The Renaissance of Sugarcane Juice Rums in Puerto Rico

In the last few years, we have witnessed a renaissance of rums made of sugarcane juice in the Caribbean. Nowadays, although most rum is made of molasses, a byproduct of the sugar refinery process, it seems that rum makers have returned to spirits’ sugarcane roots—a rum made 100% from farm to bottle.

San Juan Artisan Distillers is the only contemporary brand in Puerto Rico that focuses on producing rum from fresh sugarcane juice. Although the island is widely recognized as a rum producer, local rums are mostly molasses-based spirits. Here is when San Juan Artisan appears on the scene, introducing a pioneering approach to rum distilling.

San Juan Artisan Distillers, the First Agricole Rum Distillery in Puerto Rico

The distillery, established in 2011 by Don Pepe Alvarez, is the only operating sugarcane plantation and Estate Rum Distillery in Puerto Rico, which has managed to make its way among rum giants, launching Ron Pepón—the first and sole local “Ron Agricola”—and Tresclavos, made with locally sourced fruits. Ron Pepón Blanco, a rum distilled from estate sugar cane juice, is bottled at 90 proof. It won The Fifty Best Gold Medal 2021 as “The Best White Rum.”

Don Pepe began his research on rum production about 15 years ago. This was during the Great Recession in the late 2000s, when all businesses had to reinvent themselves. He traveled to the French Antilles islands where he was inspired by the Rhum Agricole model, so he decided to develop those methods in Puerto Rico.

The production of sugarcane juice rums at San Juan Artisan Distillers starts in the fields where they plant, harvest, and maintain their sugarcane. Then, the milling process takes place to extract the juice from the harvest. Next, during the fermentation, yeast transforms the natural sugars into alcohol, followed by distillation, where the alcohol from the fermented juice is extracted. Finally, rum is bottled. In the production of certain expressions, they incorporate the aging process.

Explaining the above, among the key components of San Juan Distillers are its modern infrastructure, equipment, and human resources. No doubt that they all make everything possible in the distillery; however, it is during the fermentation process that the magic happens. The yeast does all the hard work, and choosing the right strains and environment are crucial for the right aromas and mouthfeel of your finished product. In the same way, the quality of the juice and the maintenance of the tanks and pipes are important to avoid contamination. 

An Artisanal, Handcrafted, Estate Premium Distilled Rum

Now, let’s talk about the distinctive features of this Puerto Rican Agricole rum. The heirloom variety sugarcane used in the sugar industry for over a century—before collapsing—is what defines the Puerto Rican “Ron Agricola.” Likewise, the unique terroir and climate give the expression exceptional organoleptic characteristics. For instance, the distillery’s flagship Ron Pepón Blanco is like a subtle combination of Jamaican and Martinique rums, where the unmistakable Agricole notes meet the banana and funk.

Besides those notes, on the nose, you will find vegetal, and mineral notes mingling with pineapple and cereal notes. On the Palate, you get bold Agricole notes with fresh tropical fruits. Moreover, some earthy and wood notes are present. The finish is peppery and rich, fruity with some caramel notes.

Jose Roberto Alvarez Jr., Pepe Alvarez’s son and Head Distiller, explains the main advantages of making rum with sugarcane juice, especially when they are the only producers in this niche. 

“There are many advantages, but I’ll go more in-depth on the environmental advantages. The vinasse, the leftover from the distillation process, is a problem for many distilleries, especially when you make rum from molasses. It is very difficult to dispose of molasses vinasse, and when not done responsibly or in a timely manner, it can create environmental problems. It is very costly to manage and dispose of appropriately, and the energy consumed is not efficient.”

Furthermore, he argues that molasses is becoming harder to source for various reasons. One of them is that sugar producers are increasingly extracting more and more from sugarcane juice while reducing the quality of the byproduct. “Some prominent distilleries, like Barceló, are switching from molasses to sugarcane juice for the same reasons. In the environmentally conscious present and future, these issues will carry more weight.”

Nevertheless, making Agricole rum also has some challenges. For example, the management of the farms. In Puerto Rico, as opposed to other rum-producing countries, agricultural labor is difficult to source and very expensive. In fact, Puerto Rico is not an agricultural island; consequently, it imports almost everything and manufactures the rest.

Factors such as Hurricane Maria, earthquakes, and the pandemic have not helped in this area either. “Puerto Rico is very pro-welfare and suffers from high unemployment; this does not incentivize agriculture. We have a core of three agricultural employees who make things happen with what is available.”

“Sugarcane juice rums are in a sweet spot and can be what ignites rum interest worldwide”

On this matter, the future of sugarcane juice rums is promising. In Alvarez Jr.’s words, pressure on molasses rums is increasing, as well as the volumes of Agricole rum producers on the general market. In addition, infused rums have a lot of potential for their versatility and as an entry-level for potential rum connoisseurs. 

“Rum has a lot of potential for the future, and we hope both our brands, our infused rums, Tresclavos, and our Ron Agricola, Ron Pepón, can ride both of these trends […]. I think that overall rum production and demand will increase, but sugarcane juice rums are in a sweet spot and can be what ignites rum interest worldwide.”

Currently, many molasses-based rum producers are experimenting with sugarcane juice, “one can see a combination of concern for molasses as a viability in the future and the general consumer interest in sugarcane juice rums as the reasons that are influencing these changes.”

San Juan Artisan Distillers is working on placing Agricole rum on the map once again, not only in the Caribbean but also in the mainland U.S. This is why the brand led by the Alvarez Family is working hard to produce Puerto Rican premium rums with the highest quality.