Can rum match the world's top single malts? Renegade Rum, located in northeastern Grenada, a Caribbean volcanic island, believes it can. Using terroir, a French concept of soil, climate, and place, the distillery makes its spirit from pure sugar cane.
Renegade Rum differs from others. Most rums come from molasses, a sugar byproduct. Renegade uses fresh sugar cane juice. In 2015, they started CaneCo to revive sugar cane farming in Grenada. They work with different farms on the island, each adding its own taste due to various terroirs.
The distillery is not just a production site. It's eco-friendly too. The company uses new ways to make things, creates power from leftover cane, and helps mangroves with wastewater.
Mark Reynier, the project leader, has a broad background in wine and spirits. He has worked with Bruichladdich whisky in Islay and Waterford Distillery in Ireland. Now, he brings his knowledge to rum, making a unique blend.
Renegade focuses on precision and freshness. After harvesting, sugar canes from different soils are quickly taken to the distillery. They are milled, fermented in special 'wine racks', and distilled in pot or batch column stills made by Fortsyths of Scotland. They age in American and French oak barrels, some even in Grenada, with the island's salty winds.
The brand values 'provenance', showing the origin of each rum. Their CaneCode gives details about each rum's origin. They use both individual terroirs and the cuvée concept, mixing different cane distillates for complex rum.
Devon, the Distillery Manager, has a wide range of flavours to work with. He makes cuvées that are a mix of different terrains and tastes. These can be from a single farm or the whole island, aiming for complex and representative rum of Grenada.
Renegade Rum is more than a spirit. It embodies Grenada's essence, expert knowledge, and pure ingredients. It challenges the usual view of rum. With careful making, eco-friendly practices, and terroir focus, Renegade Rum seeks to match the world's best single malts.