Review: Webb’s Grainworks Vaquero Rum

I’m normally suspicious of a white rum. Newer distilleries tend to gravitate towards this kind of thing because of how cheap and easy it is to make, along with the fact that there’s no maturation required before it can be sold. But the warm sunny climate of Southern California seems perfectly suited for a crisp and refreshing white rum, so I decided to check out this bottle of Vaquero Rum by Webb’s Grainworks — and (spoiler alert) I’m really happy I did.

History

Webb’s Grainworks, nestled in Aliso Viejo, California, is a testament to the fusion of tradition and innovation in the world of spirits and cuisine. Founded by Jeremy Webb, the establishment draws inspiration from his West Virginian roots and a profound appreciation for the Appalachian whiskey tradition. After immersing himself in Kentucky’s bourbon culture, Webb returned to California with a vision: to create a space where handcrafted spirits, artisanal beers, and globally inspired comfort food coexist harmoniously.

At its core, Webb’s Grainworks is a fully operational distillery and brewery, not merely a re-bottler. The facility boasts a custom-built 250-gallon copper Vendome hybrid pot still, producing a diverse range of spirits including vodka, gin, whiskey, bourbon, and rum. The brewing side offers over a dozen beer styles, ensuring that every palate is catered to. All products are distilled, brewed, and bottled on-site, emphasizing the establishment’s commitment to authenticity and craftsmanship.

The mission of Webb’s Grainworks is to craft exceptional spirits and beers while fostering a sense of community. To that end, the venue serves as a gathering place where patrons can enjoy meticulously crafted beverages alongside a menu that reflects global culinary influences. From house-made breads and smoked meats to hand-folded dumplings, the food offerings are designed to complement the extensive drink selection, creating a holistic dining experience.

Visually, the establishment is as distinctive as its offerings. The 21,000-square-foot space features a unique design element: a train caboose integrated into the building’s structure, nodding to the Prohibition era’s history of spirit transportation. The whole space is a blend of vintage pub furniture and modern neon signage creates an ambiance that is both nostalgic and contemporary.

Product

• Learn More: What Is Rum?

This rum is named after the steamship Vaquero, which operated as a cargo ship along the California coast in the late 1800s. Back in 1870, this ship was the first one to cross into a previously uncharted harbor between Los Angeles and San Diego, proclaiming it a “New Port” — and the name stuck, becoming what we today call Newport Bay.

While the rum is labeled as a “Californian Rum”, that appellation has no officially recognized definition and this is likely more correctly labeled as a “white rum”. The spirit starts as a batch of 100% blackstrap molasses (the thick, black, gooey residue left over from the sugar refining process), which has just enough sugar left to ferment — and as an added bonus all of the mucky bits typically result in some fantastic flavors in the finished product.

That molasses is added to water and fermented for a period of time before being distilled in the distillery’s hybrid still, which is a pot still that has a column attached to the top. This allows for small batch distillations but without the need for multiple distillation runs, which is handy.

After distillation this spirit is proofed down and bottled for sale.

Packaging

Generally speaking, this is a pretty standard design for a liquor bottle coming from a small and new facility. There’s a cylindrical body that flares from the base to the rounded shoulder, a medium length neck with a bulge in the middle and the bottle is capped off with a wood and synthetic stopper.

The label on the front of the bottle is nicely designed, large enough to get the point across but small enough to not be distracting. Along the top and bottom of the label are chevrons of metallic gold paint, with the brand name in black ink along the center. At the top of the label is the portrait of Samuel S. Dunnels, the captain of the Vaquero back in 1870 when it founded Newport, California.

It’s a good looking bottle — there’s nothing really remarkable or notable, but it’s not a bad design and I appreciate the historical references.

Neat

The spirit itself is crystal clear and inviting, and coming off that glass are aromas vanilla, raw sugar, and lemon zest. Citrus isn’t normally something I pick up from the aroma of a blackstrap molasses rum (typically, it’s more funky tropical fruits), but for a SoCal rum it almost seems like a fitting element, just like you’d find in a good tequila.

Taking a sip, the flavor of this rum is very much a case of “what you smell is what you get”. Up front, I’m getting strong flavors of marshmallow (or at least as strong as marshmallow can get), combined with some hints of vanilla. Typically, vanilla is something that comes out when spirits have been matured for a bit of time, but in this case I think we have the molasses to thank for that element. It gives this a pleasant brown sugar type of flavor. In the background is that hint of lemon that adds some brightness and color to the mix and might be the highlight of this flavor palate in my opinion.

On Ice

Ice has a tendency to shake things up, especially in an unaged spirit where most of the flavors come from the distillation process rather than any maturation or finishing process — and that’s no different here.

This has to be one of the more unique rums I’ve tried, namely because when tasted on the rocks this tastes exactly like a watered down lemon flavored San Pellegrino. It’s a remarkably bright and citrus-forward rum, which isn’t something you see every day. Once again, this fits perfectly with the SoCal vibe and I can absolutely see why this would be something the distillery would want to aim to produce. It also has me feeling very optimistic about cocktails.

Cocktail (Daquiri)

Basically, a daquiri is what happens when you add a splash of lime juice to some rum. In this case, that rum already has a healthy dose of lemon flavor to it, so what you get as a result is something that tastes very close to a can of Sprite — but without the fizz, and with some added alcohol.

There’s just no other way to describe this than refreshing and delicious. It’s crisp, clean, and a pleasure to drink on a warm sunny afternoon (especially looking out over the ocean and enjoying a plate of oysters).

Overall Rating

I’m always suspicious of a distillery that has an unaged rum on the menu, but this distillery took the time to make it the right way (from blackstrap molasses) and the end result is a flavor profile that is not only tasty, but suits the location of the distillery. I love the sweetness of the marshmallow and the vanilla, and the brightness that the lemon flavor adds to the mix.

The only thing holding me back from a perfect rating is the price — at $32 this is on the higher end of white rums that we’ve tried, and quite honestly there are others that compete very favorably at a lower price point. If this were closer to a $25 bottle, I think this would be a contender for a perfect rating.

All reviews are evaluated within the context of their specific spirit classification as specified above. Click here to check out similar spirits we have reviewed.

Overall Rating: 4/5
A bright and cheerful white rum that has a deliciously zesty streak of lemon in the flavor profile, which makes everything it touches just that much brighter and more enjoyable.