Habitación Renegado

Renegade Rum is one of the most ambitious and terroir-driven projects in the world of rum, based on the Caribbean island of Grenada. Founded by Mark Reynier, best known for reviving Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay and launching Waterford Distillery in Ireland, Renegade takes a radical approach to rum production, applying the same principles of provenance, transparency, and agricultural precision that are more commonly seen in fine wine and single malt whisky.

The project began in 2015 with the goal of showcasing how terroir, the combination of soil, climate, and location, influences the flavour of rum. To achieve this, Renegade Rum works with freshly harvested sugarcane grown on carefully mapped plots across Grenada. Each plot, or “terroir,” is cultivated, harvested, and distilled separately, allowing the character of different soil types and microclimates to be expressed in the final spirit.

Unlike most Caribbean rums, which are often made from molasses, Renegade uses only fresh sugarcane juice, pressed within hours of cutting. This approach, similar to that of agricole rum from Martinique, captures vibrant, grassy, and aromatic qualities that reflect the living plant. The cane varieties are also chosen for flavour rather than yield, including rare and heritage cultivars.

Fermentation is long and carefully controlled, using temperature management to preserve delicate aromas. Distillation takes place in both copper pot stills and a custom-built column still, allowing for flexibility in style. The pot stills emphasise texture and depth, while the column stills produce a cleaner, more precise spirit.

Renegade’s production is divided into Pre-Cask and Cask editions:
• Pre-Cask bottlings are unaged white rums that allow the pure cane character and terroir expression to shine without influence from oak. These are vivid, aromatic spirits that are excellent for sipping neat, mixing in cocktails, or pairing with food.
• Cask editions are aged in a combination of American oak, French oak, and other carefully selected casks. The goal is not to mask the terroir but to enhance and integrate it, resulting in rums with added layers of vanilla, spice, and texture.

Transparency is central to the Renegade philosophy. Each bottle comes with detailed production information, including cane variety, field location, soil type, harvest date, fermentation length, still type, and cask regime, often accompanied by a digital “cane code” that links to full production records online. This level of detail is unprecedented in rum and places Renegade alongside the most open and traceable spirits producers in the world.

Flavour profiles vary from terroir to terroir. Coastal plots might produce rums with briny minerality and herbal freshness, while inland volcanic soils yield richer, more tropical fruit-driven spirits. Cask-aged versions balance these distinctive base flavours with the sweetness of oak, subtle spice, and a rounded mouthfeel.

Our Renegade Rum selection features both unaged Pre-Cask bottlings, perfect for experiencing the distillery’s terroir-led approach in its purest form, and aged Cask editions that layer complexity onto the fresh cane character. Whether you’re a rum enthusiast or a whisky drinker curious about terroir in a new context, Renegade Rum offers an unparalleled, transparent journey from Grenadian field to glass.