discuss his 40+ year career in rum, all things Angostura, and much more.This episode is sponsored by Nossa Cachaça — Get 10% off any order at NossaCachaca.com with promo code RUMCAST.We discussed:The evolution of rum-making at Angostura over the yearsAngostura's involvement with B
110: Alambique Serrano and Cañada Rum: Tradition Meets Innovation in Oaxaca’s Cloud Forest (feat. Jason Paul Cox and Isidoro Krassel Jr.)
In this episode, we chatted with Jason Paul Cox and Isidoro Krassel Jr. of Alambique Serrano and Cañada Rum — two exciting projects featuring cane juice rum from Mexico. Jason is the founder of the brands and Isidoro is one of the four brothers from a family that has been producing aguardiente de caña in Oaxaca's mountainous cloud forest for over 100 years.This episode is sponsored by Nossa Cachaç
109: Rolling Fork Rum and the Complexities of Barrel Aging
This episode is sponsored by Nossa Cachaça — Get 10% off any order at NossaCachaca.com with promo code RUMCAST.In this episode, we talked to Turner Wathen and Jordan Morris, the co-founders of Rolling Fork Rum, and went DEEP on everything the Kentucky-based independent bottler has learned about secondary maturation (and more) since getting started in 2017. We discussed:Rolling Fork's focus on util
Semi-Blind Rum Review #3: English Harbour 1981
We're back with another episode in our Semi-Blind Rum Reviews series. This time, we swapped roles with Will as the blind taster and John as the rum selector. It turned out to be a quite rare rum — English Harbour 1981, a 25-year-old rum from Antigua Distillery Limited, bottled all the way back in 2006!You can also view the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3
108: Tales from the Back of the Cabinet: Revisiting 6 Long Overlooked Rums in Our Bars
For this episode, we reached DEEP into the backs of our cabinets and pulled out a selection of rums we had long overlooked, neglected, or even forgotten about in our bars to see how our thoughts have evolved (or IF they have at all).The rules were simple: it just had to be a bottle we hadn't tasted in at least two years.Along the way, we discuss everything from market correcting Myers's Original D
107: San Juan Artisan Distillers & the Emerging Puerto Rican Craft Rum Scene with Pepe Álvarez
In this episode we talked to Pepe Álvarez, founder of San Juan Artisan Distillers, the only Puerto Rican distillery making pot still rum from fresh sugarcane juice in a true farm-to-bottle setting.You may recall we featured Pepe as one of three interviewees in an episode back in 2021, but we wanted to bring him back for a solo interview so we could take a deeper dive into what we both think is a s
106: Kuleana Rum Works: Discovering the Big Island's Take on Hawaiian Rum with Steve Jefferson
In this episode, we sat down with Steve Jefferson, co-founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works, a distillery on Hawaii's Big Island that's putting their own spin on fresh cane juice rum. From growing their own heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane to sourcing and blending rums from around the world, they have a unique approach that's resulting in some pretty damn good rum. We chatted about:Going from sailing ar
105: Inside The Islay Rum Company: A Unique Take on Scottish Rum with Ben Inglis
With John on vacation, I flew solo on this episode to welcome Ben Inglis, distillery manager and co-founder of The Islay Rum Company, to the show to get the full story on his unique approach to Scottish rum.If you listened to our Guide to UK Rum episode, you'll remember that John and I rated both of the Islay Rum Company rums we tried quite favorably, so we'd been hoping to talk to Ben ever since.
