I've had some fantastic Queens Park Swizzles made with Lost Spirits, but the straight forward interpretation of their rums eludes me. Since this stuff isn't particularly easy to find, despite its growing popularity, I'm feeling the need to buy a bottle.

Polynesian-Inspired Rum
When I first heard of Lost Spirits some months ago, my first thought was "wtf is Polynesian-inspired rum? Sounds like a coverup for 'this is crappy alcohol.' " Naturally I was wrong about that initial and inexperienced hunch. Anyway when I think of rum/Polynesian its Caribbean, be it Puerto Rican or Virgin Islands, etc. Is this just a basic rum that is otherwise mixable?

Navy Style Rum
The only comparable label I can think of Pusser's Navy Rum. Sorta lost as to what else to make of this.

Cuban-Inspired Rum (151)
So what about this overproof rum is Cuban-inspired? What qualities does it have that defines "Cuban?" We don't have Havana Club around LA and I've never had anything other than Havana Club 15 Year Old (which is fantastic) so I'm unfamiliar with the qualities say vs Jamaican.

I'd appreciate anybody's point of view on this label. I get its value but wouldn't really know how to best use it.

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[ Edited by: kkocka 2018-01-29 12:00 ]

I haven't had the Lost Spirits products so I can only comment on the broader rum style questions. I am dying to get my hands on some of the Lost Spirits offerings because it sounds like they are the mad scientists of rum playing around with nitrogen deprivation in the fermentation to produce more ester funkiness, using copper pot stills, etc.

I think Polynesian Inspired rum is more of a marketing gimmick, but if the intent is to produce a flavorful rum that will shine in classic faux Polynesian cocktails then I can live with it. There are some rums like Banks 5 Island that takes the Polynesian inspiration to the next level by actually including some Batavia Arrack in the product. OK, it's Indonesian and not Polynesian, but for us American landlubbers it's all out there in the exotic Pacific somewhere.

Navy Style Rum is, traditionally, the same as London dockside rum. Bulk rum from one or more tropical Caribbean sources (usually including potstill Jamaican and Demerara) is barrel-aged in cool-temperate dockside facilities (think London). It is traditionally also bottled "at proof", so at least 100 proof and higher.

Cuban style rum is the same as Spanish style rum and it's basically the style produced in most Spanish speaking Caribbean nations. It is usually column distilled and the flavor profile is on the dry side with little or no estery funkiness like you get in the potstill Jamaican rums.

I couldn't even guess as to what "Polynesian-inspired" rum is supposed to be, other than an attempt to be similar to rums made in Hawaii. But Lost Spirits is phasing it out so maybe they didn't even know for sure.

Their Navy rum is obviously an attempt to be similiar to Pusser's .

Cuban inspired rum -- a dry rum similiar presumably to Havana Club, but also Matusalem, Bacardi, etc.

"I am Lono!" -- Hunter S. Thompson

[ Edited by: arriano 2014-10-14 09:09 ]

I went to the cigar and rum paring for Lost Spirits at Tiki Oasis. Sadly it was on a Sunday at noon after many days of drinking rum, so I barely made it. The last thing I wanted to do that day was drink rum and smoke cigars. Live and learn and no more symposiums for me on a Sunday :wink:

I liked the Cuban the best of the three, although I couldn't tell you why it was "Cuban." Didn't taste like Havana Club to me and I have never had a Cuban 151. It was strong and flavorful though, with hints of sweet.

I found a couple bottles of the overproof Navy rum, but I haven't had too much of a chance to use it. I did make painkillers with it. I would compare the flavor more like Smith & Cross than Pussers. Had more of a strong flavor as opposed to the smoother Pussers. Made for a great Painkiller though, just the first couple sips you notice the difference.

The Polynesian rum was a good rum, sad to hear that they are going to phase it out. Easily drinkable neat and has a light, sweet flavor to it. Not too strong on the molasses and goes down smooth. Not sure what they were trying to emulate, my guess would be a good mixing rum for tropical drinks.

