Our Favorite Rums From November

Based in California, Lost Spirits exemplifies the idea and modernity, technology and science in spirit making. Attempting to subvert time, their ethos is to take a young spirit and imbue it with all of the characteristics and complexity one might expect from a much older spirit. Special yeast strains, the addition of botanicals and extracts, reduction… as long as it taste good, almost nothing is off-limits.

Humboldt's rum is distilled in Fortuna, California from "domestically grown organic sugar cane" and is further flavored with "whole, organic spices." Availability is limited. A vodka is also produced as are two fruit-based spirits available only at the distillery.

Berrys’ Own Selections is a spirits program founded by Berry Brothers & Rudd, one of London’s oldest Wine and Spirits Merchants. The spirits are curated from around the world and bottled by in England. The Panama 10 year rum is distilled from molasses at Don José Distillery using a four-column continuous still. The company is the largest sugar cane spirits producer and bottler in Panama, and traces its history to 1908 when Don José Varela Blanco founded the Ingenio San Isidro sugar mill, the first in Panama.

Nestled into an industrial area between two freeways north of the famous French Quarter, the Old New Orleans rum distillery has beaten the odds as a craft distillery and as a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. In addition to the 10 year offering, they also produce a white and spiced rum.

The Reserva Especial is a limited edition aged cachaça that builds on the popular flagship release from Maison Leblon, which is rested in XO cognac casks for up to six months. This special distillate is aged up to two years in new Limousin French oak casks, then blended by Master Distiller Gilles Merlet.

Lost Spirits emphasizes the relationship between the art, technology and science of making aged spirits. Understanding the desired final product, reverse engineering and essentially sculpting the spirit, bypassing many of the more time consuming and traditional techniques. Bryan Davis of Lost Spirits believes that time and nature have met its match.

According to the Ursa Major Distilling, their Sourdough Rum is the first rum ever commercially produced in Alaska. Instead of using commercial yeast, this rum is fermented using a sourdough that was started in Alaska more than 60 years ago.

Cockspur is a company that was founded in 1880s, the midst of the Barbados rum boom, by Danish seafarer Danieal Hanschell. While most high proof rums hit the 150 mark with some aging, Cockspur Overproof rests at 130. It’s clear and bottled straight off the still with no maturation.

This spiced rum is produced at the Foursquare Distillery in Barbados. Foursquare has quite the (good) reputation of not using artificial flavors or added sugar post-distillation unlike many rum bottlers and this spiced rum is no exception. Only real herbs and spices were used.

This navy rum is produced from rums made in a couple of islands in the Caribbean. It is named for an Admiral who served in the Royal Navy from 1678 until his death in 1702 from a wound to his leg he suffered in the West Indies under French fire. He returned to Jamaica, and court-marshaled two of his captains for insubordination for failing to engage the enemy. He succumbed to his wounds and is buried in Kingston. This rum is available in the UK.