I’m allowed to host the cruise, so I smuggle as much fine rum with me as I can jam into my  bags, maybe a couple dozen bottles or so.  And save a little space for chocolates!  We were tasting delicious cocktails, sipping exotic rums, and almost a dozen different chocolates ranging from creamy 52% cocoa up to dark 90% cocoa, pairing the dark candy with rums during tasting sessions. Rum and the sweets flowed freely and often, with chocolates sourced from the local Grenada Chocolate Factory and Ghirardelli in San Francisco, plus Belgium, Switzerland, etc. 

The rum came from far and wide – the Caribbean, Central America, South America and Europe.  But the rum is secondary to a fun filled island hopping cruise through the last unspoiled parts of the Eastern Caribbean.  Home berthed in Port Louis, Grenada, “the Portofino of the Caribbean”, S/V Diamant is an immaculate 101-foot schooner, with rich mahogany brightwork throughout, comfortable cabins, large private bathrooms (heads) and showers, air conditioning, and plenty of deck space for privacy or shared group activities.  Twelve passengers are well taken care of by an attentive crew of six, while the meals that come out of Philbert’s galley are a scrumptious mix of local island fare and regular favorites.  You couldn’t ask for a better sailing itinerary, a prettier ship, nor a more accommodating crew.

Each night before sunset we served a new rum cocktail, and audience participation is welcomed.  Bring your favorite recipe and have a go at playing bartender.  Of course I have a decent repertoire too; you won’t go thirsty.  Particular rums were chosen for their individual flavors to make cocktails. There’s too many to list ‘em all, but a sample of rum drinks served this year include Painkiller, Bajan Breeze (made with Cockspur Fine rum), Golden Sunset, various Rum Punches, Daiquiri’s made with fresh Mango and Banana, Andalusian Mules and more.  Special aged rum tastings are reserved for after dinner. 

Introduction to Rum Tasting #1 was held in the ship’s saloon while anchored in blissful Chatham Bay, Union Island.  Passengers were guided through the magic that barrel aging performs on fine rum.  We started by sipping Abuelo Añejo (five years old), moved up to Abuelo 7 year old, then onto Abuelo’s 12 year old rum.  The passengers earned their Bachelor’s Degrees in Rum that night, as the differences in flavor and aroma became quite apparent to all.  Later we introduced a little different style of aging, as passengers sampled Botran Solera 1893, aged in used bourbon oak, sherry and port barrels.  Again, the aromas and flavors were amazing and eye-opening.  The final rum offered in Rum 101 was Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva - always a crowd pleaser.  Not surprisingly, each passenger discovered their own personal favorite and explained why they liked one rum over another. 

A couple of days later found us anchored for lunch at Mustique, home to the rich and famous.  Had our passengers seen estate owners Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Claudia Schiffer or members of the Royal Family while on a guided tour of the island, they could have given an impressive rum lesson themselves.  Alas, no stars were visible by day.  Instead, we retired to the world famous Basil’s Bar to sample delicious ginger cocktails.

Rum Tasting 201 held on the fantail while anchored off Canouan introduced passengers to the different styles of rum, focusing on Agricole/French style, Light/Spanish style, and Heavy/English style. J. Bally’s Pyramide (Martinique) started us off with a wonderful presentation. It’s unique bottle enticed passengers to explore the exquisite rhum agricole inside,  From there we explored Cockspur 12 (Barbados) and El Dorado 15 (Guyana), the heavier style rums with some pot still content adding hearty flavors.  Dos Maderas 5+3 and P.X. 5+5 showed what magic happens when Bajan and Guyanese rums are shipped to Spain for a second maturation in used Sherry barrels.  Passengers earned their Master’s Degree in Rum tasting that night.  All aboard learned the difference in styles and flavors.  My work was done- almost.

The Tobago Cays allowed us to snorkel with hawksbill turtles, before sailed to Mayreau, where big fortunes were made (ha!) at the Crab Races on Diamant’s foredeck.  Winners and losers alike celebrated with an RnD-guided “Cultural Tour” to the top of beautiful little Mayreau, stopping at local rum shops for refreshments and singing karaoke to Bob Marley songs with the locals.  In the end, we had all won big, still singing at the top of our lungs during the brief ride back to the ship later that evening.

Then it was time to sample our blending handiwork.  Early in the week we made our own spiced rum by adding vanilla, clove, fresh ground nutmeg, cinnamon bark, etc. to some already flavorful rum,  Allowing the rum to macerate with spices for a few days, we compared our chemistry experiment with local spiced rums.  Of course ours was judged superior, and we enjoyed seeing how spices add flavor to rum as the cruise progressed.

Rum cruising with Island Windjammers is an adventure and a  ton of fun.  Several passengers reserved a cabin for next year’s rum cruise before they even disembarked from Diamant.  Please consider joining the fantastic crew of S/V Diamant on the next rum cruise from December 14-20, 2012.  We’ll sail out of Grenada and head North, island hopping to a different slice of paradise every day.  See the details here: Island Windjammers Caribbean Cruise Specials