Rum Societies
Episodes
About the Hosts
Home
The Rumcast
134: Behind the Blends at Black Tot Rum with Head Blender Oliver Chilton
Jun 8

Jun 8 134: Behind the Blends at Black Tot Rum with Head Blender Oliver Chilton

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

We sit down with Oliver Chilton, the head blender at Black Tot Rum, to nerd out on all things blending—from their recently reformulated flagship blend, to their new solera blend, to their annual master blender's reserve releases, and beyond.

133: The Rumcast 2025 Hot List: The Top 20(ish) Buzziest Bottles (and Upcoming Releases) of the Year
May 26

May 26 133: The Rumcast 2025 Hot List: The Top 20(ish) Buzziest Bottles (and Upcoming Releases) of the Year

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

We discuss the most talked about and anticipated rum releases of 2025.

132: Inside rum et al. — Los Angeles's Must-Watch Experimental Rum Distillery, with Robyn Smith
May 11

May 11 132: Inside rum et al. — Los Angeles's Must-Watch Experimental Rum Distillery, with Robyn Smith

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

A conversation with the woman behind one of the most interesting rum projects in the U.S. right now, Robyn Smith of rum et al., a chemical engineering PhD turned rum distiller.

131: 20 Rums in 60 Minutes: The First Rumcast Sample Extravaganza!
Apr 27

Apr 27 131: 20 Rums in 60 Minutes: The First Rumcast Sample Extravaganza!

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

Rapidfire thoughts on 20 interesting rums, all delivered in under 60 minutes.

130: The Alambique Serrano Vida Nativa Series Tasting Guide
Apr 14

Apr 14 130: The Alambique Serrano Vida Nativa Series Tasting Guide

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

A guided tasting through Alambique Serrano's Vida Native rums with recommendations, favorites, and more, plus a look at their upcoming 3 Años blend.

129: Heavy Rum from Panama? The Making of Grander's New Cane Harvest Rum
Mar 30

Mar 30 129: Heavy Rum from Panama? The Making of Grander's New Cane Harvest Rum

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

In this episode, we invited Grander founder Dan DeHart on the show to break down the making of an atypical new heavy rum from Panama called Cane Harvest.

128: Uruapan Charanda: 100+ Years of Making Mexico's Other "Rum" with Miriam Pacheco
Mar 16

Mar 16 128: Uruapan Charanda: 100+ Years of Making Mexico's Other "Rum" with Miriam Pacheco

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

In this episode, after a quick discussion of potential bottles for our Rumcast Single Cask Project, we dive into all things charanda with Miriam Pacheco, the general manager of Uruapan Charanda.

127: American Cane: A New Chapter in the American Rum Revival with Maggie Campbell & Darin Vest
Mar 2

Mar 2 127: American Cane: A New Chapter in the American Rum Revival with Maggie Campbell & Darin Vest

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

In this episode, we're excited to bring you the first public window into American Cane — the new American rum company that announced Maggie Campbell would be joining as CEO back in October.

126: Inside Our Trip to Liverpool's Main Rum Company: The Rumcast Single Cask Project Part 3
Feb 13

Feb 13 126: Inside Our Trip to Liverpool's Main Rum Company: The Rumcast Single Cask Project Part 3

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

At long last, the day arrived — we visited the Main Rum Company in person to taste through dozens of incredible rum casks in search of the perfect one for our ongoing single cask project!

125: Our Top 6 Rum Predictions for 2025 (Plus Grading Our 2024 Predictions)
Jan 27

Jan 27 125: Our Top 6 Rum Predictions for 2025 (Plus Grading Our 2024 Predictions)

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

Per our annual tradition, we each make three predictions for the world of rum in 2025 — from types of releases, to specific distillery developments, to broader trends that may impact rum enthusiasts, and beyond!

124: The Future of the Jamaica Rum GI with Christopher Gentles, GM of the Spirits Pool Association
Jan 13

Jan 13 124: The Future of the Jamaica Rum GI with Christopher Gentles, GM of the Spirits Pool Association

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

The general manager of Jamaica’s Spirits Pool Association takes us inside the development of the geographical indicator for Jamaica Rum and the ongoing battle to update it.

123: The Rumcast Single Cask Project Part 2: Name Update + Bottle Possibilities
Dec 29

Dec 29 123: The Rumcast Single Cask Project Part 2: Name Update + Bottle Possibilities

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

In this second installment of our Rumcast Single Cask Project series we decide on a name and debate bottle designs.

122: 2024 Favorites: Our Top Rums, Distilleries, and Bottlers of the Year
Dec 21

Dec 21 122: 2024 Favorites: Our Top Rums, Distilleries, and Bottlers of the Year

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

Our annual look back at our favorite rums, distilleries, and bottlers of the past year.

Semi-Blind Rum Review #8: Swell de Spirits Réunion Rhum Agricole 2011 (Isautier)
Dec 16

Dec 16 Semi-Blind Rum Review #8: Swell de Spirits Réunion Rhum Agricole 2011 (Isautier)

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

We blind taste and review a 13-year-old rhum agricole from Isautier Distillery.

121: Introducing Rosalie Bay: Dominica's First-of-Its-Kind Rum Distillery
Dec 8

Dec 8 121: Introducing Rosalie Bay: Dominica's First-of-Its-Kind Rum Distillery

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

Go inside a unique new cane juice rum distillery in Dominica that’s contributing 100% of its profits to conservation efforts.

120: The Rumcast Guide to Madeira Rum
Nov 24

Nov 24 120: The Rumcast Guide to Madeira Rum

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

A deep dive into Portugal’s unique twist on agricole rum — Madeira!

A Flag Series Tasting Guide: Trying 3 New Rums from La Maison & Velier
Nov 10

Nov 10 A Flag Series Tasting Guide: Trying 3 New Rums from La Maison & Velier

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

A tasting guide to three new La Maison & Velier Flag Series rums from Cambodia, Jamaica, and Fiji.

Semi-Blind Rum Review #7: Compagnie Des Indes Trinidad 2003 (TDL)
Nov 3

Nov 3 Semi-Blind Rum Review #7: Compagnie Des Indes Trinidad 2003 (TDL)

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

See what happens when we blind review a 20-year-old rum from Trinidad Distillers Limited.

119: Introducing the Rumcast Single Cask Project: Part 1 - What's in a Name?
Oct 27

Oct 27 119: Introducing the Rumcast Single Cask Project: Part 1 - What's in a Name?

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

Big news: we're buying a cask and branding, bottling, labeling, and releasing our own single cask rum! Throughout this process, we'll be taking you along on the journey…

118: Putting Sicilian Rum on the Map: The Making of Mater Rum with Hugo Gallardo
Oct 12

Oct 12 118: Putting Sicilian Rum on the Map: The Making of Mater Rum with Hugo Gallardo

Will Hoekenga and John Gulla

In this episode, Hugo Gallardo took us inside an exciting emerging rum locale — Sicily, the Italian island where Distilleria Alma is bringing back sugarcane cultivation.

Load More
 
 

Get new episodes sent to your inbox

Enter your email and we’ll send you a quick note when new episodes drop (and the occasional fun announcement).

We respect your privacy. Easy unsubscribe anytime.

Thanks — you’re in!