132: Inside rum et al. — Los Angeles's Must-Watch Experimental Rum Distillery, with Robyn Smith

Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we sat down with the founder and distiller behind one of the most interesting rum projects in the U.S. right now, Robyn Smith of rum et al., a chemical engineering PhD turned rum distiller.The premise behind Rum Et Al is simple but fascinating. Robyn started with a foundational, always-available rum she named Baseline. She's since released batches in which she introduces a "variable" to the Baseline recipe, such as dunder. This allows you to taste the exact differences that the variable brings to the flavor profile when tasted side by side. If you're a rum geek, it's a really cool tasting experience.During the episode, we discussed:How she went from chemical engineering PhD to rum distillerHer experience in R&D for Lost Spirits DistilleryHow rum et al. came to beAll the nerdy rum production detailsThe joys and challenges of being a one-woman operationCongeners vs. estersHow ester measurements translate to flavor profileWhat we might see from her nextAnd much more!Be sure to check out her YouTube channel, This Blog's Neat! These videos about her rum et al. releases are a great place to start:How Baseline Was MadeHow Variable (Dunderclap) Was MadeHow Variable (Tailspin) Was MadeHave you had a chance to try Robyn's rum? What stood out to you in the conversation? Let us know via email ([email protected]) or social!

Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.Sometimes we get in the mood to do something a little crazy, and this episode is one of those times.After the debut of the latest musical number from John Gulla (don't miss this one), we spend 60 minutes putting a big dent in our backlog of rum samples by tasting and sharing rapidfire thoughts on 10 interesting rums each, for a total of 20.We set a timer for two minutes and 30 seconds for each sample, leaving ourselves some extra time at the end to discuss our favorites, what we learned from the exercise, and more.From recent releases like Papalin Jamaica High Ester Blend, to classics like Rhum Bielle Blanc, to up-and-coming producers like Taiwan's Renaissance Distillery and Australia's Mt. Uncle Distillery (including an Australian agave cask finish??), to recently closed distilleries like Japan's Nine Leaves, to soon-to-be-released rums that we saved as surprises — the range is wide and vast, just like the category of rum and John's vocal range.You can check out the complete list of rums below, or just dive right into the episode!After you've listened, let us know — have you tried any of these rums? If so, what did you think of them?Cheers!Complete List of Rums Sampled:Oxbow Rhum Louisiane 2022 Harvest (United States)Uruapan Cana Cristalina Single Agricola (Mexico)Below the Salt L'Ardois JaQ (Nova Scotia)Velier Nine Leaves 2023 Last Drops (Japan)Botran Rare Blend - Italian Wine Cask (Guatemala)Grander Toasted Oak Small Batch (Panama)Rum & Cane - Asia Pacific XO (Fiji / Indonesia Blend)Mt. Uncle Iridium X (Australia)Crooked Island Rum - Waterman (Jamaica / Dominican Republic Blend)Mt. Uncle Iridium X Agave Cask Edition (Australia)Dràm Mòr Single Cask - Secret Distillery 7-Year (Mauritius)Foursquare Magisterium (Barbados)Rhum Bielle Blanc (Marie Galante, Guadeloupe)Papalin Jamaica High Ester (Jamaica)Renaissance 2018 Pedro Ximenez Sherry Cask (Taiwan)Raising Glasses Full Circle Blend (8 Countries)4 Surprise Rums (3 of which haven't been released yet)

Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.If you keep up with rum releases it's been pretty hard to ignore the arrival of Alambique Serrano's Vida Nativa series — 5 limited release bottles from the Oaxacan cane juice rum producer that feature a wide range of interesting cask types, different stills, and distinct flavor profiles (watermelon cucumber water?).In this episode, we tasted through 4 out of the 5 bottles, plus the new 3-year blend that's designed to be their first always available release. Along the way we debated our favorites, discussed a possible early favorite rum of the year, revealed John's secret connection to a beloved pop music icon, and much more.We cover the specs of each release during the show, but if you'd like to follow along, the Alambique Serrano website has all the details here.Have a listen and let us know what you think of these rums if you've been able to taste them!

Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we invited Grander founder Dan DeHart on the show to break down the making of an atypical new unaged rum called Cane Harvest. Unlike the vast majority of rums that come out of Panama, this rum is made of 100% heavy column rum that typically only serves as a blending component with lighter-bodied rums. It's a fascinating glimpse at a type of rum we don't often get to experience on its own.You can watch the video version of this episode here.We talked to Dan about:How an idea to recreate the defunct Caña Brava rum led to this much different rumThe source of the rum (hint: it's not from Las Cabras, the distillery where Grander has sourced all of its other rums to date)What makes this heavy style of column still rum differentWhether we'll see an aged version of this rumHow Grander has evolved over the last 5 yearsMost successful and most unsuccessful secondary maturationsAnd much more!

Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, after a quick discussion of potential bottles for our Rumcast Single Cask Project, we dive into all things charanda with Miriam Pacheco, the general manager of Uruapan Charanda.If you're familiar with the aguardientes de caña from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, think of charanda like their cousin from the state of Michoacán — a similar Mexican cane spirit that is often made from fresh sugarcane juice, but can also be made from molasses or piloncillo. Once among the hundreds of charanda producers in the state, Uruapan is now one of only two or three remaining. Miriam talked us through the distillery's 100+ year history, including:What separates charanda from other Mexican cane spiritsWhy they put "rum" in quotation marks on their labelWhy the number of charanda producers has dwindled over the yearsThe range of distillates they produce from their collection of pot and column stillsTheir newer line of single cane varietal rumsWhat you might find aging in their warehouse of 400+ casksAnd much more!As we've said before, there's no shortage of interesting cane spirits coming out of Mexico these days. Uruapan is definitely one of them.Check out these links to learn more:Uruapan Charanda websiteImbibe article on charandaThe Rumcast Guide to Mexican Rum

Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we're excited to bring you the first public window into American Cane — the new American rum company that announced Maggie Campbell would be joining as CEO back in October.If you've been listening to the show for a while, you'll know that we've followed Maggie's career closely from her days leading Privateer Rum to her more recent work at Mount Gay's Estate Rum Program. So ever since the announcement came that she would be returning to American rum, tons of rum enthusiasts have been waiting for more details.Disclosure:As discussed in the intro,Will has served on American Cane's advisory board since 2022.We sat down with Maggie and the co-founder of American Cane, Darin Vest, to get as many answers as we could to questions like:What exactly is American Cane, and how did it begin?What kinds of rum can we expect to see from them (and when)?Is there a distillery? Where will it be located?How is the role of CEO different from Maggie's past roles at rum companies?Where does American rum stand stylistically, and where is it headed?What do the next five years look like for the company?And a whole lot more!Relevant links:American Cane websiteMaggie Campbell Instagram

Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.At long last, the day arrived — we visited the Main Rum Company in person to taste through dozens of incredible rum casks in search of the perfect one for our ongoing single cask project! In this episode, we take you inside the journey (and inside the warehouse itself) to show you exactly what it’s like to pick a rum cask for release.You'll hear about:A step-by-step breakdown of the entire in-person tasting day at Main RumWhat a rum cask "offer sheet" looks like (and the types of casks they pulled for us) — check out the video version for a closer look at thisThe unusual brief we gave Main Rum on the types of casks we were seekingStandout casks we tasted throughout the dayExcerpts from inside the warehouse as we tasted our way through unforgettable casksAnd much more!Our goal was to make it feel like you are there with us, so we included a lot of clips we captured inside the warehouse. Have a listen, and let us know what else you’d like to learn about the process!

Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.It's that time of the year again! Per our annual tradition, we each make three predictions for the world of rum in 2025 — from types of releases, to specific distillery developments, to broader trends that may impact rum enthusiasts, and beyond! And of course we also revisit our predictions from last year to see how close we came.Have a listen and then let us know what your predictions are!

Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.In this episode we get an inside look at the status and future of the Jamaica Rum GI (Geographic Indicator) with Christopher Gentles, general manager of the organization championing the GI (and doing other interesting things), Jamaica's Spirits Pool Association.If you're a fan of Jamaican rum, this interview is a must-listen.We discuss:National Rums of Jamaica's legal challenge to the GIWhat rum enthusiasts can expect to happen nextWhy the GI is important to Jamaican rumThe debates over aging at origin and adding sugarCreating a tasting panel for Jamaican rum marksThe evolution of the Jamaican rum category in recent yearsAnd much more!Note: After the recording of this episode, the Jamaica Gleaner reported that National Rums of Jamaica has accused other producers of Jamaican rum involved in the GI of anti-competitive practices and sought help from the Jamaica Fair Trading Commission.If you want a deeper look at the Jamaica Rum GI, check out these articles:Jamaica Observer: Court battle over ‘Jamaica rum’ unfortunate, says Jimmy Lawrence; NRJ argues litigation necessary as JIPO erred in GI designationThe Gleaner: New GI rum rules bar aging outside of JamaicaRum Wonk: Jamaica's Rum GI Changes - Overview and AnalysisRum Revelations: Jamaica GI Rumblings with a French Twist

Click here to watch this episode on YouTube and subscribe to our channel!Did you know you can support The Rumcast on Patreon now and get bonus episodes, happy hours, and more? You can! Head to patreon.com/therumcast to check it out.In the second installment of our Rumcast Single Cask Project series, we decide on a name for the brand and debate bottle designs ahead of our trip to Main Rum Company at the end of January.You can view the bottles in our bottles spreadsheet here.Like we mention in the intro, if you or someone you know has label design skills and is interested in collaborating (and knows the rum world), send us an email at [email protected]!As a reminder, this episode is part of an ongoing series in which we take you along with us as we purchase a barrel of rum and do our first single cask release. If you missed Part 1, you can check it out here.