Providence Rum - making magic in Haiti
Updated: 15 minutes ago
Some reviews and tastings are new and require time and research. In other lineups, like today, I get to review rums on the SecretRumBar regular rotation—rums I know and love. So today will be easy, fun, and delicious.
That said, I've not tried these side-by-side, so I'm keen to see which takes the title today.
Providence Rum, Distillerie de Port-au-Prince - established in 2018, is a collaboration between La Maison & Velier and the Linge family of Haiti, with its rich heritage of Haitian rum making.
The man behind Providence magic, master distiller Herbert Linge Jr.
Haiti - a unique, heavily troubled, Carribbean island nation; home to some of the world's best sugar cane. Bypassed by centuries of commercialisation and hybridisation, it offers a rare glimpse into rum flavours of times long past.
Cane growing in Haiti has remained almost unchanged over hundreds of years, and the rich flavours of their traditional indigenous cane juice & distilling techniques are a special and unique opportunity we have recently been privileged to experience.
Haitian Clairin (or Kleren) was made available to us outside of Haiti by the trailblazing Luca Gargano in 2012. Five, of five hundred family-run Haitian micro distilleries, are now available (in tiny quantities) worldwide though his 'Spirit of Haiti' project.
Following the successful reception of these incredible rums, a plan was hatched to bring a commercial pot still to Haiti and make a range of rums using their indigenous (and spectacular) Cristalline sugar cane.
A veritable who's who of the rum and distilling world collaborated, and fast forward a few years, the result is Distillerie de Port-au-Prince and Providence rum.
Herbert Linge Jr - Master distiller at Distillerie de Port-au-Prince
Michel Sajous of Saint-Michel de l’Attalaye (grower of amazing cane, and proprietor of Distillerie Sajous)
Luca Gargano (visionary and all round trailblazer)
Muller pot stills - only the best for this project
Vittorio Capovilla (distilling Maesto)
Cristalline cane, grown on Michel Sajous's estate in Saint-Michel de l’Attalaye, used both as fresh juice and as a reduced syrup, is transported to Port-au-Prince for fermentation and distillation.
Fermentation is carried out using selected yeasts and vinasse from previous distillations.
Providence rum is twice distilled; the rums leave the first run at 25-30% abv and the second at 72-78% ABV.
Finally, the rum is rested and aged at the distillery using a variety of first class oak casks.
Four rums, 25ml of each, left to breathe for 20 mins before tasting. Nosed first, then tasted, in the order of the lead photo. Assisted today, as I continue with the epic saga narrowing down 10 LPs for Mrs SecretRumBar's big birthday gift, by the seminal Natty Dred.
A blend of 25 barrels aged in ex-Caroni casks
Nose: What a beauty. Rich, opulent and indulgent. Cane sugar, vanilla, a little camphor. Light, accessible Caroni notes - diesel & rubber. Dirty but elegantly so. Normally I would be concerned that 'easy Caroni influence' is madness, but here it works well. Boozy fruit and old oil. Herbal and vegetal. Not a super heavy or intense nose, but beautiful and inviting.
Mouth: Clean beautiful rum. Sings in your mouth. Bright, floral, slight caramel and toasted coconut. All with the light diesel of Caroni in the background. The oily notes balance the floral fruity profile perfectly. Cane sugar, fruit and dry diesel notes blend seamlessly. Simple, true, a triumph. [88pts]
This version was aged for three years in 'ex-Providence' casks. *These casks were made of new American oak. The barrels were charred, then filled and emptied three times over two years to acclimatise the wood to the rum. This prepared them for a smooth and optimal ageing of the 2020 rum.
Nose: Layers of fruit, glue and varnish. Super moorish. Greedy for your attention. Candied but without being sickly. Bright fruit and light caramel. Totally different from the 2019, yet beautiful again. Oak is maybe a but light and cardboardy at first. A little later and things are even better, sweet gluey esters playing with sticky fruit syrup. In time this becomes more savoury and earthy, with strong mushroom and toasted corn notes.
Mouth: Classy. Lightly aged cane juice rum is a tough ask - there are few I get along with. This most certainly is one. Caramel vanilla fruit, with a side order of glue. Sweet vinegary light esters. Toasted coconut. Bright honeyed prune and lychee juice. As with the 2019 - simple yet classy and delicious [88+pts]
Aged in a combination of ex-Providence, ex-Bourbon and ex-Caroni casks.
Nose: Most of the flavours from the 2019 & 2020, blending quite well. Weighty. Boozy. Menthol, camphor, orange zest, furniture polish, the anise you get from heavy oak, austere and elegant.
Mouth: Rich and buttery. Rotten caramel-dipped tropical fruit. Alcohol is not quite as well integrated as the first two. More going on, deeper and more complex, but not quite singing as loud as the simple beauty of the 2019 & 2020. Weightier, with some acid and bitterness.
[A couple of hours later this is still evolving, and improving. A decent drop]. [86-pts]
A blend of 14 ex-Caroni casks selected for the Habitation Velier Range. As always, the informative Habitation Velier labelling tell us of 26% angels' share, and an ester content of 265 g/hlpa.
Nose: Mustier. Lemon, mothballs, and scented hand wipes do not initially offer the beauty of the first three. Roast meat with mint sauce. Acetone. Later this presents more notes of a honeyed sweetness.
Mouth: A big yet delicate mouthful. Chewiest of the bunch. Moments of bitterness. Lots going on. The Caroni influence works well again. As with the nose, honeyed notes appear later; on the palate they're fighting with bright, tight, bitter fruit zest. Not bad, but the least impressive of the 4 for me [84-pts]
Conclusion - I'm amazed these don't have better reviews elsewhere - lightly aged cane juice rum that (unusually) works for me. And works very well indeed.
2019 & 2020 are standouts - simpler than the 2021 & HV, their elegant, classy, delicious flavours have won me over.
I've seen these on sale recently, crazy. Not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, I stocked up,
Coming soon ... of course I need to wrap up this review of the Providence releases with a side-by-side of these three unaged bottlings. Which is your favourite?
