Category: Louisiana Rums

Rank Wildcat – Sweet Crude

The guys at Rank Wildcat Spirits make their Sweet Crude Rum with three basic principles.

  1. No blackstrap molasses. They seek out sources of sugar closer to the beginning of the refinement process. While they don’t use sugar cane juice like true Rhum Agricole, they get pretty close and it’s evident in the final product.
  2. All natural flavor. No added sweeteners, flavors, or colors.
  3. Artisan-crafted. Claiming to be Louisiana’s smallest rum distillery, (a title that may be contested, since a few micro-distillers in New Orleans popped up in the last few years) Rank Wildcat made their own distillation still by hand (named Lulu), which get’s them serious props in my book.
  • Nation: Louisiana, USA
  • Color: Clear
  • Aroma: What I can only assume is sugar cane. It’s grassy without being herby, sweet without being sharp. It’s ripe, thick, rich, and vegetal.
  • Flavor: Smooth and balanced.
  • Finish: Finishes with a quick burst of sugar cane before smoldering away.
  • Notes: Easy to sip on with just an ice cube. Nothing is overwhelming or harsh. It’s balanced, if not a bit mild. I almost don’t want to finish this sentence… because it is really good… but it’s almost boring.
  • Grade: B-

Find it Locally:

By the Bottle:

  • Q Liquor
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Martin’s Wine Cellar
  • Calandro’s Supermarket

By the Glass:

  • Chimes East
  • The Rum House

I do tastings with a wide mouth rocks glass with a slight taper because I like the way it feels in my hands. I start with 2oz, neat, then add an ice cube to bring out subtler flavors and aromas.

Parade – Rum Argenté

Modeled after a Cuban light rum, Parade Argenté is our youngest expression of Alma Plantation & Sugar Mill, filtered five times to create a distinct flavor and honoring the sugar cane from which it was made.

Hailing from Baton Rouge’s own distillery, Cane Land Distilling, comes Parade Rum Argenté. A crystal clear rum, self described as a light mixer with Cuban flair, that I can’t wait to compare to Havana Club 3 Year.

I myself have never been a fan of crystal/silver/white rums, assuming they were basically vodka, so why even bother. It wasn’t until I started down this journey that I realized what a stupid assumption that was. This rum is a simple pleasure, ripe for the sipping. If all clear rums are as good as this, I’ve been stupid to avoid them all these years.

  • Nation:  Louisiana, USA
  • Color:  Crystal Clear
  • Aroma: Starts off heavy with a floral sweetness. Followed by a rich stone fruit and a sharp grassy finish. Something keeps reminding me of Gardenia.
  • Flavor: Subtle and smooth. Balanced. Deep & fruity.
  • Finish: Sultry & enjoyable burn.
  • Notes: Adding ice makes the most intriguing striations in the rum. Utterly beautiful when the light grabs it. Honestly, it’s a joy to drink.
  • Rating: 8/10 B

Find it Locally:

By the Bottle:

  • Reeves Market
  • Bin Q Liquor
  • Calandro’s Supermarket

By the Glass:

  • Pastime
  • Radio Bar
  • City Pork
  • Olive or Twist
  • The Rum House
  • The Bulldog

I do tastings with a wide mouth rocks glass with a slight taper because I like the way it feels in my hands. I start with 2oz, neat, then add an ice cube to bring out subtler flavors and aromas.

Rougaroux – Full Moon

Hailing from the Donner Peltier Distillery down in Thibodaux [TIB–uh-doh] Louisiana, the Rougaroux family of rums are meant to be bold, with Full Moon being the full bodied monster of the family.

Deep in the heart of Southern Louisiana Cajun country lurks a mysterious creature called the Rougaroux®, (Roo-ga-roo). It lingers in the sugarcane fields, emerging only during the full moon to exact justice on the wicked. Because of their monster flavor, we chose this name for our rums. We start with pure black strap molasses and raw sugar grown and milled from a family owned farm just down the road from our distillery located in the middle of the cane fields in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Our Full Moon Dark Rum is aged on white oak for smoothness and flavor, with no extracts, caramel or artificial ingredients added.

The whiskey sipper’s rum.  Laid back, oaky, and mysterious, our premium dark rum speaks for itself without saying a word.  Sshhhh….you don’t want to wake the Rougaroux®….

  • Nation: Louisiana, USA
  • Color: Dark Amber
  • Aroma: Powdered sugar sweet with a little tart for balance and faint woody undertones.
  • Flavor: A quick burst of spice provides a good shock before the sweet body follows through.
  • Finish: A smooth black strap molasses finish leaves your mouth tingling and happy.
  • Notes: Clean but full-bodied. My only negative note, and it’s superficial at that, is that the bottle is taller than anything else on my shelf, and so ends up getting moved to the back.
  • Grade: B-

Find it Locally:

By the Bottle:

  • Matherne’s Supermarket
  • Martin’s Wine Cellar
  • Calandro’s Supermarket
  • Rouse’s Supermarket
  • Honestly, you can find it almost anywhere.

By the Glass:

  • Bin 77
  • Bistro Byrons
  • City Pork
  • The Rum House
  • Again, pretty much every decent bar has it on their shelves.

I do tastings with a wide mouth rocks glass with a slight taper because I like the way it feels in my hands. I start with 2oz, neat, then add an ice cube to bring out subtler flavors and aromas.

Kicking Mule – Spiced Rum

Not my first Louisiana rum, but the first one I sat down to review. I picked it up off the shelf because I love the bottle. #beinghonest I was pleasantly surprized by the balance and enjoyed it as a mixer. I wouldn’t think twice about gifting it to a friend.

  • Nation: Louisiana, USA
  • Color: Clear Amber
  • Aroma: Candied fruit and caramelized sugar with a sharp smoky citrus finish.
  • Flavor: Caramel flows over the tongue with a smooth sweetness. Maybe a little nutty.
  • Finish: Pleasant slow burn all the way down.
  • Notes: Enjoyable experience that went quickly to my head. Makes a killer rum and coke.
  • Grade: C+

Find it Locally:

By the Bottle:

  • Matherne’s Supermarket
  • Martin’s Wine Cellar
  • Calandro’s Supermarket

By the Glass:

  • Bistro Byrons
  • City Pork
  • The Ice House
  • The Rum House

I do tastings with a wide mouth rocks glass with a slight taper because I like the way it feels in my hands. I start with 2oz, neat, then add an ice cube to bring out subtler flavors and aromas.