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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!
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1:45:06
131: 20 Rums in 60 Minutes: The First Rumcast Sample Extravaganza!
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)
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1:21:03
130: The Alambique Serrano Vida Nativa Series Tasting Guide
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!
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1:06:55
129: Heavy Rum from Panama? The Making of Grander's New Cane Harvest 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 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!
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1:26:08
128: Uruapan Charanda: 100+ Years of Making Mexico's Other "Rum" with Miriam Pacheco
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
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1:35:12