104: Introducing Semi-Blind Rum Reviews: Shakara 12-Year Thailand Rum and TCRL High Seas
This week, we’re introducing a new episode format — the Semi-Blind Rum Review!In these reviews, one of us will know the identity of the rum being reviewed and one of us will be going in with no information about the rum whatsoever, besides its color in the glass.Our goal is to hopefully provide an unbiased and fun look at new(ish) rums you might be curious about. We'll also be publishing video ver
103: Bira Rum and the Emerging Canadian Rum Scene with Karl Mudzamba (and Special Guest Ivar de Laat)
In this episode, we explore the impressive start of possibly the only independent rum bottler in Canada, Bira Rum. Founder Karl Mudzamba took us inside his journey from Zimbabwe, to playing professional rugby in New Zealand, to starting Bira in his current home of Vancouver, BC. Bira has hit the ground running with unadulterated, cask strength releases from Fiji and South Africa, with much more to
102: The Rumcast Guide to UK Rum
In this episode, we're back with a fresh entry in our Rumcast Guides series — and this time we're taking on the rums of the United Kingdom!Over the last 12 years or so, the UK has seen an explosion of domestic rum distilleries, with the number now reaching over 25 (and counting). We set out to taste a wide selection of these rums to get a sense of the emerging category's characteristics, standout
![[Free Bonus Episode] Ian Burrell's Full 100th Episode Interview + a Mystery Sample Tasting](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e194b17d343ec0c523648df/1707251347072-RSD8V2IDUIDS5OT5LJT8/Ian+Burrell+Bonus+Episode+-+Large.png?format=1500w)
[Free Bonus Episode] Ian Burrell's Full 100th Episode Interview + a Mystery Sample Tasting
In this free bonus episode, we're releasing global rum ambassador and Equiano co-founder Ian Burrell's full interview from our 100th episode, which was full of interesting nuggets about the development of Equiano, rum education, where we can expect to see exciting new rums come from over the next several years, and much more! Also, we try to guess our way through a mystery sample provided by
100: The 100th Episode! A Toast to Rum’s Recent Past, Present, and Possible Future with 12 Rumcast Veterans
Without further delay, we're super excited to share our 100th episode of The Rumcast with you!As we've hinted, this episode is special to us, and was really a labor of love. Rather than going with the typical format, we invited a dozen past guests to return for individual interviews where we looked back at how rum has evolved since 2019 (when we started working on the show), and where they think r
99: Our Top 6 Rum Predictions for 2024
Per tradition, we're back with our predictions for what will happen in the world of rum in 2024 — from trends, to releases, to new projects, and beyond. In the spirit of accountability, we also take a look back at last year's predictions for 2023 and grade how close each one came.Have a listen and send us an email at host@rumcast.com to let us know your predictions for the new year!P.S. Did y
98: 2023 in Review: Our 16 Favorite Rums of the Year
Happy holidays and New Year (in advance), everyone!In our fourth annual Year in Review episode we take a look back at our favorite rums of the year in the following categories:Unaged molasses rumUnaged cane juice rumAged rum (5 years or less)Aged rum (Over 5 years)“New to me” rumBest value rumMost surprising rumOverall rumPlus, we each throw in picks for Distillery of the Year, along with another
97: Inside the Hampden 8 Marks Collection with Peppie Grant, Daniele Biondi, and Howard McCalla
In this episode, we went deep on the eight marks of Jamaica's Hampden Estate and the making of the recently released 8 Marks Collection with Peppie Grant (Tour Manager at Hampden), Daniele Biondi (Export Manager at La Maison & Velier), and Howard McCalla (Production Manager at Hampden).Speaking with people from both Hampden and La Maison & Velier allowed us to get the full story behind the
96: The Search for the Best 80 Proof Rums: A 10-Bottle Tasting Tournament
This episode is sponsored by Wonk Press — Get 10% off Modern Caribbean Rum by Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith now through December 10 with promo code RUMCAST. Plus, Matt and Carrie will sign your book at no additional cost!In this episode, we set out to answer a surprisingly interesting question — which 80 proof rums are the best values? Which ones punch above their weight? Which ones should we not
95: Dispatches from UK RumFest and Beyond, with Chris Hassan Francke, Owner of The Green Zone
In this episode, we got a full report of all the exciting happenings and new bottles showcased at UK RumFest, Whisky Live Paris, and other events across Europe from Chris Hassan Francke, owner of one of Washington, DC's premier spots for rum, The Green Zone. Chris took us deep into the rum festival scene in Europe from the perspective of both a rum fan and bar owner. We discussed:First impressions
94: The Magic of Molasses with Maggie Campbell and Zan Kong
In this episode, we have a freewheeling conversation on a topic we've wanted to delve into for a long time — molasses production and the role it plays in rum! Maggie Campbell (Estate Manager at Mount Gay) and Zan Kong (Commercial Manager of Spirits at Worthy Park) lent their expertise and sterling personalities to guide us through the ins and outs of the sticky liquid that goes into making th
93: Rumcast Mailbag Volume 1: Answering Our Top Listener Questions!
For this episode, we asked our patrons to send in their top rum-related questions — and they delivered! We share our thoughts on:What is presently the most underappreciated rum-producing country?What rums do you always keep in stock?What is your go-to daily drinker? (Go-to rum and go-to cocktail)Now that you have been into rum for a while, have your buying habits changed?If each of you were an ind
92: The Frontier of Louisiana Cane Juice Rum with Jason Zeno of Cheramie Rum
In this episode, we sat down with Jason Zeno of Porchjam Distillery / Cheramie Rum to take us inside one of the most interesting up-and-coming American rum distilleries out there right now. Located in New Orleans, they're making a significant volume of fresh cane juice rum that's beginning to trickle its way into several markets across the U.S., and have some exciting aged releases coming up as we
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