Rhumfest 2026, a vintage year!

25 April 2026 | Discover
Rhumfest 2026, a vintage year!

The highly anticipated Rhumfest 2026 was held on April 18, 19 and 20. While visitors noticed a slightly lower number of exhibitors compared with the previous year, everyone also agreed that the show took place in a great atmosphere, with high-quality masterclasses, a VIP area and, above all, some wonderful rum surprises. For our part, we were proud, once again, to run the shop at this Rhumfest!

Alexandre’s Paris Rhum Fest

Although we were kept busy with the pop-up shop — which deserves a mention — this edition was also one of collective achievement. This year, we pushed our limits, served more visitors in a shorter amount of time, and improved our organisation to an unprecedented level. This would not have been possible without a year of preparation and without the people who support us every year at the show. We would like to extend our warmest thanks to them here.

On the tasting side, it was hard not to praise the On Ti Dousè range. At the innovation counter, Steeve and Vincent presented part of its collection, showing a fine mastery of balance. A special mention goes to the pistachio cream and, above all, the Maracudja punch, probably one of the most indulgent and appealing creations tasted during this Rhum Fest.

Another pleasant surprise was the arrival of Ron Tepuy, produced by Destilerías Unidas S.A., the house behind Diplomático, which was absent from this year’s show. The range is built around two particularly coherent expressions. Destino, aged for up to 8 years in bourbon casks before being finished in Amontillado sherry casks, reveals a warm profile of cocoa, toasted oak and sweet spices. Monumento takes the exercise further with 12 years of ageing and maturation enriched by three types of sherry casks, offering greater depth, structure and richness. Two references to recommend without hesitation to fans of Diplomático, Barlovento or Botran.

It was also impossible not to mention Rosemont and the creations of our Canadian cousins. Baba au Rhum and Tio Méo were there and proved a real hit with the public. A distinctive, playful yet serious proposition, which we hope to see enriched with new releases at the next edition.

HSE Brume Dorée - Chêne américain
HSE Brume Dorée - Chêne américain
Sodade Canne rouge
Sodade Canne rouge
Rhum Père Labat - Canne bleue
Rhum Père Labat - Canne bleue

And then there was Ferrer. If you follow Excellence Rhum on social media, you will already know my enthusiasm for their Trinidad TDL 16-year-old, a cuvée that is probably still out of stock as you read these lines — but should be back. Once again, its success was confirmed at the show shop. But Ferrer did not stop there. The house was also presenting a remarkable cognac from Prunier, a 1979 vintage batch of rare exoticism. Passion fruit, aromatic tension, masterful length: a bottle whose price is demanding, admittedly, but fully justified by the age and quality of the spirit.

The VIP counter proved particularly generous this year, in a comfortable space animated by knowledgeable enthusiasts. The quality of the cuvées on offer deserves praise, including the Confluences de Trois Rivières blend, the 1979 Saint James vintage, and Alfred of Isautier. Tastings that remind us just how much Rhum Fest can still offer rare moments.

Beyond the cuvées tasted, many of which were worthy of grand cru status, this 2026 edition lived up to its reputation. Perhaps it was even more serene, more qualitative, and more focused on substance. We hope it will convince some of the absent houses to return in 2027, in light of the particularly glowing feedback that exhibitors and visitors alike are likely to continue sharing in the months ahead.

Florents’s Paris Rhum Fest

Another year bringing together enthusiasts and aficionados. In an economic context where every area of the spirits world is under pressure, a breath of fresh air blows through this edition, where quality has not declined — quite the opposite, I would say.

To awaken the palate, we headed to Père Labat with a lovely Canne Bleue, offering clean, direct flavours with a fruity and vegetal sweetness. A fine edition that will appeal both to fans of neat tasting and to lovers of excellent ti-punches.

In Martinique, a favourite was the Brumes Dorées in French oak casks from HSE, vintage 2014. The brand continues to explore ageing methods and barrel toasting techniques to place wood at the heart of the profile. The result is a rum of exceptional intensity for 10 years of ageing, with a barrage of spices and cooked white fruits.

