Spiced rum is a distillate based on molasses – a by-product of processing sugar cane – with the addition of spices.
Plain rum appeared around the 1600s in the Caribbean. Initially, it was a drink of slaves and pirates, made in the most primitive conditions, so neither a mild taste nor a rich bouquet could be expected from it. Then doctors noticed the rum – alcohol with a strength often exceeding 40 degrees was perfect for disinfection, as well as for making various tinctures. Patients could not fail to notice how radically medicinal herbs change the taste of the drink, and so, over time, spices, seasonings, roots and other ingredients were added to rum not for medicinal purposes, but for the sake of taste and aroma.
Caribbean producers preferred nutmeg, pineapple, lime, cloves, coconut and other exotic ingredients. Today, of course, this list is much wider and depends on the brand of the drink.
Most often, golden or light rum is taken as the basis of spiced rum, and in order for the drink to acquire a noble dark shade, caramel is added to it. The most popular modern additives include anise, cinnamon, coconut, pineapple, nutmeg, pepper, rosemary, orange peel, vanilla. Spicy rum has a sweetish taste and a rich bouquet of aromas.
How to drink spiced rum
Spiced rum can be drunk neat with ice, or you can dilute it with soda, lemonade or juice. Also, this drink can be replaced with regular rum in cocktails.
Stamps of spicy rum
Sailor Jerry. “Jerry the Sailor” is named after, indeed, a sailor with such a nickname. The real guy’s name was Norman Collins (1911 – 1973), and he became famous not so much for his sea adventures, although there were many of them, but for his skillful tattoos. The company has been producing rum since 1999.
Captain Morgan. The brand is named after a real-life personality – Sir Henry Morgan, who was a famous Welsh captain and a brave navigator. The company has been operating since 1944.
Creak. The 47% rum is also related to the marine theme: sailors call the mythical sea monster Kraken. It is the youngest of the three brands and has only been on the market since 2010.
In addition to these brands that have already become classics, you can find selections of the best types of spiced rum on the Internet and in specialized publications. For instance:
Dead Man’s Fingers (37.5%). This drink is made on the basis of two types of rum from Trinidad and Barbados, each of which is aged for at least three years. In the bouquet of alcohol as sweet as molasses, notes of vanilla, nutmeg, raisins, creamy toffee are felt. Connoisseurs recommend diluting it with apple juice.
Aged rum Chairman’s Reserve (40%). Features hints of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut, Jamaican allspice, lemon and orange. Best of all, the bouquet of the drink is revealed in its pure form, with ice.
Barrel-aged Don Q oak rum (45%). This drink is aged in oak for at least three years. In the “body” one feels a standard set of spices, but the aftertaste reveals notes of apricot and caramel. It is recommended to serve with tonic and ice. And the best part about this rum is that you can buy it for less than $40.
Foursquare (37.5%). Dry spiced rum without added sugar. Great for Mojito or Daiquiri cocktails, you can also mix it with ginger ale and a dash of Angostura.
Bounty (40%). The distinctive feature of this Barbadian brand is the bark of the Bois Bande tree, which is rumored to have aphrodisiac properties. Rum is aged in bourbon barrels for at least two years, and only then spices are macerated in it. It is recommended to mix with ginger ale or beer.
RumJava signature (35%). It differs from most analogues in a distinct coffee profile. The drink is made on the basis of double distilled rum, it is best to drink it neat with ice.
Saint-Aubin (40%). Unlike most types of rum, it is made not from molasses, but from sugar cane juice. Thanks to this, even before adding spices in the bouquet, you can distinguish the aromas of tropical fruits, caramelized banana, pineapples. Great as an ingredient in citrus cocktails like Daiquiri or Mai Tai.
Sadler’s Peaky Blinder black spiced rum (40%). Named after the Peaky Blinders, a British street gang that ran amok in Birmingham at the turn of the 20th and XNUMXth centuries. A classic dark spiced rum that pairs well with ginger beer or cola and costs only about $XNUMX.
Bayou (40%). The inspiration for this drink was Louisiana Creole cuisine – in particular, maple syrup can be felt in its aroma. Good for classic cocktails like Old Fashioned.