According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Rum “is a distilled alcoholic spirit made from sugarcane, usually molasses or sugarcane juice and typically fermented, distilled and sometimes age in barrels. It originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century”.

Most are made from molasses, a byproduct of sugarcane processing but some rums such as the agricole rums of the French West Indies and the Clarin rums of Haiti, use fresh sugarcane juice.

Rum come in white, gold, dark and flavored versions with various aging levels.

On August 15th I attended the 7th annual Brooklyn Rum Fest held at Bogart House event space located at 230 Bogart Street in Brooklyn.

Good rum is an underrated spirit, especially the aged versions. There are a lot of overly sweet, mediocre rums on the market but there are also many distinctive, high quality rums being produced.

I like a little character in my rums so I’m a big fan of the fresh sugarcane based agricole rums (or rhum) of the French West Indies and of the Clarin rums of Haiti. They are usually small production operations, and their rums have the aromas and flavors of the terroir from which the sugarcane was harvested from, with a lot of grassy, earthy and funky notes. I’ve been told the Haitian Clarin rums have the same flavor profiles of old time, heritage rums.

The Rum Fest was a consumer tasting with some very interesting rum poured with music and Caribbean entertainment.

Some of what I sampled:

Angastora 7 year (Trinidad): Sweet fruit on the nose, dry, clean with good balance.

Saint Benevolence White Rum (Haiti): A Clarin rum, nose of ripe mango, cut grass and funky barnyard, grassy finish.

Babencourt 15 year. (Haiti): From fresh cane juice and cane syrup but not a Clarin. Sweet oak notes on the nose, smooth with caramel notes.

Clement V.O. (Martinique): An agricole rum, saline and oak notes on the nose ending with big grassy notes.

Diplomatico Anejo “Ambassador” (Venezuela): Their flagship rum, fruity cloves on the nose, grassy with a long finish.

Diplomatico Single Vintage 2007 (Venezuela): Aged 12 year in a combination of ex sherry and ex bourbon casks. Notes of coffee, caramel and grass.

El Dorado 10 year High Ester PM/DHE (Guyana): Limited release rum, dark chocolate and grassy notes on the nose, chewy with caramel notes.

El Dorado 12 year Cask Strength Single Still 2009 “Versailles” (Guyana): Chewy dark chocolate notes with some heat.

El Dorado Cask Strength Single Still 2009 “Port Mourant” (Guyana): Notes of ripe mango and caramel on the nose with oak and herb notes on the finish.

Rhum J.M. Terroir Volcanique (Martinique): An agricole rum, forest floor and cut grass notes.