Puncheon rum
A high-proof Trinidadian rum named after its storage casks.
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In Trinidad and Tobago, a high-proof heavy rum called Puncheon rum is produced, and it is locally nicknamed "firewater".[1][2] The beverage's designation originates from the large wooden containers, termed puncheons, that held the rum.[1] Forres Park, Caroni, and Stallion are three local brands that bottle this rum at an alcohol content of 75% by volume.[3]
Key facts and history
The Fernandes family acquired the Forres Park estate in Trinidad in the early 1930s and set up a distillery there.[4] They initially distilled rum to sell as Vat-19, a gold rum, while making extra rum for themselves and their estate workers.[4] Demand for this rum expanded beyond the original estate, leading to its production for a broader audience.[4][5] A negative reputation developed for this rum because it was linked to "baa-johns," hooligans who drank it to prove their bravery.[6]
What the cited sources add
The Angostura product page states that Forres Park Puncheon was developed exclusively for the Fernandes family and their estate workers.[5] It adds that the rum's popularity spread without any branding or marketing, and today it is Trinidad's favourite overproof rum.[5] The Fernandes Vat 19 page confirms that the family sold the company to Angostura in 1973.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Puncheon rum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Angostura "Forres Park" Puncheon Rum; Hilton & Hall, "FOR SALE", August 20, 1823 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Puncheon rum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Rum Journal: In Trinidad and Tobago, the Art of the Rum Shop", Caribbean Journal, April 4, 2015 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Puncheon rum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gray, "A Comprehensive Study of Bush Rum in Trinidad & Tobago", Aware Publications, 1988, p. 68 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Puncheon rum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Angostura "Forres Park" Puncheon Rum; Bennett, "Puncheon Rum: It's Not Just for Baa-Johns Anymore", Uncommon Caribbean (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Angostura "Forres Park" Puncheon Rum. facts only, no text reused. angostura.com
- Wikipedia, "Puncheon rum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bennett, "Puncheon Rum: It's Not Just for Baa-Johns Anymore", Uncommon Caribbean; "FERNANDES VAT 19 RUM" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "FERNANDES VAT 19 RUM". facts only, no text reused. angostura.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Puncheon rum (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Trinidad and Tobago cuisine
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Puncheon rum (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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