Exploring rums in Barbados

[Kristian]

We're going to Barbados for our honeymoon next month and although I have promised not to make too big a fuss about rums when we are there, I'd still like to get some tips on where I can get the best rums and which distillery I should visit (if I can). Our hotel is located at the southern shore (don't have the exact location yet).

Does anyone have any good tips?

[ctgm]

I went to Barbados for part of my honeymoon and I have now made a friend who has a house there so the annual holiday is there.

I have only been twice to Barbados and both times I found that there was not much rum tourism/shopping to be done. I went around the Mount Gay distillery but that is about it. Having said that I did not venture into Bridgetown too deeply so do not know if there is a rum specialist shop. Apart from that the supermarkets have 20 or so rums but most of them are made to power your car!!

If you (or anyone else) know somewhere or rather find somewhere please can you post the details so I can check it out on my next visit.

[Ed Hamilton]

You are right, ctgm, about where to shop, the grocery stores have the best prices and often beat the duty free shops.

The Mount Gay tour takes you through the bottling area but not the distillery. The laws in Barbados prohibit rum being bottled where it is distilled. That way Customs can keep track of what is being produced and botted.

On the south coast Four Square is the recontructed site of an old sugar mill and the home of Doorly's, one of the Bajan standards on every bar. The five year old is nice rum.

Four Square also blends and bottles Old Brigand. The Harbour Policeman bottle that you'll see in the shops is a nice bottle but the rum isn't the finest quality.

Don't miss Cockspur VSOR, Very Special Old Rum, their finest. Mount Gay's Extra Old seems to taste better to me in the islands than the bottles I get in the states. You'll have to decide for yourself.

While you are in Barbados you'll have to try sea moss and ESAF, a local white rum that isn't bad when mixed with juice or the sweet milk-based sea moss. This is really good with a platter of fried flying fish. Don't miss the fish fry every friday on Oistins beach on the sw coast.

Four Square has the most modern distillery in the islands and recovers most of the distillery waste making their rum some of the most environmentally friendly in the industry.

[Kristian]

Thanks for your tips, Ed and ctgm!

I'll see if I can find some of those brands in the stores. It is my intention to make rum part of our every day at the island... (well, at least as a medicine against foreign bacteria...)

[JOHN REEKIE]

Kristian... Ed has filled in with most of the rum, but not totaly as to the distilleries and the tours. As soon as you get there you will notice lots of advertising for the three distilleries. So I will not carry on there. But what Ed did not mention was that Mount Gay Distilleries is formed by two distilleries.The one you will find with the tours and visitors center on the West Coast just out side Bridgetown. This is also where the modern continious still is located. In the North of the Island is the original Site of Mount Gay. This has changed and developed over the years so that now the distillery consists of old buildings of many ages. But it has the oldest pot still(s) still in use. This also looks very much like an old distillery. Visiting tourists are not normaly welcomed, but I found that when I drove up to the office and asked is I could look around I had the freedom to go anywhere. This was at the end of January and the plant was more or less closed. But even if you can not get in its worth driving to just to look at. No rum samples No T shirts No bottles of rum just a distillery. The visitors center has all of these.

If I think of more I will get back to you.

John.

[JOHN REEKIE]

Kristian and Future wife. (my appologies we did communicate about a year ago, and I did not have time to go through the archives to find your name.sorry)

So .... I hope you rent a car ( with a roof the sun will be to much after a while , but it should be a open jeap type, there are many varieties.) and with a good map explore the island. Stay away from down town Bridgetown unless you are going there .Use the roads circling Bridgetown. Traffic is very bad any time of day. Use the car to explore many small roads leading to spectacular views and beaches. Ask at the hotel reception or your barman for places to go to..

Although born in England. I spent my youth in Barbados in the 50's and 60's. Once lived next door to that Red Clock Tower on the Garrison, on the way into Town.and spent my life in the water at various beaches nearby. So Barbados to me is my home. although I have not lived there since mid 60's and no longer have any contact with the Island, I have been back various times. I just wanted to say rent a car and explore the island, take your time to stop and look. And as someone once said, look back over your shoulder because some times the best view is the one behind you.There is to much to say about Bardados and this is not the place to say it .

Except. Ask questions. Read the local magazinesfor things to see and do . Be carefull but explore and you will enjoy.

Happy Honeymoon to both of you......" Let the glass of rum in your hand be the best rum of the day" (sorry Ed)

Good Luck.......John.

[Kristian]

Thank you, John, for your tips!

We'll be sure to rent a car and explore a little of the sights and all!

Off topic: Actually Ulla (used to go as Brija here) and I are married already (since 9th of August), but we had to postpone our honeymoon for my busy work schedule. (Wedding pics at: Wedding pics. Text is in Finnish, but pictures speak in many tongues...)

Edited October 13, 2003 by Kristian (log)

[ctgm]

Kristian,

Please can you let us know hoy you and the Mrs get on with finding some rums. I am about to book some flights to Barbados (for March next year) and would like to find some decent rums when I am out there.

C

[Kristian]

Ok, I'm back from the honeymoon and I have to say we had wonderful time in Barbados! Lots of sunlight! (compared to the three hours per day that we get in southern Finland right now - if the cloud covering happens to let it through, which it doesn't at the moment)

But to rums: We did the Mount Gay tour which was a nice one with the lunch included (fried flying fish there! Great!). The tour was a nice one, although it offered few surprises. Lot's of commotion about their extra old both at the tour and everywhere else I asked. Everyone seemed to consider it the best the island had to offer. It was my first time tasting the extra old at the end of the tour and I must say that it was not the best I had on the island, although it was quite nice. The long aftertaste was a bit too spicy for me.

The rum that me and my wife (yes, even she!) consumed the most was Cockspur's VSOR. We both had several drinks of the rum every day and we both liked it very much. It was a well balanced rum and superior to the Mount Gay's Extra Old.

I also had a chance to try out Old Brigand's 10-year-old, but it was at both times after a hefty dinner at Water's Edge (Christ Church) restaurant. I'll have to find a chance to try it again at some point, without spices to throw off my delicate palate () since it seemed very promising.

In addition to rums we did some touring around the island and lots of swimming in the ocean and lots of reading and relaxing...