Rum blogger Jan Ohrt tastes the current flagship from Ron Sostenible - Blog post

Rum blog January 2025 Post by Jan Ohrt

Ron Sostenible is full of the taste of a clear conscience and is thoroughly sustainably produced down to the smallest detail. But can it do more than that?

One of the newer stars in the Danish rum sky is called A Clean Spirit, with the experienced Bintu Singh among others at the helm. In 2008 Bintu was one of the founders of another Funen-based spirits importer. He sold his stake in 2017 to pursue his vision of thoroughly sustainable rum in every aspect, from production to social responsibility. In 2020 he was ready to start the Odense-based company A Clean Spirit together with a couple of trusted fellow travellers, and the results can already be enjoyed all over Denmark and in several places in Europe. Beyond his considerable knowledge of rum, Bintu has 15 years behind him in the shipping trade, and that comes in handy when launching an ambitious project like this.
After the barrels were unloaded in the Netherlands and sent to Germany for bottling, the first shipment of exclusive rum from the Dominican Republic hit Amaliekajen aboard the good ship Tres Hombres, a splendid schooner from 1943 whose only propulsion is its 19 sails, handled expertly by a crew of 15 souls. Listen to our podcast here:

There is a diesel generator on board, though it is only used in emergencies. Otherwise the batteries, primarily for navigation power, are charged by small wind turbines and solar panels. Crossing the Atlantic this way, particularly into a headwind, can be a challenge, and this first voyage with rum for A Clean Spirit was indeed delayed by illness on board plus an unplanned provisioning stop in the Azores. But she and the precious drops arrived safely, and I have had the pleasure of tasting one of the later releases, namely Ron Sostenible 16 years La Isabela Vintage Collection 2008.

The Isabela distillery has had a somewhat turbulent existence. The original one was forcibly closed by the Dominican government because the amount of angels' share was a touch too excessive for their liking. A little too much was probably sold out the back door, off the books. It has now been bought by competent, knowledgeable hands and works excellently today with thorough sustainability across everything from rum production to bottles and labelling, and they look after both the workers and the local community very well. The distillery's environmental footprint is non-existent, and even the transport to Europe happens without fossil fuels apart from a small diesel generator supplying the necessary power to the ship.

A Clean Spirit has been allowed to buy from the old stock, and that has so far resulted in seven titles under the name Ron Sostenible, all of which contain some of the best the island can conjure up.

16 Year Old, La Isabela Vintage Collection 2008, 70 cl. 49%
The first thing to hit your nose is a pleasant aroma of old bourbon casks, cane sugar, tropical fruit, a little black pepper and a hint of funky esters. The palate is inviting, rich and wonderfully nuanced with mainly ripe plum, cane sugar and vanilla to the fore, and you can clearly taste what the tropical maturation has developed and done to coax out a well-made bouquet of lively, deep notes. It keeps developing in the glass and the finish is long and good, very comfortably carried by the relatively high ABV.

The answer to my question from the headline has to be a resounding yes. This rum is not only about sustainability but can easily stand on its own as a product of skilled, good craft. I am strongly tempted to dive into the six other titles in the range. But first I have to go and get hold of a whole bottle of this little 16 year old gem. The very modest 4 cl sample bottle has proved completely inadequate.

Relaterede produkter

Ron Sostenible 15 years old La Isabella Vintage Collection 2008 Dominican Republic Rum 70 cl 46%

EUR 87,00

Ron Sostenible 8 years Triple Cask The Conscious Choice Dominican Republic Rum 70 cl 43%

Ron Sostenible 8 years old Triple Cask The Conscious Choice Dominican Republic Rum 70 cl 43%

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Ron Sostenible Dark Rum 8 year old Dominican Republic Rum A Clean Spirit 40%

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Ron Sostenible White Rum Dominican Republic Blanco Rum A Clean Spirit

Ron Sostenible Dark Rum 8 year old Dominican Republic Rum A Clean Spirit 40%

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