Rum, Unaged, 40% ABV, $27

I was really excited about this rum because it hails from Broussard, LA… only a few miles from where I was raised in Lafayette. In fact, I made sure that I secured a bottle from the original release. Sadly, that was last year and I’m only getting around to posting these notes now after spending some one-on-one time with a good pour.

Sweet Crude smells like caramel, grass, dark cherry, Bit o’ Honey and a hint of turpentine. The taste is briny, sweet and spicy up front and the finish is leathery, bitter and spicy. At first, I detect brine, lemon, ginger, agave (no joke), white pepper and grass. The palate feels slightly oily with bitterness and spice and the finish is similar… bitter tannins (does this spend any time in wood) and a good bit of spice that slowly fades against a vegetal backdrop. It reminds me more of mezcal than rum… strange (no, I didn’t pour from the wrong bottle). It’s hard to believe that this comes from molasses. The flavor isn’t reedy like cane juice rum, but the profile is closer to that style.

It’s possible that they’ve improved Sweet Crude by now, but this initial batch wasn’t very good. The price has dropped a few bucks to the low $20 range, but this still isn’t a good buy for rum. Unless you must experience the Cajun heritage represented by this rum, I would totally pass on this one.