California Agricole Rum (2013), distilled by St. George Spirits and bottled at 43% ABV.

Price Rage: $40-$60

St. George Spirits was founded by Jörg Rupfin in 1982 and he spent his first decade producing some of the best fruit eau de vies in the US. In 1996 Lance Winters began working at the distillery and helped develop their single malt whiskey and a variety of other spirits.

In 2010, St. George distilled and bottled their first batch of California Agricole Rum (initially labeled as Agua Libre) from sugar cane grown in California's Imperial Valley. Like the agricole rums produced in the French Caribbean, St. George California Agricole Rum's exhibit a very funky profile that can change year-to-year based on the terrior of the sugar cane.

Tasting Notes

Spirit was ok to drink, but I would not buy it.

Nose: Very strong notes of decomposing vegetable matter.

Palate: Medium body and soft on the tongue. Tastes sweet with a note of butter up front, Mid-palate it displays a mineral character with the flavor of cooked broccoli that ends with a light hint of pepper.

Finish: Long finish with a slight smokey note and a hint of caramel.

Conclusion: St. George's 2013 California Agricole Rum is true to its style. It has all of the strong aromas and flavors commonly found in rums distilled from fresh-pressed sugar cane juice. However, I am just not that crazy about it. For those who enjoy other agricole rums, St. George's is probably worth buying, but for me I am still more intrigued by the idea more than the result.