Koloa Rum

Brand facts:

Country: USA
Founded year:
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History in the Making! For the first time in history, Rum is being distilled (legally) on our island.

Kōloa Rum Company proudly uses pure Kaua`i-grown raw crystal sugar from the west side’s Gay and Robinson’s last harvest which was the last Plantation on Kaua`i. Unlike molasses that has been heated, cooked and processed in the course of making sugar, our raw crystal sugar contains naturally high concentrations of sucrose and molasses.

Raw crystal sugar is easily handled and stored, stable and provides for efficient fermentation. Pure mountain rainwater from Mt. Wai`ale`ale and the nearby mountain peaks and rainforests is captured and slowly filtered through layers of volcanic strata before finally reaching vast underground aquifers.

Kaua’i water imparts its own unique taste and “mouth feel” that perfectly complements our Rum.
It All Started Here! Rum and sugar are bound together in Hawaii’s history. In 1778 Kaua`i was the first Hawaiian landfall for Captain Cook whose ship carried barrels of rum for his sailor’s daily ration of grog. The first successful sugar plantation in Hawaii was established near Kōloa Town in 1835, where the original stone chimney from the Kōloa Mill can still be seen today.

Kaua`i’s Very Own! On April 1, 2009, Kōloa Rum Corporation was issued the first and only license to distill alcohol on the island of Kaua`i. On September 4, 2009, the second license to distill alcohol was issued to the Kōloa Rum Tasting Room at the Historic Kilohana Plantation.
Kōloa Rum Tasting Room & Company Store

Hawaii’s first and only Rum Tasting Room is located on the grounds of historic Kilohana Plantation in Puhi. This venue serves as the focal point for contact and information for our customers and provides us with the opportunity to promote the historical aspect of Rum and sugarcane in Hawaii in an authentic setting.
Please note that Kaua`i County’s liquor regulations currently allow tastings of just 1 ounce of Rum per person, per day.

We Are Up and Rumming! Our primary Distillery is located within the Hawaiian Fruit Specialties complex on Kaumuali`i Highway in Kalaheo, home of the Hawaiian Kukui Brand portfolio of products, first created in 1931. Our 1210-gallon vintage Copper Pot Still was manufactured in Pennsylvania shortly after World War II and was last used to make Bourbon and other distilled spirit products in Kentucky.

It, and other fermentation and distillation equipment, traveled to the West Coast by train, where it was then loaded onto a ship for the final journey to Kalaheo. Our hand-hammered copper pot still incorporates a copper column with seven (7) individual plates.

These plates cause the rising alcohol vapor to “reflux”, or become more concentrated, as the vapor rises through the column. After passing through the 7th plate, the alcohol vapor enters the condensation chamber (condenser) where it is cooled and condensed into liquid form.

This process yields a high-proof Rum that is clean and smooth and without many of the undesirable flavor characteristics commonly found in Rum of a lesser quality.