On the independent side, congratulations to the Famille Ricci, which continues to reinvent itself and offers two references at very accessible prices, under €49, with the Belize-Nicaragua blends “Dulce” and “Festin”, playing with Galion and Jamaican rum to bring a very fruity energy! Elsewhere, for Domaine Ricci, there was a discovery with Domaine Baptiste, made with molasses distilled in France and aged for 7 years, delivering a unique profile that is at once rich, almost smoky, with notes evoking mirabelle plum.

There is also Ferrer, a brand-new house in its first year, arriving with selections from Nicaragua, Thailand, Jamaica and a truly exceptional Trinidad 2009, which drew a great deal of attention at the show. Lovers of dark fruits, lychee and mentholated finishes, do not miss this reference! This new house also stands out with equally exceptional cognacs. If there is one house everyone is watching closely, it is Swell de Spirit, which confirms the quality of its selections with rum presentations to keep an eye on for upcoming releases, notably a Jamaican rum at 69.5% in the Arcade range, with honeyed notes that completely make you forget an ABV that might otherwise seem intimidating! Mexican tequila and rum productions should also be watched closely, as they are offering increasingly exceptional selections.

Head to the VIP area, with sublime selections.

First of all, credit must go to Saint James for offering the opportunity to taste exceptional vintages, inaccessible to the general public, regularly throughout Rhum Fest. This time, a 1979 vintage, at once full-bodied, coffee-driven and yet so smooth on the finish: a tribute to the past, demonstrating the genius of that era.

We also headed to Trois Rivières, with the “Confluences” blend of three vintages, 1977, 2000 and 2010. A rum of obvious nobility, with multiple spices, evoking on tasting a sweetness where candied notes and spices mingle, yet with plenty of freshness.

One bottle stood out with an edition based on the most sought-after fermentation and distillate format from Savanna: a HERR for the now-famous RumX platform. A superb tangy candy with aromas of exuberant varnish for lovers of high-ester rums. And finally, a favourite. In the Appleton Heart Collection, we had access to the rarest profile in the range, with a magnificent 1998 vintage. These rums stir emotion through their surprising aromatic breadth: dark at first, evoking tarmac — did someone say Caroni? — before opening up to tropical fruits. All of this with rare balance, making you want to return to it and reminding you why we remain so passionate.

Des nouveautés chez La Favorite
Des nouveautés chez La Favorite
La gamme étendue de Payet et Rivière
La gamme étendue de Payet et Rivière
Domaine Ricci - Distillerie Baptiste
Domaine Ricci - Distillerie Baptiste

Matthieu’s Paris Rhum Fest

It is always a pleasure to reunite with the rum family. For my part, I started with the La Favorite stand, which was presenting its latest releases. I especially remember the 2017 vintage, an eight-year-old cask strength rum delivering dry notes, scattered with fruit, as well as the Réserve du Château 2000 - 2010 - 2020, very fruity and supported by precious wood.

At La Martiniquaise, Père Labat pulled out all the stops! A special mention goes to Père Labat Vieux Sélection du Chai, with its notes of golden wood. I also enjoyed the new HSE Brume Dorée releases, one in American oak and the other in French oak. While the rum aged in French oak brings more fruit, I was more sensitive to the coppery nobility of the American oak. In any case, both are wonders.

We then headed to Réunion Island, where Rivière du Mât offered enthusiasts a real treat: a 27-year-old rum stored in a demijohn. This rum, as spicy as it is woody, truly leaves a lasting impression, but will only be available at the distillery. Payet & Rivière is expanding its range, much to our delight. For my part, I especially remember the Plein Champs cuvée, a pure cane juice rum fermented for seven days and distilled in a pot still. Its power and notes of yellow fruits are a real treat.

A visit to the Sodade stand reaffirmed my interest in this brand. These are original grogues. We particularly remember Sodade Excepção, aged in a Caroni cask...

We also enjoyed the rums from Domaine Ricci, from the Baptiste distillery and from the Galion distillery. These two productions are truly well crafted. We would also add the Quintessence 2025 cuvée, as well as the Rhumfest cuvée, an excellent Hampden.

Finally, La Compagnie des Indes presented its Boulet de Canon No. 15, marked by coffee. It is highly effective.

Written by the
Excellence Rhum team