Never mind that it’s only three years old. This is one of the most fascinating artisanal rums I’ve come across in the past year, precisely because it’s so young (more on that below). When you dig into the backstory and specifics of Distillerie de Port-au-Prince, it’s clear that these people are on a mission and they have a vision. They’re one of the newest and smallest distilleries in the Caribbean, hence the age of this current release, but based on the juice in the bottle, you need to be paying attention to them. This is hand-made stuff from start to finish, from the prized Cristalline cane grown and hand-cut on Michel Sajous’ farm to the gentle, double distillation on a Müller pot still. The result is one of most refined, precise and complex young rums on the market. The polished, inviting aromatic profile is loaded with a gentle tropical fruit core, blood orange, pineapple, and cream soda. In no time, waves of sugar cookie, brown sugar, toasted spices, almonds, tamarind, sandalwood, and root beer all make an appearance. The palate is every bit as refined as the nose with bright, vivid, ripe tropical fruits and pure white floral essence backed by its exquisite, medium-weight texture. A little air and now you have burnt sugar and singed underbrush carrying through a long, lifted finish of cream-sicle, Orange Julius, just a touch of barrel spice, and slow, warming heat. The only way to explain how great this is for a 3 Year Old is the unbelievable quality of the distillate. Apply top notch cooperage and a tropical climate, and you have a perfect recipe for a truly outstanding young rum. If the 3 Year Old is this good, I can’t wait to see what the future holds as the distillery’s stocks mature.
94 points, Andrew Kitz, B-21 Spirits Buyer (Mar 2026)
The 2020 Haitian Pure Single Rum, made from organically grown sugar cane, is a very pretty, delicate spirit. Floral and light in body, with terrific persistence, the 2020 is an absolute delight. Pear, apricot and spice inflections round things out nicely. Aging in cask imparts quite bit of texture and nuance.
93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Jun 2026)
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