RumRum
Blackstrap Rum
Blackstrap molasses was historically the cheapest and most abundant molasses grade — the waste of the waste. Early Caribbean rum was predominantly made from blackstrap because it was what was available. As lighter molasses grades became associated with premium production, blackstrap moved to lower-quality and artisan extremes simultaneously.
Flavor Profile
Mineral-Saline prominent alongside Chocolate-Roast and Sweet-Caramel. Earth, molasses, dark minerals, roasted grain, espresso, dark dried fruit. Heavier and more complex base character than light molasses rum. The natural darkness comes from the raw material, not caramel addition.
Key Producers
US Virgin Islands
Cruzan Blackstrap
The most explicitly labeled blackstrap rum on the market
all marks) (Jamaica
Hampden Estate
Uses blackstrap and heavy molasses grades
No formal legal category. Denotes rum made from blackstrap molasses — the third-boil byproduct of sugar refining, darkest and most complex molasses grade. Some producers use the term on labeling as a production descriptor.