About Rum Social Club
Rum Social Club is a smart hub for rum lovers who want to expand and share their knowledge around the world of rum.
Our thirst for knowledge drives us to constantly seek new information, taste new kinds of rums and new brands to share engaging content.
Whether you want to find out more about your favourite bottle, find suggestions on new rums to try, or even learn about the astonishing history of this incredible spirit, Rum Social Club is a great platform to learn from and engage with other rum enthusiasts.
Rum Social Club is run by 3 friends based in the US and the UK who wanted to both learn and share more about their shared passion for rum.
A note on scoring
All our reviews feature an overall Rum Social Club score. Although we follow a standardised tasting process for all our reviews to be as fair and objective as possible, these are always going to be somewhat subjective, and therefore shouldn’t be taken too literally. This is why we want to encourage all our visitors to go beyond the scores and read our reviews, as they provide a lot more context, details, and might help you get a much better sense of where the reviewed rums might fit in your own rum experiences.
Given the vibrancy of the rum world, it’s also worth noting that we feel that we’re still discovering and stumbling across new rum profiles, new distilleries and new bottlers constantly, and trying to sample new rums all the time. We think this allows us to expand our horizons, and have a broader taste and framework, which in turn should mean we’re constantly becoming more objective when reviewing a new rum. This also means that, from time to time, we might go back to early reviews and re-adjust scores that, with the benefit of hindsight and added experiences, we feel needed to be revised.
The Team
Amine B.
Co-founder
My name is Amine. I’m 35 and currently performing my postdoctoral training in the field of cancer research at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, US since 2014. I was born in Algeria before moving in France at the age of 5 thus having a French education.
I had the pleasure to meet Olivier Raynaut in 2015. After couple of rum tastings at home, Olivier explained me that another friend of him also named Olivier is another rum passionate who I should absolutely know. The three of us finally met and from that common emulation for rum, we finally decided to get lost into this precious journey about the universe of rum.
My fantastic curiosity for rum began when, as a teenager, I humbly tasted my first aged rum that a friend of mine brought me from his exotic trip in a French Caribbean Island called Martinique. At this time, finding such aged rums in the French metropole was a quest! Right away, I felt intrigued by such voluptuousness, flavors, aromas, body and smoothness.
Aside this passion for rum, I try to let some room for various arts like music, capoeira, sports (surfing, snowboarding) and travels.
Olivier R.
Co-founder
My name is Olivier and I was born in Monaco in 1984. I then grew up in Switzerland for 8 years of my life before moving back to the south of France where I met Olivier S at the age of 10. He is one of my oldest and best friend to this day. In 2006, I went to Edinburgh, Scotland where I spent 3 years and graduated with a Master’s degree in computer science. It is where I first ever showed an interest in the complexity of aged noble spirits (i.e. whisky which holds an important part in the culture and identity of Scotland). I came back to France with this amazing experience and… my wife.
In 2015, we moved to the US in Boston where I started working as a tech sales in a software company. I have always enjoyed tasting and trying to understand the magic of combining subtle aromas and flavors in either wine, whisky, cognac… But my passion for rum really began when I first met Amine in Boston. He was so passionate while talking about rum that I caught the virus too. I found a real friend with whom I am now not only sharing this passion for rum but also a common thrill for snowboarding, traveling, and playing music together.
Olivier S.
Co-founder
My name is Olivier (how original!), I’m in my thirties and I’m a project manager in a Communications Agency in London, UK. I grew up in the South of France, but have been based in London since 2009, after a stint in Paris.
I’ve known Olivier for more than 20 years, who introduced me to Amine a few years ago, and this project is born from our shared passion for rum.
At first purely associated with parties, friends and Cuba Libre, rum has since grown on me – learning more about it and progressively refining my palate. I now enjoy neat aged rums more than any other spirits, especially after a nice meal with friends.
When not sampling new rums, I can be found taking pictures (of buildings mostly), in museum and art galleries, or simply at the pub. Oh, and I hate being on pictures!
Dan S.
Content contributor
My name is Dan, and I was born and raised just north of Boston, MA. I started diving deep into rum in 2014. The more I learned, the more enthralled I became with the subject. In particular, I am fascinated by the variety of rum being produced, the differences between various styles, and, most importantly, the places and people that produce such a beautiful spirit.
I first met Olivier Raynaut in 2019 at an event in downtown Boston, MA, where we chatted briefly over a shared passion in rum. In 2020, the Boston Rum Social Club had its first meeting, where Olivier and I continued our prior conversation and shared passion about rum. We have continued to share our passion for rum ever since. I soon realized that Olivier was part of something bigger, with Amine and Olivier, called the Rum Social Club, and they accepted my request to join the group.
Aside from this passion for rum, I love to travel, cook, and am a deeply knowledgeable cocktail enthusiast. I am extremely passionate about music, and you can find me with headphones in my ears most of the time. I also love sports, working out, playing guitar, and am an avid concert-goer.
Madi C.
Content contributor
My name is Madi, and I'm a 33-year-old French biologist conducting cancer research at the Harvard School of Public Health. I was born and raised in Rennes, in French Brittany, and spent most of my twenties in Montpellier, where I completed my Master's degree and Ph.D. In 2020, in the middle of a pandemic (I can't recall its name), my wife, our daughter, and I relocated to Boston.
Shortly after our arrival, I had the pleasure of meeting Olivier and Amine through the French community and mutual friends. It was at this moment that my rum journey began—almost like falling into a rabbit hole. Prior to that, my experience with sugar cane spirits was limited to irresponsible binge drinking with Cuba Libre, often featuring a rum bottle with a pirate on it. However, witnessing the fervent enthusiasm and passion of these two individuals when talking about rum infected me with the same fervor. Ever since that encounter, my passion for rum has grown exponentially.
I thoroughly enjoy tasting the enchanting flavors and aromas of new rums, particularly when I uncover the craftsmanship and narrative behind each bottle. I also take pleasure in concocting cocktails!
Apart from my love for rum, I am a foody who relishes preparing meals for my family and friends. I find great joy in playing chess (especially with a good rum by my side), watching and playing basketball, and watching movies as a devoted cinephile.
To me, paradise is an endless dining table where I am surrounded by all the people I love. This table is adorned with food from around the world, and now it also features a delightful assortment of rums.
