Archive - Rum Wonk

The Essential Tiki Rum Style That Disappeared

The meaning of “Martinique rum” completely changed between the 1950s and today. Martinique rhum agricole wasn’t readily available to consumers in the…

Jun 2 •

May 2025

When is a Column Still Not a Column Still?

Hybrid stills are often mislabeled as column stills, confusing consumers and competitions—true column stills enable continuous, not batch, distillation.

May 19 •

Good Places for Visitors to Buy Rum in the Caribbean - Part 2

In Part 1, I covered why Caribbean visitors may return home with less rum than hoped for. Here in Part 2, I provide tips for successful rum hunting.

May 12 •

Good Places for Visitors to Buy Rum in the Caribbean - Part 1

When rum geeks ask, "Where's the best place to buy rum in the Caribbean?" the answer is complicated. Part 1 of this two-part series is a deep dive on…

May 5 •

April 2025

Is Sorghum Rum a Thing?

Occasionally a sorghum "rum" pops into the news. Here's why sorghum can't be used to make rum.

Apr 2 •

March 2025

Solera Shouldn't Be a Dirty Word in Rum

Solera aging of rum is often demonized by enthusiasts, but a closer look reveals that the problem is misleading age representations, not solera. Also…

Mar 18 •

February 2025

It's Not All About Esters When It Comes to Rum

Many rums called high-ester may not be, and esters often play less of a role in a rum’s flavor profile than you might think.

Feb 21 •

January 2025

December 2024

Rum Wonk's 2024 Year in Review

It’s time for Rum Wonk's end-of-2024 recap! We’ll tick through some stats and most viewed posts momentarily, but first, some personal rum-related…

Dec 30, 2024 •

Why Is Rum Held to a Higher Global Standard Than Whiskey?

There is no truly global standard for distilled spirit, nor is rum the wild west of distilled spirits. It’s catchy, but wrong.

Dec 20, 2024 •

Infographic: “White Rum Doesn’t Make Sense”

An infographic on one of rum’s biggest challenges: color-based rum categorizations. "White rum" is a wildly unhelpful way of specifying a type of rum.

Dec 20, 2024 •

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