Rum comes in a variety of styles. The styles range from light
rums that are fairly sweet, retaining much of the flavor of cane
sugar, to dark, intensely oak flavored rums that resemble cognac
or whisky in flavors. Some rums are spiced and many are loaded
with artificial ingredients designed to make them look dark and
more appealing to us. Bardenay Rum (our first product) is a light
rum. It is made from cane brown sugar which is the ideal source
for making a clean, smooth rum. As a light rum it is best enjoyed
as a mixer rather than a sipper.

A little American Rum History (Honest!)

Rum has played a very important role in American history. Cane
sugar, from which rum was made, was brought from the Caribbean
to our eastern seaboard in sailing vessels. This cargo was then
exchanged for rum which they exported to Europe. All of the rum
produced was not sent overseas, in fact, rum was the most popular
spirit until domestic whiskey replaced it in the 1800’s.

During colonial times and following the revolution, rum was
commonly produced in public houses which served it. These|
establishments were referred to as ‘ordinaries’ and only
‘ordinaries’ could serve spirits by the drink. It was in these ‘ordinaries’
that town meetings and political gatherings of the day were held. In
spite of this political connection ‘ordinaries’ were eventually
regulated out of business in order to protect the tax revenue
generated from the federal excise tax on the rum they produced.
Unscrupulous owners would not accurately report production
versus sales in order to minimize taxes.

When we applied to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms
for our permit to operate, we managed to convince them that we
could separate our operations enough to insure that this revenue
to the United States treasury could be protected. The result is that
Bardenay is the first distillery ever permitted by the BATF that would
have been considered an ordinary.