Tiki Tastings: St George California Agricole Rum

Rhum agricole is a distinctive style of rum that is made from pressed sugar cane juice, rather than from molasses. It is typically produced in the French Caribbean, but there is no reason that this style of rum cannot be produced elsewhere and St George California Agricole Rum is a perfect example of this. We were initially drawn to the rum because it proudly proclaimed that it was made in California from sugar cane grown in California. As residents of Los Angeles, it is not often that we get to say that a rum in our bar is truly made with locally grown ingredients. We are also big fans of other St George products and this was a new one for us when we found it in stock at a local liquor store.

The rum has a crazy, funky smell to it that evokes rotting fruit, wet earth and black truffles. And we mean that all in a good way. It is very intense and probably unlike anything else in your bar. It starts off bold and spicy, with a notes of raw pepper, olives and overripe bananas. The flavors are intense, but fortunately the rum is extremely smooth and that initial intensity mellows into a long grass and truffle finish. In fact, the finish is so long that you’ll be tasting that truffle for quite a while. The overall flavor profile is much wilder than some of our other agricoles and some of the stronger vegetal flavors that are in those rums are less noticeable in this one.

This truly is a fantastic and unique rum, but, in fairness to our readers, we feel that we should note that this may not be a rum for everyone. If you don’t love funk in your rum, you may feel that this is a bit… intense. In that case, you might want to start with milder agricoles and work your way up to this one, as it is worth acquiring a taste for. It can also be difficult to work with in drinks. Agricole rums typically have unique flavor profiles that should stand out in a cocktail – in fact, many cocktails that feature agricole rums are designed to let the rum be the star – but the St George is so potent that it is a bit of a challenge to get it to play nicely in some drinks. Not to worry, though. We are always coming up with new ways to use this rum. Try our Corpse Flower cocktail (inspired by a unique flower + a unique rum) for starters and keep an eye out for new drinks, too.

Rum Rating: 5/5

Rum Rating Scale:
0/5 – Is this even rum?
1/5 – Bad. Not worth buying and not worth drinking
2/5 – Not very good, but could be covered up with mixers.
3/5 – Good, versatile rum.
4/5 – Great rum, with complex flavors that is outstanding on its own or in cocktails.
5/5 – Amazing rum. Don’t even think about covering it up with mixers – unless they are also very high quality!