The labels on the bottles were all really nice looking and it was obvious that a lot of time went into these and a talented artist helped the labels along. The guys from Lost Spirits were great and I like the fact that they are supporting the tiki crowd. I am excited to see where they go from here. I wish I could find bottles in my area, I could give you a better description if I had them on hand.

I have also been curious about Lost Spirits rum!

I saw these Mountain Of Crushed Ice reviews:

Polynesian Style

Navy Style

Cuban Inspired 151

Tiare reviews all rum quite positively (or she is getting a lot if quality spirits her way!)

None of the reviews provide a 'use this rum in place of Demerara / Jamaican / Spanish rums in tiki drinks' type opinion but it's probable that the 'Navy Style' is like Demerara (or a Pussers blend) & 'Cuban Inspired 151' is like a Spanish style overproof.

The 'Polynesian Style' is probably the most curious!?!

Lost Spirits also has a "Colonial American Inspired Rum".

On 2014-10-16 19:34, DarthMalaguti wrote:
Lost Spirits also has a "Colonial American Inspired Rum".

Here is a review on that rum...
http://www.cocktailwonk.com/2014/10/colonial-inspired-rum-next-level-of-rum.html

Only 225 bottles at a $100 per price tag. Let me know if any of you get to try it!

They are phasing out the polynesian? Damn... I really like that one. It is very similar to the rum I have been trying to make. It has that fruity, buttery quality that I like in rum so much. Wonderful sipping rum and good in cocktails. Looks like I am going to have to see if I can get a case.

The Navy was the first one I had. Really good and almost black without added coloring. Strong sherry quality like a Macallan scotch and heavy molasses, but not as much molasses as Cruzan Black Strap. I tried it in a Mai Tai through and it just took over.

The Cuban is also great. 151 with a metallic copper quality.

The American Colonial is new and I have not tried it yet. I am looking forward to getting my hands on that.

How would you rank the Cuban 151 over the common Bacardi 151, Cruzan 151, and El Dorado 151?

I have yet to try the ED 151, but the Lost Spirits is far superior to Bacardi and Cruzan. Not even in the same category, makes them look like pond water.

It seems like every rum tasting I've been to recently has had a bottle from Lost Spirits, some including a run-down by Bryan Davis himself!

The guys that run the distillery are chemical engineers who do this as a side project, and are working back to front. They understand enough of the process to start with what type of rum they want, and then create it through science. The original plan for their Navy rum was to create the rum they thought the characters in Pirates of the Caribbean were drinking. They wanted a rum that was dark and smoky with hints of gunpowder. I believe they did a great job of recreating it, and if you ever get the chance to have a Navy Grog using Lost Spirit's Navy Rum, jump at it!

Recently, I've heard that the polynesian rum will stay around. I asked him directly at a tasting why should we get excited about something that's just being produced in limited batches, and he said they were planning on keeping them around for a while.

The Cuban is a potent piece, and I have a hard time drinking it straight (although I keep trying). If you have run out of Lemon Hart, this should be your first choice.

I do like the Polynesian style, and it has a sweetness that think I can taste, but honestly, if I were in a blind taste test of all the lost spirits rums, i may only be able to tell them apart based on the proof, if at all.

This is an interesting brand, and if your local tiki bar is doing something interesting with them, then definitely check it out.

On 2014-10-18 22:52, KrakenHunterSteve wrote:
The Cuban is a potent piece, and I have a hard time drinking it straight (although I keep trying). If you have run out of Lemon Hart, this should be your first choice.

See, and this was a recent interest of mine. I actually found a place near my work that carries both proofs of their Navy Rum, but sadly not the Cuban 151. I don't think it would be a replacement for Lemon Hart 151 (I mean we all know it isn't but that's not the point) but I'm curious as to what a side-by-side taste comparison in a drink would taste like. My own personal plan is to try Gosling's 151 as a substitute.

