Cheramie Rum – A Porchjam Distillery Visit

I’m going to link to a couple of other great resources on Cheramie here from the American Rum Report and The Rum Cast:

https://www.americanrumreport.com/blog/cheramie-rum-porchjam-distillery

https://www.rumcast.com/episodes/cheramie-rum-jason-zeno

Nestled in an industrial-looking section of Mid-City, New Orleans, lies a distillery producing some of the most exciting rum in the United States. However, don’t expect a tasting room or gift shop when visiting Porchjam, the facility where Cheramie Rum is made. We arrived with the following instructions:

In case you get to the nondescript warehouse and we don’t hear the bell or knocking, head to the door under the billboard—I’ll be looking out for ya.”

True to that description, Porchjam is an unassuming warehouse. If not for the now-defunct silos labeled Porchjam, you’d never guess it was there. But enough about appearances—let’s get to the good stuff.

Our tour was led by Jason Zeno, Director of Operations. Zeno joined Porchjam after a stint at Beam Suntory in Kentucky, bringing with him a Bachelor of Applied Science in Fermentation from Oregon State University and a Master’s in Brewing and Distillation from Heriot-Watt.

He’s supported by Davey Cheramie (no relation) and Matthew Dumas on the distilling side, while Joshua Goldstein, Cameron Benson, and Shave Vitrano handle marketing, sales, and revenue. It’s a small team, but from what we observed, they are deeply connected to their city and integrate that local spirit into everything they do.

The Rum-Making Process

To make rum, you need a base material—either molasses or fresh-pressed sugarcane juice. Being in Louisiana, Cheramie has access to freshly pressed cane juice from one of the state’s 11 sugar mills. However, unlike molasses, cane juice is tricky to transport.

The harvest season in Louisiana lasts about three months, during which Cheramie sources roughly 36,000 gallons of juice from a mill two hours away. If left untreated, the juice would start fermenting with ambient yeast from the air, cane, or transport truck, introducing unpredictable flavors.

Zeno, a self-described man of science, values consistency. To ensure repeatability, they add a controlled yeast slurry to the juice in transit, effectively starting fermentation in a predictable way.

Fermentation & Distillation

Once the juice arrives, fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. Through extensive experimentation—testing combinations of hot and slow, cold and fast, and cold and slow fermentations—Cheramie landed on a hot and fast method, completing fermentation in just 36 hours.

For distillation, Cheramie uses a combination of pot stills and small columns. Though they have a large column still, it’s not currently in use for rum production.

The Rums of Cheramie

Cheramie produces three distinct rums, all beginning with the same fermentation and distillation process:

• Blanc: The flagship offering, distilled once through the pot still and then run through a short column with a dephlegmator.
• New Make: Made the same way as Blanc but without the dephlegmator, resulting in a more robust, rougher spirit intended for aging.
• Queen’s Share: Created by collecting and redistilling the tails from Blanc and New Make, primarily for aging (though some unaged releases are planned).

Aging & Barrel Program

On the other side of the warehouse, stacks of aging Cheramie rum rest in various casks. Ex-bourbon barrels (American oak) are the primary aging vessels, and thanks to Zeno’s connections at Beam Suntory, they source high-quality barrels from brands like Old Grand-Dad, Knob Creek, and even Booker’s.

However, Zeno dreams of aging rum in large French oak vats, using a semi-solera system where liquid would travel between vats before bottling. In New Orleans’ hot and humid climate, he believes four years is the sweet spot—long enough to develop complexity while still preserving the essence of fresh cane.

We were treated to an unexpected highlight: Zeno cracked open one of Cheramie’s oldest barrels, a four-year-old Queen’s Share aged in an Old Grand-Dad cask. My past experiences with young cane juice rums have been hit or miss, but this was phenomenal. I didn’t take my usual detailed tasting notes, but it struck a perfect balance—still showcasing the cane while allowing the oak to introduce beautiful fruit notes.

Next, we sampled a two-year-old cask, bursting with bright lemon and tropical fruit. Totally different from the four-year but unmistakably Cheramie. A third cask followed, reinforcing what was becoming clear—Cheramie is producing some of the most fascinating and delicious rums in the United States.

After the warehouse tasting, we moved to the conference room to explore Cheramie’s rum reference library.

Beyond making great rum, what stood out most was Cheramie’s commitment to its community. This is not a corporate giant; it’s a team of passionate locals crafting rum for their city. That night, they hosted a Daiquiri-making competition at Dovetail (add it to your must-visit list), with the winner receiving a one-of-a-kind blend of four-year Queen’s Share and an experimental unaged rum.

Cheramie Blanc is widely used in New Orleans bars—it’s affordably priced yet packed with flavor, making it a favorite among bartenders. They also work closely with Turning Tables NOLA https://www.turningtablesnola.org/, a nonprofit supporting the Black and Brown hospitality community. In 2019, they collaborated on a limited-release 50% ABV Blanc rum, but their partnership extends beyond that—Zeno emphasized the importance of supporting his city’s service industry.

Final Thoughts

Cheramie is led by great people making great rum, and they deserve our support. Whether you’re a casual drinker or a die-hard rum fan, this is a distillery to watch. If you ever find yourself in New Orleans, seek out Cheramie Rum—you won’t regret it. If you don’t make it to New Orleans, ask your independent bottlers and local liquor store to bring in Cheramie.

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