Review: J Wray Gold Rum
J Wray Gold Rum was released in the US along with their Silver rum June 2016. It is made at the Appleton Estate in Jamaica’s number one rum producing distillery, which is also the oldest continuously operated rum distillery in the Caribbean. The Appleton Estate traces its history back to 1655 when the estate was granted to Frances Dickinson’s heirs for their grandfathers service to England during England’s successful capture of Jamaica from Spain. Rum has been produced at this site since 1749. John Wray began distilling and blending rums, and served them to patrons at his Shakespeare Tavern in Kingston. In 1862 his nephew joined him and J Wray and Nephew began its history of producing Jamaican rum. In 1916 the Lindo Brothers and Co. purchased the Appleton Estates, and the company J Wray and his nephew had built. Today the Appleton Estate sits on 11,000 acres with sugar fields, a sugar mill, and a distillery with 5 pot stills and a multi column continuous still. J Wray Gold Rum is crafted from molasses made from estate grown sugar cane and pure limestone filtered water. After distilling, the rum is trucked to Kingston where it is aged and bottled. Read more 
Review: Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum
Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum was launched January 2013 along with Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum. The brand is named for Ernest Hemingway’s customized 1934 Wheeler Playmate Cruiser he piloted through the Florida Keys, Cuba, and the Caribbean. Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum is made with a blend of 3-5 year old rum sourced from the Caribbean, Central America, and Florida. Each of these rums is made from molasses and is slowly fermented in temperature controlled conditions. The rum is column distilled and aged in bourbon barrels, and port wine casks. The rums are shipped to the Drum Circle Distilling Company, the makers of Siesta Key Rum, in Sarasota Florida. The barrels of rum are married together in a unique Solera aging and blending process, and then finished in Spanish Sherry casks before bottling at 84 proof. On May 20, 2017 the Papa’s Pilar Rum Key West Distillery and Experience Center opens. Read more
Review: Siesta Key Gold Rum
Siesta Key Gold rum was introduced in 2011. It is one of six rums crafted at the Drum Circle Distillery in Sarasota Florida. The others include the previously reviewed Toasted Coconut, and Spiced, along with Silver, Distiller’s Reserve Spiced, and Beer Barrel Finished Spiced. Siesta Key Gold is made from Florida grown sugar cane and triple filtered water. It is distilled in a Christian Carl custom made small batch copper still that was build in Stuttgart Germany. The rum is aged in small oak barrels and then mellowed in used barrels first used to age Makers Mark Bourbon. Read more