Historic Rum Search

[KarlK]

Greetings folks,

I am looking for more help, and some of you may have some answers. I , besides being a rum drinker, am also a historic demonstrator and speaker concerning the Great Lakes Fur Trade 1763-1821.

Now I have read numerous trade journals and trade lists and am of course aware of the rum trade in these parts. I plan on serving several early drinks at a re-enactors seminar this November and am searching for some rums to serve with my flips, neguses, sylububs, spruce beers, birch beers, meads etc..

BUT!, What rum would be "close" to what was used in the Fur Trade? Over the past year I have chatted with our esteemed Ed Hamilton, Ian Williams and other folks with rum knowledge, but still don't have this figured out. Most of the journals in my area on lake Superior simply call it "Rum", one account does refer to it as "Leeward Island Rum", but it likely came from numerous sources.

So..... here are some of my thoughts, correct me if wrong:

Likely Pot-Stilled

Very little ageing

OP (Over proofed)

Non-Blended

Agreed, this is likely stuff we would not care for today. So what would you suggest?

Some more thoughts on possibilities:

Prichards Silver/White Rum...? Molasses not cane squeezes, pot stilled etc...?

Clarkes Court OP...?

Foress Park Puncheon...Would a Puncheon do? (Caroni etc..)

Wray & Nephew OP...?

Tanduay White...?

River Antoine of Grenada..? (not available in the states though I heard)

Ayone willing to add a suggestion or please tell me which ones I listed may be in error? What do you think rum traded in the 1780s and 90s may have been like?

Thank you so much,

Karl K.

[Martin Doudoroff]

BUT!, What rum would be "close" to what was used in the Fur Trade? Over the past year I have chatted with our esteemed Ed Hamilton, Ian Williams and other folks with rum knowledge, but still don't have this figured out. Most of the journals in my area on lake Superior simply call it "Rum", one account does refer to it as "Leeward Island Rum", but it likely came from numerous sources.

←

Very intriguing question. I don't have an answer for you, but I have two speculations to offer:

1) During at least a good part of the era you're focused on, New England was distilling vast quantities of rum, and it seems to me that--geographically speaking--much of the rum that was available around the Great Lakes might have come from there. Rum was also being made in places like New York and probably anywhere else that molasses might reasonably be shipped.

2) Whatever aging the rum enjoyed was probably inadvertent, from being transported in a barrel. Whatever aging characteristics the rum got were probably more in line with dock rum than what a rum aged in the tropics might taste like.

Suggestion: the Screech people in Newfoundland have recently begun pushing their product into the States. Check it out. It might be a good one to try.

[Tuck]

Greetings folks,

  I am looking for more help, and some of you may have some answers. I , besides being a rum drinker, am also a historic demonstrator and speaker concerning the Great Lakes Fur Trade 1763-1821.

...

  So..... here are some of my thoughts, correct me if wrong:

Likely Pot-Stilled

Very little ageing

OP (Over proofed)

Non-Blended

...

River Antoine of Grenada..? (not available in the states though I heard)

I did a fair amount of researching this period, back in the mid-80s, when I was shooting flintlocks with a bunch of "buckskinners". I'd guess that you're definately right in your criteria. I've had the River's in Grenada (it's definately an acquired taste, very popular with the locals, but pretty vile to me!); and it would be "authentic".

Another one that you might be more able to find is the White Star Rum from New Brunswick. Never had it, but, from what I understand, it's an over-proof that's made in Trinidad and bottled in N.B If so, it's probably the same stuff that's made by Trinidad Distilleries, Ltd. and sold in Grenada/Carriacou as "Jack Iron", which I've had downisland many times. Want to have some fun? Con an unsuspecting soul into doing shots!