rum journal

caribbean campari rums cover

Campari Buys Two Major Caribbean Rum Brands

 By Alexander Britell In what could be an industry-shaking move for Caribbean rum and rhum agricole, global spirits firm Campari Group has purchased French company Rhumantilles. Rhumantilles is the owner of nearly 97 percent of Martinique-based Bellonnie & Bourdillon Successeurs, …

papas pilar rum lost cask 1

Rum Journal: Papa’s Pilar “The Lost Cask”

 The barrels were an afterthought, hidden away in the corner of the rum factory. And while they were few in number, these “lost” barrels held something rather special. And now Papa’s Pilar, the rum brand named for Ernest Hemingway’s fishing …

martinique diamond rock cover

Rum Journal: Martinique’s A1710 Diamond Rock

 You’re forgiven if you don’t think much of white rum. For too long, molasses-based white rums have dominated the market, particularly in the United States, offering little other than industrial flavors and the occasional headache. But in the French Caribbean, …

LATEST NEWS

ron diplomatico venezuela

 By Alexander Britell There’s a certain kind of rum you can’t enjoy. It’s the rum that your bar doesn’t serve. Years ago — and even today, rum lovers still face a rather small selection in even some of the best bars …

puerto rico rum barrel

 By Alexander Britell He would carry it around in a small wooden barrel, rum in arm, giving tastes to his friends and those who wished to try it. Don Pedro Fernandez, a third-generation sugarcane grower in Puerto Rico, had studied …

guadeloupe reimonenq

 There are rums, there are special rums and then there are rums for rum drinkers. The third category isn’t for everyone, filled with rums of unique character, of sometimes too much strength, of uncanny personality. That brings us to a …

robert burr rum

 If you like rum, if you’ve found your way into the mysterious, wonderful world of rum, it’s likely you’ve come across the name Robert Burr. For years, Burr has been one of the world’s greatest champions of rum, spreading its …

bahamas rum tequila

 You can call it cask-finishing or barrel finishing or secondary aging or whatever you like. But it’s no secret that using the barrels that once held other spirits to give different personalities to rum is an increasingly prominent trend in …

martinique triple vintage

 By Alexander Britell When the harvest changes, the rum changes. It’s a tenet particular to the Rhum Agricole of the French Caribbean, the only Caribbean rum with a true terroir. When you make your rum from freshly pressed sugar cane …

soggy dollar bvi

 By Alexander Britell One of the most beautiful — and perhaps most understated — things about rum is its power to transport. The romantic energy of rum can take you from wherever you’re indulging to a far-off Caribbean island somewhere, to …

st martin rum bar

 By Alexander Britell GRAND CASE – There’s always something new to discover on Grand Case Boulevard, a corner unseen, a tiny alley overlooked. It’s a street that has lived many lives — including this latest one, a renaissance in the wake …

caribbean martinique rum festival

 By Alexander Britell Much is told and retold these days of pot stills and column stills, of molasses and cane honey and cane juice, of dunder and esters and yeast. These are all essential to the art of rum making …

 By the Rum Journal staff Popular Nicaraguan rum Flor de Caña has become one of the first global spirit brands to be Fair Trade certified, and likely the first-ever rum to do so. Fair Trade USA verified that the raw …

 We’ve long been fans of the upstart Papa’s Pilar rum brand, thanks to what is one of the industry’s most drinkable rums and a terrific, authentic Hemingway-backed story. The brand has taken that drinkability both to hard-core rum aficionados and, …

rum awards 2018

 By Alexander Britell Just to the side of a centuries-old stone villa in the northeast of Martinique is what just might be the most exciting boutique rum distillery in the entire Caribbean. And all it makes is white rum (for …

 When it made its debut four years ago, Harbour Island’s Afrohead rum sent a shockwave through the industry. Its superb design — and its drinkability — were a refreshing addition to the Caribbean’s rum offering. It was bold, it was cool …

 WEST END — There’s a group of us, sailors and rum-seekers, strolling through the pathways of West End in Tortola, searching for the Pusser’s we knew.  West End has changed in the last 12 months, and will change again in …

 By Alexander Britell There is a particular passion in the production of rhum agricole in Martinique. There is a thought, a contemplation, a level of sophistication that seems to transcend what you find in much of the rest of the …

 

Opinion

Rum Journal

Markets