Rum connoisseur interview of the week: Benoit Bail – Founder of the “Confrerie du Rhum” and RumGazzette

Benoit Bail’s first contact with a distillery goes back to 2008, in Cap Vert, on the island of Santo Antão. He became a rum enthusiast since and traveled to the french Caribbean several times after this to explore and learn more about it, until he founded his own fruit flavored rum brand in Luxembourg, in 2013. Next to this, he also founded the facebook group “La Confrérie du Rhum”, which became the biggest rum forum on the internet a couple of years later with 21.000 members. His rums quickly sold out of Luxembourg and became famous in France and Belgium and he continued to learn about his passion by reading and meeting important people of the industry.

Today, Benoit is still the founder and administrator of the “Confrérie du Rhum”, he takes part as a jury member at a lot of rum competitions all around the world, hosts conferences, meetings and tastings on international level and founded the first french and English information website about rum called “RumGazette” in June 2016.

2) What made you fall in love with rum and when did it happen?

It was back in 2008 when I discovered rum for the first time in Cap Vert, at a little plantation distillery where they’re still using a bull to make the mill work and everything’s done by hand. They call rum « grog » over there and it was just fascinating to me. The smell and taste of this sugarcane distillate were a sort of revelation to me.

3) The biggest achievement you personally feel you have accomplished for the rum industry.

I’m not sure I’ve achieved that much yet, even if some people would probably tell otherwise. I’m the kind of person that is never satisfied and always looks for more. So yes, I’ve created a massive Facebook group, launched a website and maybe united more Agricole brands on a tour than ever done before, but it’s definitely not that big in my opinion and there’s a lot more to be done.

Rum is fun. That’s a fact and also the reason we probably all want to continue in this industry because even if we fight or have arguments with other, we’re a big family and we share the same passion what makes it rum fun!

5) Favorite Rum Drink?

To be honest, I’m not a cocktail person. I prefer to drink my rums neat, but if I’d have to do one, it would be a Ti-Punch. Only the zest of a lime, a half teaspoon of brown sugar and white Agricole rum. That is sunshine in a glass to me. What else?

6) Where do you see the rum industry today and in the next 5 years?

7) Share some (2-3) of your mentors and how they have helped you.

8) What 3-5 things do you have on your bucket list for the next 12 months?

9) Any last words?