Anyway, its interesting that you mention the opposite of what people are saying about their Polynesian-Inspired Rum. I guess time will tell. And that American-Colonial stuff is supposed to be a limited run (I think)and is like $100 a crack. For that price I'd probably aim for some Havana Club 15 instead.

Well, i have reviewed all their rums as it was said in the earlier post and i can assure you all that every word i have said in those reviews are my honest opinion on these rums and let me tell you, i`m totally hooked on their rums! why? it´s simple - they got flavor and they got punch! and i like full flavored strong rums! and they do oh so well in all kinds of tiki drinks and tropical libations. But also in classic and modern cocktails of course.

I havent written anything in terms of "this rum does best in" etc and i guess thats simply because i have used them all in tiki drinks and daiquiris. The 151 Cuban for example makes a fabulous and strong daiquiri.

Personally i find the 151 Cuban to be very easy to sip...and that makes it a dangerous rum...i would suggest use 1 oz of it and 1 oz of another in a daiquiri for example :) and yeah occasionally go all 151 in a daiquiri bec they really gets good...

I have just recently tried the new Colonial style and it too blew me away with it´s full flavor and espresso coffee notes and i`m working on a review of it now. The sad thing is that that rum was in a very small batch, only 225 bottles exclusively for Bounty Hunter. So that one is hard to get unf.

I`m gonna show this thread to Bryan so he can chime in here himself and explain his rums!

Hey Guys,

I want to pass along a BIG thank you for this thread existing (and a big thanks to Tiare for all the love)!

To chime in and offer my own answer (which is actually a lot less important than yours). Most rum companies have been around for a long time. They don't inherently create new products. They continue to make what they have always made and what their customers expect from them. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact when you have 100 employees to feed it's essential to your survival and your community.

However, as a tiny new company (three people total) we have no such history. This freedom allows us to be super creative. Our engineering capability also lets us (to some extent) make what we can dream up. In fact we actually make the labels before we design the rum that goes in the bottle.

Short Summaries:

Navy Rum:
This was inspired by watching pirates of the Caribbean over and over again while asking ourselves the question: what would that rum in the movie taste like if it were a real thing. We engineered this one to have a significant wood smoke note to evoke the cannon fire and gun smoke with a tar esque quality reminiscent of wooden ships. Sort of an islay whiskey meets rum idea while still staying pretty close to classic navy rum.

Geeky summary: Phenolic & estery navy rum with the biggest semi-volatile (finish) profile in the industry - woot woot

Polynesian Rum:
Here we asked the question, if tiki was an actual place what would the rum taste like? We tried to make the chemical profile of the rum as close to that of a pineapple as possible. Tricky because we make rum not pineapples so it kept wanting to taste like rum not a pineapple.

Geeky summary: Heavy pot still rum with a big mid palette of carboxylic esters (fruity flavors) and minimal phenolic & semi-volatile influence. Designed to float on tiki drinks.

Cuban Inspired:
Here my dad was reminiscing about how good rum was when he was young (he is very old). So we wondered what the legendary cuban rum of 100 years ago was like. Since I don't own any of that - I just let my imagination go. The idea here was to do a high rectification (read Spanish style rum) but in a pot still like they would have a LONG time ago. Then we designed the oak component to punch up the vanilla and accentuate the butterscotch notes of the white rum.

Geeky summary: Lighter base rum with a massive vanilla profile created from careful phenol management in the oak.

Colonial:
This one was a personal challenge. The commissioning party wanted a rum that could command the high price tag. For me this was the hardest project to date, because it meant it had to stand against my favorite rums (which are old).

So for this one I actually used a prototype of a set of new techniques that I have been working on in the shop for a long time. I actually had to file patents before I could sell the bottles or give the buyers samples. It was very kind of them to put that kind of faith in me.

