The Rumcast

Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In September we recorded the first ever Rumcast episode in front of a live audience at Boston Rum Week, and we decided to do something special for the occasion: our fifth annual fantasy rum draft.Selecting from only the rums available at the event (and there were many incredible ones), we each attempted to assemble our ideal rum bars while competing against a third team made up of special guests at Boston Rum Week. To account for the live format, we condensed the competition down to the following five categories:Unaged rumAged rumCane juice rumUnicorn bar rum (these were rare bottles available at a special bar at the event)Non-Caribbean rumThe vote took place live at the show, so tune in to find out who won!

Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.For more bonus episodes like this one, subscribe to the Rumcast Patreon community.In this free bonus episode, we blind taste through 4 of the new Vida Nativa Series rums from Oaxaca's Alambique Serrano. These are all aged cane juice rums that feature a wide variety of cask types and combinations of both pot and column still distillate. It was a wild ride that, much like last year's set of Vida Nativa rums, included one rum that was hard to compare to any others we've tasted before. Here's the list of the rums we tried: Vida Nativa Blend #2: Mariposa Vitral Vida Nativa Blend #3: Tepejilote Vida Nativa Blend #4: Mariposa 88 Vida Nativa Single Cask #7: Árbol de Pipe We'd love to know your thoughts on these rums! Which are you most interested in trying? If you've had any of them, what did you think? Send us an email or leave a comment on social and let us know.

Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.Hey all! It's time for a bittersweet episode — this month, we sat down with Rumcast veteran Kate Perry, who will be stepping away from her position at La Maison & Velier at the end of the year for a new chapter outside the world of rum. Kate told us all about what's next, why she decided to pursue something outside the rum and spirits industry, and reflected on how much has changed for rum over the last decade. It was a great look back at the development of rum in the U.S. through the lens of Kate's work at Velier and La Maison & Velier, with lots of great stories along the way. Have a listen and raise a glass to Kate with us. If you want to support Kate's next venture, check out the GoFundMe here!

Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.This is an episode that's been months in the making. After our Rumcast Reserve project, Main Rum Company put together a mystery box of old and rare cask samples that they promised would wow us. Thanks to U.S. customs, it took nearly a year for us to actually get our hands on the samples, but once we finally did we can definitively say they did not disappoint. They were some of the finest rums we've ever tasted.For an extra bit of fun, we decided to try our luck at guessing their origins. This episode shows you how we did, all in real time, followed by a ranking of our personal favorites at the end. Here's a look ahead at what we tasted:1992 Pampero aged for 34 years in ex-bourbon and ex-Scotch malt whisky casks, 42.3% ABV1989 (or 1991?) Caroni aged 34-37 years in an ex-rum cask, 45.4% ABV, TMC8 mark1983 blend of various Hampden and Long Pond marks (including DOK, HGML, C<>H, <>H, HLCF, LPS, and STC♥E), full aging details not revealed, 48.6% ABV, listen for more detailsBlend of Barbados, Jamaica, and Guyana rums with an average vintage of 1990, though rums from '82, '83, '86, and '89 are also in the blend, 48.9% ABV1989 Guyana (Uitvlugt Port Mourant) aged for 37 years in ex-bourbon and ex-Scotch malt whisky casks, 56.7% ABV1984 Clarendon (MMW mark) aged for 42 years (including 34 at origin) in an ex-rum cask, 59.7% ABVThese were all cask samples from Main Rum Company, so everything is cask strength and single cask. Have a listen, and see how wrong we were!

Note: As a reminder, Rumcast Reserve bottles are officially available in stores and shipping from our online retailer! You can grab your bottles here.You can watch the video version of this episode on YouTube.In this episode, we caught up with Mitch Wilson just a week before the end of his 7-year run as the brand ambassador for Black Tot Rum to discuss his exciting next gig, reflect on his Black Tot tenure, and go deep on what it's actually like to live on the road as a brand ambassador.We discuss:The new role he'll be taking on in the rum worldPerception vs. reality of being a brand ambassadorWhat it's like spending 250+ days on the road in a yearThe challenges small spirits brands face in the marketHow big brands buy their way onto cocktail menusThe daiquiri strategy for becoming a brand ambassadorHis first (and worst) masterclass performanceHow to ask for better rum at bars without sounding like an assholeThe prospect of single-flagon Black Tot releasesAnd more!As we mentioned at the beginning, come join us for the live Rumcast show on September 19 at Boston Rum Week!