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Making Funky, High Ester Rum Part 4 - Hacking Ester Creation With the Cousins Process
Fermentation alone can't make super funky rum. In 1906, a British chemist in Jamaica hacked ester formation at distillation using chemical jujitsu…
Jun 23
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Matt Pietrek
16
5
1
Making Funky, High Ester Rum Part 3 - Bacteria and Muck
Yeast gets all the credit, but bacteria are behind the most extreme flavors in weird, high-ester rums. What's a muck pit? Part 3 of a 4-part series…
Jun 8
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Matt Pietrek
15
3
Making Funky, High Ester Rum Part 2 - Dunder and Acid
How do Jamaican distillers make funky, high-congener rum? Part 2 explores dunder, and cane acid, the ingredients that push fermentation beyond the…
May 22
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Matt Pietrek
14
4
Making Funky, High Ester Rum - Part 1
What makes Hampden taste different from Bacardi? It starts with the yeast. A guide to rum fermentation and esters — Part 1 of a series on funky rum.
May 4
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Matt Pietrek
32
2
1
Touring Appleton Estate in 1950
Step inside Appleton Estate in 1950. A rare Wray & Nephew brochure and archival photos reveal how Jamaican rum was made—from cane fields to pot stills.
Mar 9
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Matt Pietrek
19
5
1
Appleton Estate Rum: How the Brand Began
The little-known story behind Appleton Estate Special and how it marked the true beginning of Appleton Estate as a rum brand in the 1940s.
Feb 2
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Matt Pietrek
12
1
2
Jamaica Rum's 2024 GI Revisions Paused Per Court Order
A Jamaican court has put enforcement of Jamaica's 2024 rum GI revisions on hold, pending further hearings.
Sep 30, 2025
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Matt Pietrek
12
1
Mai Tai Rum(s): Myths and Mistakes
The Great Mai Tai Rum Debate - Are we overthinking it? Some historical context provides guidance.
Aug 30, 2025
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Matt Pietrek
28
5
2
Jamaica Rum Styles Primer
“Jamaica rum” once said it all. Today, with every producer making styles from unaged to long-aged, it’s time to break down the substyles.
Aug 18, 2025
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Matt Pietrek
29
10
1
Dunder, Muck, and Acid - Demystifying Jamaica Rum's Secret Sauce
Jamaica rum's bold flavors stem from misunderstood fermentation components. Here, we'll examine dunder, muck and acid and learn how they create unique…
Jan 20, 2025
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Matt Pietrek
19
7
1
Jamaica Rum Industry Family Tree
A handy infographic to make it easy to see the relationship between Jamaica rum brands, the distilleries that make them, and who owns them.
Dec 16, 2024
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Matt Pietrek
10
2
Jamaica's Rum GI Changes - Overview and Analysis
There’s news today from Jamaica regarding small but important revisions to the country’s rum geographical indication, aka GI. In what follows, I will…
Oct 10, 2024
•
Matt Pietrek
8
10
1
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