Think of this one as a sneak preview of whats to come.

Geeky summary: Holy &@%t

I hope that adds to the conversation in some way. Thanks again for caring guys!!! WE LOVE YOU TIKI CENTRAL

Thanks Bryan, it's great to have someone from the company set us straight. Sounds like you have great products and a fun job. I'm jealous, of course.

Now that's what I call an answer to the question! :wink: Let's pin this badboy!

There`s another thing i forgot to add in my previous message about the Lost Spirits Distillery, i said i like the rums...but i also like the people who make them because they are real...and very loving and fun folks! :)

Lost Spirits has arrived in San Diego!!!

Keg & Bottle on El Cajon Blvd and College has 5 different flavors. Please go buy some so that they will continue to stock it!

I found some other great rums there too, so look at the "what is your latest rum purchase" thread later tonight when I get off work.

Bryan, I tried to have them order me a bottle of the Colonial, so PLEASE sell them a bottle for me. Thanks!!

On 2014-12-04 14:51, lunavideogames wrote:

Bryan, I tried to have them order me a bottle of the Colonial, so PLEASE sell them a bottle for me. Thanks!!

Thanks so much for the support Lunavideogames!!!! Were so excited to see our wares show up in San Diego! Thank you for helping make that a reality.

Sadly I can't sell them a colonial. The colonial was the first successful experiment in a long running science project. We're in the process of implementing all sorts of new creations based on what we learned from that project. But initially only one batch worked and Bounty Hunter Rare Wines bought all of it.

Sorry to sound like a doting father but I LOVE that bottling. You can get it here: http://www.bountyhunterwine.com/product.asp?ic=1SLSDNVRU3BH

Thanks again for the support!!!!
-Bryan

Bryan, who does the design for your rum labels? They're fantastic.

On 2014-12-22 15:21, kkocka wrote:
Bryan, who does the design for your rum labels? They're fantastic.

Thanks Kkocka! I do them in my spare time. I actually have an art degree that I never get to use. : )

Thanks anyway Bryan. Hopefully next time I can grab a limited run. Happy Holidays!

Here's an interesting article that hints at the processes used by Lost Spirits Distillery...

Any opinions?

On 2015-04-03 23:32, AdOrAdam wrote:
Here's an interesting article that hints at the processes used by Lost Spirits Distillery...

Any opinions?

Sounds extremely interesting. I would love to taste some of the rum aged with that process. And I'm glad his is being done by someone who is making delicious, great rums. I'm sure a lot of people are going to poo-poo the process without even trying it. Some blinded taste tests may be in order...

I finally got my hands on the Navy Style rum (yea!). After a few sips to get a feel for it, I made a Black Magic style (i.e., coffee flavored) drink with it. While I enjoyed it, it didn't totally play nicely with some of the other ingredients (coffee, lime, passion fruit, etc). And I kept thinking, "this somehow reminds me of smoked meat... Why?!?" Well, Bryan's description of wanting to give it a smokey wood and gunpowder flavor definitely answers that. My taste buds weren't lying to me. I am scratching my head though trying to figure out exactly what to do with this rum. Thinking a Navy Grog would be the obvious. Any other ideas? It's got a great flavor, but the uniqueness of it and its high ABV make it a little finicky to mix with (at least to me).

You could always throw it in a Painkiller or mix it in with some other rums in a Mai Tai to give it a kick - maybe float it. Kevin Upthegrove has covered Polynesian and Cuban rums from them, though I don't think he's done anything w/the Navy.

Yeah, I love it in a Painkiller!

On 2014-10-19 01:37, kkocka wrote:

On 2014-10-18 22:52, KrakenHunterSteve wrote:
The Cuban is a potent piece, and I have a hard time drinking it straight (although I keep trying). If you have run out of Lemon Hart, this should be your first choice.

