There are plenty of drinks authorities who think that rum is set for a place in the drinks spotlight. It has always been a favourite with bartenders because it mixes so well, but with many spirits drinkers turned off by the high price of single malt, there is a feeling that sipping and aged rums are ideally placed to take advantage of the desire for well made spirits with their own personality and with heritage and provenance. If there’s been a problem with the category it’s that the rules governing what is and isn’t rum are lax, and standards vary considerably across the sector. Rumbullion! Navy-Strength has no such worries. This version isn’t just greater in strength, it’s bigger in flavour, too. Cardamom and cloves join the orange and vanilla hit of its sister expressions.
Admiral Vernon’s Old J Tiki Fire
PRODUCER: LWC
AREA OF ORIGIN: London, England
VARIETY: Golden spiced rum
ABV: 75.5%
WEBSITE: www.oldjspicedrum.co.uk
This super strength rum is ironically named, because Admiral Edward Vernon weakened the strength of the daily rum ration from its Navy Strength of 57.0% ABV. Navy Strength is the strength of rum needed for gunpowder doused in it to catch fire when lit. Any weaker ABV meant that the rum or gin had been diluted. Not surprisingly, the men weren’t happy with the change, and when they complained Vernon told them to add lime and sugar to make the weaker grog more palatable. That’s what’s happening here. Lime, vanilla and sugar mark out this rum, as well as a strong spicy note. Old J Tiki Fire is a high-strength version of Old J Spiced Rum, and the added strength means that Old J Tiki Fire makes its presence felt in a whole host of rum-based cocktails. Obviously not to be consumed neat.
PRODUCER: Alnwick Rum Company
AREA OF ORIGIN: Alnwick, England
VARIETY: White rum
ABV: 37.5%
WEBSITE: www.lindisfarne-mead.co.uk/AlnwickRum
Alnwick – pronounced Ann-ick – is a small town in Northumberland, in the far North East of England. Offshore is Lindisfarne, an island that is home to monks, countless seabirds, and alcohol production, especially mead. The Alnwick Rum Company fits right in here, and has successfully made dark rums that are sold in the region in selected drinks outlets, and online. White Knight is the company’s white rum and, as there is a view that quality and niche white rums are becoming increasingly fashionable, White Knight ticks all the right boxes. White Knight is a white Guyanese rum brought down to bottling strength with spring water from the Northumberland hills. It is fruity, easy drinking and has soft toffee notes.
PRODUCER: Angostura Holdings Limited
AREA OF ORIGIN: Trinidad and Tobago
VARIETY: Premium dark rum
ABV: 40.0%
WEBSITE: www.angosturarum.com
Different suppliers and producers take vastly different approaches to the marketing of rum, from pirates to parties, and from cheap and cheerful to classy connoisseur. Angostura is in the serious category. It points out that all of its rum comes from just one distillery in Trinidad, in the same way that a single malt whisky derives from one place, it says – only its rum is better. That’s obviously a big claim but taste this and you can see the company has an argument. This was released in the second half of 2016 and is 15 years old. You can taste the oak in the rum, and there are some impressive tannin and spice notes. There are some exotic and dried berry fruits on the palate, too, as well as toffee. A balanced, rounded and excellent quality rum.
Angostura Cask Collection No. 1
PRODUCER: Angostura Holdings Limited
AREA OF ORIGIN: Trinidad and Tobago
VARIETY: Aged rum
ABV: 40.0%
WEBSITE: www.angostura.com
The Cask Collection is a range of limited editions entirely dedicated to rums that are matured in different types of casks. No. 1 Once Used French Oak is bottled at 40.0% and is the first rum that Angostura has matured in French oak casks. It is an exquisite, silky smooth and complex blend – created with a combination of techniques learnt from the Old World and perfected in the New World. Only 15 030 bottles of this rum were released so it may be difficult to find. A range of rums are matured for 10 years and then transferred to French Oak casks for another six years. The resulting rum is smooth and balanced with a soft silky finish.
PRODUCER: Santa Teresa
AREA OF ORIGIN: Estada Aragua, Venezuela
VARIETY: Dark rum
ABV: 40.0%
WEBSITE: www.ronsantateresa.com
Considered by many to be the world’s best South American Rum, Antiguo de Solera is just that – an aged rum produced through a solera system, where rum is taken away for filling from the bottom of the solera, and new rum is added at the top.
The distillery is unique. It rehabilitates former gang members when they are released from prison, and gives them the means to work hard to turn their lives around – and it encourages them to play rugby, of all things.
The rum is extraordinarily complex and rounded, with notes of tobacco smoke, leather, dark chocolate and honey.
A world-class operation in all respects.
