Barbados has long had the reputation of having the best terroir for sugarcane cultivation, long before Saint Philip had the imaginative idea to press sugarcane to produce Very Superior Old (V.S.O.) Rum. Barbados has produced rum since 1703, reigning superior in the Colonial U.S.A., with 140 distilleries and exportations of 3.78 million gallons of rum. It was in 1806 that the first ‘Old Fashioned’ cocktail recipe appeared in the Colonial Paper, calling for ‘spirits of any kind’. It’s safe to assume that rum was the spirit used in the recipe at the time.
Saint Philip Plantation is considered one of the best sugarcane plantations on the island of Barbados. We made the necessary investments and transformed one of the island's most prestigious sugarcane plantations into a producer of world-class rum.
Our idea is to press this estate-grown quality sugarcane to extract aromatic and flavorful sugarcane juice to distill pure rum. Inspired by the enjoyment of great brandies while studying in his early years in Paris, our Master Blender mimicked the distillers of the great Armagnac’s of South Western France to perfect his method of rum production known today as V.S.O. Rum.
SAINT PHILIP
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Discover the roots and the complex
flavors that define our rum V.S.O.
Every great story begins with a time and a place. For Saint Philip Rum that time and place is the Caribbean Island of Barbados where rum production began in 1703.
Rum, originally called “Kill-Devil” by the Barbadians who first distilled it, is truly a product of the island. The abundance of molasses combined with the culinary ingenuity of early settlers, and of course their legendary thirst for alcohol, led to this unique discovery in the production of spirits.
Barbados is an island of warm friendly people, exciting culture and in the interest of making rum, is rich in natural resources. Originally discovered by the Portuguese, “Barbados” which means bearded ones, was the name given to the island to describe the lush, “bearded” trees that grew in excess. Later settlers to the island found the rich soil and favorable wet season ideal for growing sugar cane.
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SAINT-PHILIP
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Saint Philip is a parish of Barbados at the easternmost end of the island. Saint Philip has the largest land area of the 11 parishes of Barbados and has a relatively flat 'close to sea-level' terrain. It has the largest area of crop cultivation making it locally considered "the country". Saint Philip does not have a 'true' city as some other parishes, but rather 'areas' and 'villages'.
Six Cross Roads is the largest area by both commercial and residential population and is the central hub for the parish. Though there are a few areas in Barbados known as 'Four Cross Roads' there is only one area known as 'Six Cross Roads'. This parish is home to the only 'dependency' of Barbados called Culpepper Island. This tiny rock in the ocean is used as a feeding ground for sheep but cannot be reached unless by boat or by foot at low tide. The parish of Saint Philip is the main on-shore area of Barbados involved in the local oil industry.
Saint Philip Rum is the product of over 300 years of Bajan knowledge, experience and refinement applied to the process of making rum. Each of our rum’s complex flavors has been coaxed from natural Barbadian ingredients and the input of many generations of master blenders, distillers and the evolving palates of rum shop patrons.
WATER
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The island of Barbados is formed of coral limestone, a porous stone which acts as a natural filter for the groundwater deep beneath the island. This water is subsequently filtered three more times, resulting in some of the purest water available.
SUGARCANE MOLASSES
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Barbadian sugar is among the finest in the world, yielding exceptional molasses. In the 18th century, Barbadian molasses had come to be called “Black Gold” because of the additional revenue it provided after the process of refining crystalized sugar from sugar cane.
FERMENTATION
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The art of fermentation truly begins when molasses and coral-filtered water are combined with a proprietary strain of yeast, selected exclusively for Saint Philip Rum. Since opening the doors of the first still house, this process has been conducted in the open air of Barbados.
DISTILLATION
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The distinct bold character of Saint Philip Rum has been developed in traditional double copper pot stills. The innovative distillation technique used in 1703, is still practiced in Barbados today.
MATURING
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In tropical Caribbean climates, the process of ageing is unpredictable. One single year could mature a rum as much as three years or as few as six months. For Saint Philip, the focus is on maturation over ageing. Today, Saint Philip Rums are matured in charred white oak barrels, which previously held American whiskey.
BLENDING
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Blending has become a true craft. It is this alchemical merging of controlled practices and skilled intuition that has guided our master blenders for years. An individual batch of Saint Philip Rum contains dozens of different distillates, single and double.
RUM
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Saint Philip’s roots can be traced back to the processing of Barbadian sugarcane over three hundred years ago. Through centuries of experimentations, the blending of single and double distillates has become an art form for Saint Philip Rum® — passed down from generations of master blenders to successors.
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