The Most Wished For Rums Last Week

The Distiller community was wishing for these rums last week.
Aug 31, 2020
  • 10
    94
    Sweet & Rich
    This is the Venezuelan distillery’s flagship rum, called “exclusiva” as a tribute to their 18th century founder Don Juancho Nieto Meléndez, who was always in search of exclusive flavors for his rums. It’s a blend of 12 year old copper pot-still rums made from both molasses and sugarcane honey, aged in ex-bourbon barrels.
  • 9
    82
    Sweet & Rich
    Louisiana Cajun country is a land steeped in folklore, and one of these legends surrounds the Rougaroux, a mysterious creature said to have been spotted in the cane fields only in a full moon, when he would punish the wicked. According to legend, leaving 13 pennies outside your door will protect the house from his advances. This rum is made with molasses and raw sugar from the Donner-Peltier fields in Thibodaux, then flavored with toasted pecans, locally-made cane syrup and Madagascar vanilla, with no other added flavors or colors. All assembled at the distillery, where yes, 13 pennies do indeed lay outside the door, just in case. Update: Donner-Peltier Distillers, the Thibodaux-based distillery, announced that it will cease operations after Monday, August 27, 2018.
  • 8
    82
    Sweet
    Pyrat was originally conceived in 1997 by the Anguilla Rum Company and has since been acquired by Patrón Spirits. It is a blend of rums sourced from throughout the Caribbean, though the majority of its makeup consists of a Demerara style from Guyana. The rums are aged in a combination of American (ex-bourbon) and French Limousin oak, for as little as 2 years and as much as 15. The shape of the bottle is a throwback to the style of decanters favored by sea captains and pirates. The medallion around its neck is said to symbolize Hoti, the Patron Saint of Bartenders, despite the bottle’s somewhat unwieldy shape.
  • 7
    85
    Sweet & Rich
    St. Petersburg Distillery sets out to create spirits that celebrate its home state of Florida with labels that reflect the vintage appeal of the Sunshine State. Old St. Pete uses small-batch, pot-still rum mixed with high quality spices. It's released at a slightly higher proof to hold its own in cocktails.
  • 6
    94
    Rich & Woody
    Master Distiller Maggie Campbell, previously with the renowned Germain-Robin distillery, has put out a series of expressions that are turning heads in the rum crowd. All Privateer offerings are 100% molasses-based, double-distilled, and aged in full-sized new American oak barrels. Since each cask is unique, your bottle may be a bit different. This particular cask (P88) was aged for just over three years and bottled at 57.7% ABV.
  • 5
    93
    Rich & Hogo
    Plantation O.F.T.D. (Old Fashioned Traditional Dark) Overproof is a group effort. Alexandre Gabriel, Master Blender for Plantation Rum, brought together six rum luminaries--Jeff "Beachbum" Berry from Latitude 29, Martin Cate from Smuggler's Cove, Paul McFadyen from Trailer Happiness, Paul McGee from Lost Lake, Scotty Schuder from Dirty Dick, and Dave Wondrich, cocktail historian extraordinaire. Over many tasting and blending sessions, they formulated a rum ideally suited for use in top-shelf Tiki and tropical cocktails. The O.F.T.D. is a blend of rums from Barbados, Guyana, and Jamaica in the overproof dark style, and replaces Plantation’s Trinidad-sourced Original Dark Overproof Rum.
  • 4
    94
    Sweet & Rich
    El Dorado has been produced at Demerara Distillers Limited since 1992 on Guyana. The 15 Year is a blend of aged demerara rums, some as old as 25 years, made in different styles of stills - Enmore and Diamond Coffey stills, Port Mourant double-wooden-pot-still and Versailles single-wooden-pot-still. The rums are blended and aged in ex-bourbon casks.
  • 3
    91
    Sweet & Woody
    Santa Teresa’s flagship release is a blend of rums ranging from 4 to 35 years. The rum is further aged using the solera process, with four levels of oak barrels that had been traditionally reserved for Spanish sherry and brandy. The 1796 was first released in 1996 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the estate’s founding.
  • 2
    91
    Fruity & Sweet
    Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum is a blend of pot still and column still Bajan rums that are aged in bourbon casks for 3-4 years in the Caribbean. The blend is then finished in French oak casks at Maison Ferrand’s Château de Bonbonnet in the heart of the Grande Champagne district for 1-2 years more. Note: Formerly called Plantation Grande Reserve 5 Year.
  • 1
    94
    Rich & Sweet
    This rum replaces the previous 15 Year expression in the core range. It is named for the Black River in Jamaica’s Nassau Valley, the source of the limestone-filtered water used to proof Appleton Estate rum. It is a blend of pot and column still rums, aged a minimum of 15 years. It is bottled at 43% ABV and available as of June, 2021.