Kuleana Rum Works Hawaiian Agricole
Kuleana Rum Works Hawaiian Agricole is true cane-juice rum from Hawai'i — fresh-pressed juice of estate-grown heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane (kō), fermented and distilled in a handmade copper pot still, bottled unaged at 40% ABV in a 750mL bottle. Grassy, crisp, and herbaceous: green banana, lemongrass, Fuji apple, and starfruit. Named Best American White Rum 2024 by Wine Enthusiast. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof) — BTI lab-tested; confirm against bottle
- Size: 750mL
- Style: unaged (blanc) cane-juice agricole — estate Hawaiian kō sugarcane
- Origin: Kohala, Hawai'i — Kuleana Rum Works
- Production: hand-harvested cane, cold-pressed within hours, custom yeast, copper alembic to 60-74% ABV; no added sugar, color, or flavoring
- Awards: Best American White Rum 2024, Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Spirits
Less Than 5% of Rum Is Made This Way
Fewer than 5% of the world's rums are agricole-style — distilled from fresh cane juice rather than molasses. Kuleana grows some 40 native Hawaiian cane varieties on its Kohala farm, harvests by hand, cold-presses within hours, ferments with a custom yeast strain, and distills in a handmade copper alembic. Bottled unaged and additive-free, it is cane in its purest bottled form — and Beachbum Berry calls it "a pure, crisp, grassy and herbaceous sugar-cane rum… Highly recommended."
Tasting Notes
Official brand notes: green bananas, Fuji apple, cherries, Japanese plum, starfruit, lemongrass, and an "Everlasting Gobstopper" finish. Wine Enthusiast found an enticing grassy aroma with a lively palate of green banana and lemongrass and a lightly peppery, mentholated finish.
How to Enjoy
Neat and cool to taste the cane, or as the star of a ti' punch — the traditional agricole serve with lime and cane syrup. In cocktails it brings a grassy brightness that molasses white rums can't: try it in a daiquiri or a mojito.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is agricole rum?
Rum distilled from fresh-pressed sugarcane juice rather than molasses — grassier, more vegetal, and more expressive of the cane.
Is Kuleana Hawaiian Agricole aged?
No — it is bottled unaged (blanc) to preserve the fresh cane character.
What is the ABV of Kuleana Hawaiian Agricole?
40% ABV per Beverage Tasting Institute lab testing; one retailer claims 46%, so check the bottle.
Where is Kuleana rum made?
At the Kuleana Rum Works distillery in Kohala, Hawai'i, from estate-grown Hawaiian sugarcane.
For more from this Kohala distillery, browse Kuleana, and for the category see our rum selection. Order Kuleana Hawaiian Agricole online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.