St. Georges Spirits is an American company and distillery based in California, and is indisputably part of its artisanal productions which, little by little, are putting the USA a little more seriously on the map of rum producers; Specialized since 1982 in the production of spirits (on a market still not accustomed to this type of alcohol), St. George diversified by producing in 2000 a first Single Malt, alongside more classic gin, absinthe, liqueurs, vodka, brandy, and in 2013 their very first rum, made from pure juice.

Offered as a "California agricultural rum", St. George immediately took the gamble of releasing a terroir rum, with sugar cane grown in southern California. The rest is just as interesting: the cane is freshly pressed without adding water (unlike the vast majority of agricultural rum producers) in order to guarantee the maximum of its aromas, then fermented with a specific yeast strain known as EC1118 (with a relatively neutral effect on the juice itself, but aggressive on the other strains of the must). On the distillation side, St. George can count on several small capacity copper stills (Arnold Holstein type) of 250 and 500 liters, from which the distillate will come out on average at 68%, before being kept for 5 weeks in stainless steel tanks. Part of the rum will be aged at 54.81% in French oak barrels to give their old rum which we will talk about below.

In the end, one might think that St. George offers on paper a rum quite similar to the agricultural rum that we know, but well beyond distilling a rum based on pure juice, the differences in cane cultivation, fermentation (without adding water) but also a distillation via pot still and not the classic Creole column, will have the consequence of giving a rum that is necessarily very different aromatically, but with the same idea, the same priesthood of highlighting the cane and a strong notion of terroir.

Before moving on to the tasting, we advise you to discover a little more through a photo report published on the RumGallery website . Enjoy your visit, and have a good trip…

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St. George white 2013 / 43°

A pure juice rum made from sugar cane grown on Californian soil in 2013 (and therefore from the harvest of the same year) then freshly crushed, fermented (without adding water) then distilled via a copper still with a capacity of 500 liters. Or in other words, a Pure Single Agricole Rum.

The nose begins with a glued cane, understand a mixture of fresh cane and glue glue, with a solvent side, a memory of fresh paint and which surprises many at first breath. The nose is heavy and concentrated, very vegetal and as if fermented and even creamy (a cane cream with glue?). Rest will have the good idea of ​​eclipsing these strange smells for that of a freshly cut cane and full of sugar, but also of olive and tangy notes, with a smell like a pickle in vinegar, and especially that of the white asparagus in a jar which seems at this moment to come out of the glass. The nose remains quite powerful for 43°, and rest will not reduce the impression. A completely separate experience and agricultural rum.

In the mouth, it is very soft and very mellow, even creamy on fermented vegetable notes; it is quite green (on herbs) and at the same time quite sweet. We recognize the pure juice but we also find this tangy side, even salty and once again this asparagus, a sweet and salty white asparagus. It is special but not unpleasant in the mouth since very sweet and creamy, it goes down well and it is much easier than the nose would have us believe (and has very little to do in terms of intensity). The finish is rather long and warm, green, leguminous.

A very different white rum. American and agricultural at the same time, with on one side the memory of a mature and sweet cane, and on the other a funky and very vegetal side, mixing asparagus, truffle and pickle, but in the end quite good. Score: 81

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St. George white 2014 / 43°

This white is this time from the 2014 harvest, and nothing differentiates it in terms of production compared to that of 2013 above.

The nose takes us to yet another landscape, or let's be frank, to another psychedelic delirium. However, it is the harvest of the following year, and probably the same cane, but this time the rum does not only remind you of white asparagus, it transforms you into asparagus, it transports you into a jar and drowns you in it. Never will an asparagus have smelled so much of rum, that's saying something.

It's even a bit difficult to find rum in it in the end, or even alcohol; it's a very vegetal drink, with truffle and asparagus, in which we find some traces of lemongrass, anise, gamey herbs? Very very particular, between an asparagus soup and a Clairin. The rest brings a bit of body, more vegetal notes and less vegetables (in the text) as they say at home. And it's not so bad, but it remains once again very particular.

On the palate, it is once again very (very) soft and mellow, perhaps less creamy than the previous rum, more 'rum' too with marked vegetal notes, and well incorporated into a cane full of sugar. Anise, hot spices (white pepper) arrive, a menthol side which brings an interesting freshness, and again a little tangy side, of pickle. The finish is long and aniseed, refreshing, and strangely without any trace of asparagus or truffle! but with a little celery. Ends on rather dry notes but in a beautiful way...

A mind-boggling asparagus nose, where you really wonder if they distilled the right plant… but the mouth moves away from it completely to the point of forgetting it and recalling the family link with the agricultural one that we know, and in a beautiful way. A big gap between the nose and the mouth, but really too focused on asparagus on the nose… Rating: 77

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St. George Reserve / 40°

We move on to the aged version of white rum, and we wonder at this moment what kind of madness we are going to stumble upon. And it is not pejorative but damn exciting! On paper: 4 years of aging in French oak barrels, released in the fall of 2014.

The color is pale amber, a translucent golden color, and the appearance is rather oily at first glance. The legs are quite wide and a disk even floats on the surface.
On the nose? a mixture of solvent smells (which will dissipate fairly quickly) and grilled asparagus, or rather asparagus (and artichoke) sautéed in a pan with a good dash of olive oil, and until caramelized. Add capers (for the tangy/vinegary side), two or three freshly sliced ​​apple slices, and you have an old Californian agricultural rum… or a kind of sweet and salty dish. Of course, there are herbs in this mix too (this pan-fried?), hay, and the nose suggests that the fermentation surely speaks more than the distillation, but it is raw and very atypical, we can't blame it... And it is in any case less psychedelic than the whites, wiser, and time has done its work, melting the aromas into a beautiful balance. The rest makes it a little more accessible, vegetal and this time on caramelized dried fruits and still a very present acidity (and yes, these vegetables), but, caramelized. Beautiful presence and surprising but very interesting result.

On the palate, it is very soft, oily and very quickly acrid on the palate: on a briny marinade that takes hold of the palate, sweet acidity (citrus or perhaps red onion), vinegar, sea water, grass, damp hay and earthy notes that develop slowly but surely, and dried fruits (blond raisins). We go from acidic notes to acidic notes, sometimes on a sweet fruit, sometimes on a marinated vegetable. Strange rum, agricultural, definitely. But it works. The finish is long, on an acidity that dries out, salty and vegetal, but also sweet, going from artichoke to pineapple with extreme ease.

This rum is only 40°, imagining it for a moment beyond that would surely make you think of a grand aroma rum and therefore of sweet madness! A rum that will probably not please everyone, to be reserved for adventurers, lovers of grand aromas or the very funky and tangy Jamaican style. For the others, move on. Note: 85

Do not expect to find in the agricultural rum of St. George some similarities with that of our overseas departments… The profile is even more vegetal, on truffle, asparagus, a more fibrous and dry profile, and let's say it clearly less subtle (and as such closer to a Clairin). It will surely take time to appreciate it and even tame it, but it is the kind of rum that will make its little journey, until the old one that will seduce you even by offering a beautiful evolution.

Let's hope that people who taste it don't leave with the preconceived idea that an agricultural rum must look like this, and necessarily bring out notes of asparagus, olive, brine and acidity... It nevertheless remains a tasting that is at once very interesting, surprising, destabilizing... and funky.

To help you (and me) find your way around, regarding the notes:

90 and + : exceptional and unique rum, it is the best of the best
between 85 and 89 : highly recommended rum, with that little something that makes the difference
between 80 and 84 : recommendable rum
75-79 POINTS : above average
70-74 POINTS : in the low average
less than 70 : not very good

Review courtesy of DuRhum.com.

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