Rum Travel Impressions

Yes, I still struggle to realize what happened yesterday.

  1. I got lucky that Margaret picked up my email because the person usually answering them was sick.
  2. I got lucky that she realized that I am not one of the many people using the visit as an excuse for a 12$ all you can drink.
  3. I got lucky that production was on a relatively low level so they weren’t as busy. And you could feel that they loved talking about what they do.
17 Likes

Would it be possible to get samples, while being there? :innocent:

As Kevin said; good pictures!
Makes one want to go there :flight_departure:

4 Likes

You can try all of their standard releases (Marigot Bay Cream Liqueurs, Fortified wines, Denros, Bounty, Chairman’s and Admiral Rodney) as part of the tour for 12 USD. No idea if it’s possible to take some samples home.

20cl bottles of most products can be found across the island. I picked up the forgotten casks, the only proper rum available in a small bottle at the distillery, for about 8,5€. No limited releases were available at the distillery. I think most of them go to the export market.

12 Likes

I love how detailed all of the rum diaries are on this app. I feel like I was there with you! Your passion came across in the post-thank you for taking the time to do this. It was enjoyable!

8 Likes

We arrived on Martinique today. The first impression of the island is great and the supermarket had a lot to offer already:


These are just some impressions, there was an entire isle dedicated to Rhum from Martinique. Plus extra offers and some R(h)um from elsewhere.

I didn’t buy a bottle to take home (yet), but this one should be empty before we leave:

Rum isn’t as much in the focus on Martinique (I am the only geek and we have to spend some time exploring the island as well). So we’ll see what‘s going to happen. We drove by Trois Rivières today, but it was 15 minutes before closing, so we didn’t stop.

18 Likes

Danke schon mal für die täglichen Berichte und Bilder, weiter so, großes Kino :+1:t2:

3 Likes

We didn’t have enough time on the island, partly because we had to go with the ferry and flight schedules which weren’t optimal. But there’s too much to discover anyway.

I‘ll have to come back in a couple of years to see more of the island. In terms of Rhum we only made it to Baie des Trésors and G. Hardy because we drove by during their opening hours. If you’ve seen the BdT stand at the Rumfest you won’t miss anything. You can try their two unaged rums, the two young expressions and the newer three or four year old one. The latter was a first for me, but I liked the other ones better. Apart from that you could buy merch and that was it.
G. Hardy wasn’t very interesting in either, it was also just a shop. You could try their rums that I found to be decent but nothing special. But they had some great local products like jams, sauces, chocolates etc as well.

Drinking a Ti Punch on the island however was a highlight. It automatically tastes better and makes me want to experiment a bit more with it when I am back home.

We are on Dominica right now. Locals seem to be consuming more rum than on the other islands even though the local rum didn’t look interesting enough for me to buy and try. Rum Punches were decent, but you definitely visit Dominica for other reasons than their rum.

Next up is Barbados with at least two distillery visits scheduled before we are heading home.

13 Likes

Henry, when you have the time, go to visit the Macoucherie destillery.
Mot comparable to what you saw on St Lucia and Martinique or will see on Barbados, but nevertheless funny. At least when I visited it 8 years ago. The rum was horrible, but an experience :joy:
Macoucherie

3 Likes

Your comment sounds… interesting :sweat_smile: Thanks for the recommendation, would’ve loved to see that :joy: But it won’t fit into our itinerary unfortunately.

2 Likes

There is one: Chairman’s Reserve Masters Selection for Romhatten #4 (rx13084).

Romtype: Pure Single Local Grown Sugar Cane Juice Rum
Oprindelse: St. Lucia Distillers, St. Lucia
Fermentering: Sukkerrørssaft
Destillering: John Dore 1 (450 L double retort pot still)
Fadet: 200 L ex-bourbon american white oak cask
Modning: 9 år
Under modning: Ca. 11 % angel’s share årligt - ingen konsolidering eller sammenlægning med andre tønder
Aftapning: Ved fadstyrke, og uden nogen former for tilsætning, i 2021
Volatile substances: 1204,4 g/hL AA
Esters: 104.7 g/hL AA
Alkoholprocent: 59,1 % ABV
Indhold: 70 cL
Udvalgt af: Mads Heitmann fra Romhatten.dk
Tappet af: St. Lucia Distillers
Antal flasker: 99

12 Likes

At the destillery they said that they never bottled a pure suger cane juice rum.
But maybe they just didn’t remember :joy:

10 Likes

Interesting, I‘ve been told the same as Jarek :joy: Maybe there is some hope for the future :wink:

3 Likes

Henry, amazing tour de rhum, I was a bit inactive the last weeks but this story drew me back into it. So enjoy and looking forward to read more. Once in Barbados, greetings to the Island

3 Likes

A few first impressions from Barbados:

The most beautiful water so far and Mount Gay advertisement everywhere.
I had Rum Punches from three different places so far, two were mediocre at best while the third is up with the best rum drinks I ever had.

We also bought a small bottle of Old Brigand. My first notes from yesterday can be found on RumX, not quite sure how to rank it though. I am lacking a bit of tasting experience right now. But it’s definitely a great Rum that’s better than Doorly’s 5 and XO imo. On the second day it’s a bit more classic foursquare than on the first.

We didn’t visit any distilleries yet, but I‘ve a tour of Mount Gay booked on Monday and expect to make it to Foursquare as well.
I also randomly met someone from WIRD on the bus today :wink:

21 Likes

Beautiful nature Henry! Did you perhaps see which things they put in the third rum punch?

Looking forward to see and hear more about Mt. Gay and Foursquare :fire: enjoy!

3 Likes

I recognize the building in the background, we stayed in the hotel at this beach. And I can confirm, I also never before an after have seen such blue sea.

19 Likes

Not really, most of it was premixed. They only added ice, angostura, sprinkles of something out of something in a small plastic bag and a piece of lime/orange (I had two punches there).
I asked them which rum they are using and they said Mount Gay XO. That’s one of the rums I know best and it might have been Mount Gay XO, we have been given an extra neat pour with our first order and that certainly was Mount Gay XO. But at that price point (18 BBD/9 USD) I am not quite sure if they’d really use the XO in the Rum Punch.
The two others definitely used Old Brigand, but the rum wasn’t was made them less enjoyable.

6 Likes

well, Mount Gay will be quite an experience, regards to Tina if she is your guide (very knowledgeable and humorous lady), I strongly recommend St. Nicholas Abbey just for the beauty of the garden and mansion. Foursquare you should go because you can walk around in the distillery by yourself and the exceptional tasting drives you through the good stuff.

6 Likes

they use a lot white and brown Mount Gay from 1.5 litter plastic bottles

4 Likes

and do not miss to visit Hunte‘s garden!!!

3 Likes