Puncheon rum

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Puncheon rum
Forres Park Puncheon.png
A bottle of Forres Park Puncheon rum
Type Distilled beverage
Origin Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean
Introduced1930s
Alcohol by volume 75%
ColorClear
Related products rum, overproof rum
Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1

Puncheon rum (or puncheon) is a high proof heavy-type rum produced in Trinidad and Tobago. The name 'Puncheon' is derived from the giant wooden casks, known as 'puncheons' in which the rum was stored. [1] Though puncheons have been used for centuries to store rum, [2] the first "Puncheon rum" of the style was manufactured in the early 1930s by the Fernandes family. Today, three local brands, Forres Park, [3] Caroni, and Stallion, produce Puncheon rum, bottled at 75% alcohol by volume. In Trinidad and Tobago, it is sometimes referred to as "firewater". [4]

History

Puncheon rum dates back to the early 1930s, when the Fernandes family acquired the Forres Park estate in Trinidad. The Fernandes family set up a distillery on the estate, and started distilling rum to sell as Vat-19, a gold rum. However, they also made additional rum for their own personal consumption, and for their estate workers. [1] The rum was stored in massive wooden barrels called puncheons. [5] However, the interest in this rum escaped the estate, and soon it was also produced for the market. It gained a stigma for being associated with hooligans, called "baa-johns", who regularly consumed it to demonstrate their toughness. [5] In 1973, Angostura bought the Forres Park rum company from the Fernandes family. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 Angostura "Forres Park" Puncheon Rum
  2. ↑ Hilton & Hall (August 20, 1823). "FOR SALE". Wiscasset, Maine. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  3. ↑ Gray, C.R. (1988). A Comprehensive Study of Bush Rum in Trinidad & Tobago. Aware Publications. p. 68. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Rum Journal: In Trinidad and Tobago, the Art of the Rum Shop". Caribbean Journal. April 4, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Bennett, Steve. "Puncheon Rum: It's Not Just for Baa-Johns Anymore". Uncommon Caribbean. Retrieved 2026-01-26.
  6. ↑ "FERNANDES VAT 19 RUM" . Retrieved 2026-01-26.
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