WSWA Access Live: Campesino Rum and Bootlegger Hatton Smith, Tasting with Eve Bushman
Another spirit I discovered at the recent WSWA Access Live event was Campesino Rum, and its founder Hatton Smith. I only had a few moments with Hatton but in that time I easily picked up on his enthusiasm and dedication to crafting his spirits. I happily took a bottle of his Campesino Silver home for review.
Below are my tasting notes, and information I received from his media representative.
Campesino Silver Rum
EB: Having no added sugar, color, flavor or any additives at all I was very interested in how the rum would look and taste, so here goes:
The bottle is clear, with a white label that says it is a product of Trinidad and Nicaragua, there are details on “how it’s made”, the profile, tasting notes and origin of distillation.
The color reminded me of a pure, clean stream. The nose reminded me of a fruit-forward silver/Blanco tequila with notes of cream, citrus fruits, white pepper, a warm sandy beach, and pebbles washed over by ocean waves; the latter two notes due to a slight salinity to the spirit. And the flavor reminded me of a sweet tequila, also carrying over some of the nose – the cream and the citrus – onto the palate. If I were to taste this blind, you guessed it, I would’ve thought it was a very nice tequila. Other times when I have rum I’m noting the sugarcane it’s distilled from up front. Don’t mistake me, there is still a sweetness, but it is not the uppermost note in this rum. Instead, it’s the fruit, the spice and the long engaging finish. Maybe it’s because Hatton doesn’t add sugar. I think it’s a very nice rum for sipping.
About
Following years immersed in the jungles of Panama, Hatton Smith II created Campesino Rum to change the way people think about rum. Produced as an unadulterated straight rum, Campesino contains zero added sugars, colors, flavors or additives of any kind.
The portfolio includes Campesino Silver, a proprietary blend of rums from Trinidad and Nicaragua aged a minimum of two to five years before being charcoal-filtered, and Campesino 8-Year Aged Rum, fermented, distilled and aged in Panama. Both Campesino rums are distilled from molasses and sugarcane and aged entirely in barrels previously used to age bourbon. Through tropical aging and origin-driven terroir, Campesino achieves depth and natural sweetness without manipulation.
Hatton, whose firsthand experience distilling rum in Central America informs the brand’s commitment to authenticity and transparency, officially founded Campesino Rum on August 16, 2019, following years of bootlegging rum in Panama. Campesino Rum is part of the Tag Reserve Spirits portfolio.
Campesino Silver:
Aged 2–5 Years
Proof: 80 Proof (40% ABV)
Aging: Aged in ex-bourbon barrels at origin, before charcoal filtering
Origin: Proprietary blend of rums from Angostura Distillery in Trinidad and an undisclosed distillery in Nicaragua.
After aging and blending, the rum is passed through a charcoal filter that removes not only color but also impurities. MSRP: $24.99
Social media
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www.campesinorum.com
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Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email [email protected] to ask a question about wine or spirits. Follow on Instagram and Facebook.