See, and this was a recent interest of mine. I actually found a place near my work that carries both proofs of their Navy Rum, but sadly not the Cuban 151. I don't think it would be a replacement for Lemon Hart 151 (I mean we all know it isn't but that's not the point) but I'm curious as to what a side-by-side taste comparison in a drink would taste like. My own personal plan is to try Gosling's 151 as a substitute.

Anyway, its interesting that you mention the opposite of what people are saying about their Polynesian-Inspired Rum. I guess time will tell. And that American-Colonial stuff is supposed to be a limited run (I think)and is like $100 a crack. For that price I'd probably aim for some Havana Club 15 instead.

If you are searching a substitute for LH151 in the Lost Spirits range of rums I think that you could find more similarities about the profile of flavor in the Navy style (it's "only" 63%) than in the Cuban 151...in spite of they are very different than other overproof rums that I tasted.

Obviously the Cuban 151 it in another level than the ED151, Cruzan 151 or Bacardi 151 (with a lot of difference).

If you are searching a good replacement for LH151 try the Ed Hamilton Demerara 151, I never tasted it (because is impossible to find in Europe...maybe in a next US travel!) but the people talks me very good about it!!! But if you are searching a great overproof rums for tiki drinks LS are your sure choice!!! I'm anxious about the new launches that Bryan and Joanne are preparing to surprise us!!!

On 2015-08-05 18:47, kkocka wrote:
You could always throw it in a Painkiller or mix it in with some other rums in a Mai Tai to give it a kick - maybe float it. Kevin Upthegrove has covered Polynesian and Cuban rums from them, though I don't think he's done anything w/the Navy.

I found the Navy the hardest to mix but you may want to give this thing a try that I was working on when I had Tiki Oasis on my mind (side note: when episode 45 of my show goes live Thursday 8/13 it'll have 2 TIki Oasis 15 themed cocktails). Anyway, this is a Corn 'n Oil variant using the Lost Spirits Navy. Tweak the lime and sugar amounts to taste.

Lost in Spirits
2 oz Lost Spirits Navy rum (I happened to be using the 57 when working on the recipe)
1/2 oz falernum
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup

Build over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Stir until frosty. Sip.

As mentioned in episode 44, it's worth noting that Lost Spirits is working on new rums that should be available soon, and they continue to work on their aging technology. As such they have no remaining inventory of their Navy, Polynesian, or Cuban Inspired 151 rums. So if you enjoy any of these 3 Lost Spirits rums and see them in the wild, you'll want to pick them up.

kevin

(edit to add a photo as I was inspired to mix one tonight)

--
if it's not a little complicated, it's probably not worth it.
5 Minutes of Rum
http://twitter.com/heylownine

[ Edited by: heylownine 2015-08-07 22:10 ]

Does anyone know if they've stopped production on the rums completely or are they just on hiatus? I haven't seem to be able to get a definitive answer. Any info would be great, mahalo in advance

On 2016-02-04 16:41, VinylGeek wrote:
Does anyone know if they've stopped production on the rums completely or are they just on hiatus? I haven't seem to be able to get a definitive answer. Any info would be great, mahalo in advance

Apparently their technology is being used by a new company to make a rum called "Santeria">

http://www.amountainofcrushedice.com/?p=22524

From the myriad articles I've read, it seems that their approach is more project than production. I wish I had sussed that out earlier...like, before the holidays when I could still find the bottles at a local.

From what I have heard is that all of their rums are out of production. I do not think that they are making rum currently. They always seemed to favor whiskeys in my opinion. Rum seemed more like a test market.

Hopechest, keep looking. I found a bottle recently and drank the rest from a bar that had a bottle. They are out there but you might just have to spend some time searching.

I am going to boycott any rum named after a sublime song... :(

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2016-02-05 10:29 ]

On 2016-02-05 10:29, lunavideogames wrote:

I am going to boycott any rum named after a sublime song... :(

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2016-02-05 10:29 ]

believe me when I say that they got something for your punk-aiss!!