Underrated?
Perhaps not much rated at all. The St. Lucia operation is really not all that special. Their main still was a modest, all copper, classic (two-retort) still, with a copper tube condenser. Old but serviceable, and no different than say the Jamaican classics of the same age and quite common. Later they added a small two column still (probably a Coffey patent type) not necessarily for rum alone, but to allow production of other spirits (eg vodka). Last is a lovely newish Vendome copper pot. No one really knows the master distiller, and any reputation is yet to be really earned beyond the usual romance of a small Caribbean island rum distiller.
. . . . . . .
...(the old, small, well-used classic rum still)
The good news is that whatever is distilled here is either a batch or Coffey product. But as far as underrated? I'm not aware that their rums have much of a special reputation at all, though one must always respect any pot stilled product. It's my impression that the idea of being underrated may be more related to the very limited availabilty of their products (most of which are destined for local consumption). Truth be told, until about 2008 the largest selling rum in St. Lucia was Barbadian. In my opinion, they have yet to develop an identity or specialty.
