After a history lesson and some mispronounced French words, the Spokane Rum Club indulged in Martinique’s finest! We learned about geographical indicators and how important the AOC is to Martinique rum. Much of these unaged rums gave notes of grass, mango, vanilla, brine and pepper.

The Spokane Rum Club sampled and discussed 3 single cask offerings from Plantation (now Planteray). Despite the distillery being located in Barbados, the rums in question originate from Belize, Panama, and Guatemala aged in cherry liqueur, white Pinot des Charentes, and red Pinot des Charentes casks respectively. Unique casks, no doubt!

The Spokane Rum Club became familiar with the Barbados rum flavor profile by sampling a majority of the Mount Gay lineup- the crisp and aromatic Eclipse- the robust and whiskey adjacent Black Barrel - the round and complex XO- and one of Mount Gay’s newer releases- the Navy Strength Eclipse (clocking in at 57.1% abv).

The Spokane Rum Club mingled over various pours of rum including Doctor Bird, Foursquare 2009, Ron Centanario 25, Yowie Australian rum, Moongazer Guyanese rum, Rolling Fork Purple Cane, and others. Introverts became extroverts by the end of the night.

Our nerdiest tasting yet- The Spokane Rum Club sampled the 8 unaged distillates produced by Hampden Estate in Jamaica. We covered the various raw materials and methods used in their fermentation process as well as ester production. If you want to taste the full might of Jamaican rum, you need to sample the 8 Marques collection.

FUNK. In April, the Spokane Rum Club sampled rich and flavorful rums from Jamaica and Brazil. We also studied pot still anatomy as well as ester counts within distillates.

In March, the Club slowed down to get to know each other better. We drank, laughed, and left a lot less socially awkward!

The Spokane Rum Club embarked on a studious journey this month. While imbibing on a Costa Rican rum, the Club learned how rum is made- from cane harvesting, fermentation, stills and distillation, and if applicable, aging and oak types.

The Spokane Rum Club continued to explore regional differences between Brazil, Haiti, and India.

The Spokane Rum Club continued to explore regional differences between Guyana, Barbados, and Trinidad & Tobago. Fermentation and distillation methods were a highlight in this meeting. It was December, so rum cake was also enjoyed.

On this day, the Spokane Rum Club became reality! Hosted at The Volstead Act, the Club was introduced to regional differences of rum from Jamaica, Venezuela, and Martinique. We discussed production methods as well as tasting notes all during live bar service! It was a time…