101 Rums to Try Before You Die

By Ian Buxton

Discover the best rums in the world with this guide by the international bestselling author of Whiskies Galore.

Rum, once the poor relation of the spirit world, has undergone a revival and is no longer seen just as the preferred tipple for tipsy pirates. The craft drinks movement has certainly stimulated the rum world, with high numbers of new artisan rum brands launching around the world in the last few years. The rise of the rum cocktails is another successful trend, with the popularity of mojitos and Mai Tais contributing greatly to the growth and development of the rum market.

Ian Buxton, the UK’s No.1 bestselling author on spirits, takes us on a tour of the different colors, flavors, creation methods and characteristics, and makes his pick of the best rums in the world. Whether you like your rum in cocktails, or prefer to sip it neat, this is the only book on rum you will ever need.
  “An invaluable [book] for those who wish to make a foray into the rum revival armed with the requisite knowledge. Burning questions are answered with Buxton's trademark, inimitable wit, while what one should infer from rums different colors, nuances and creation methods is explained with concise authority. Expect, too, a refreshing lack of snobbery about mixers and cocktails.” —The Robb Report

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jun 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781788850438

Ian Buxton

Ian Buxton has been working in and around the drinks industry for 30 years but has been drinking professionally for a good deal longer. He writes in a variety of trade and consumer titles in the UK and abroad.

Book preview

1

ADMIRAL RODNEY

EXTRA OLD

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Brand owner: St Lucia Distillers

Website: www.saintluciarums.com

Origin: St Lucia

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ONE OF THE LOVELY THINGS ABOUT RUM IS THAT DIFFERENT RUMS frequently come with interesting history lessons, and I find that it adds to my enjoyment to discover the backstory behind a particular brand name.

This tasty drop from St Lucia Distillers, on the lovely island of the same name, carries the moniker of Admiral Rodney. Who he, you plonker? Well, as you can’t be bothered to look it up, he was a very distinguished eighteenth-century British admiral, who was so successful in various naval battles against the French that he was made a peer and granted a life pension of £2,000 annually. By one measure, that’s worth more than £21 million today, so you can see that he was very highly thought of by his contemporaries.

The award was principally for his achievements at the Battle of the Saintes (April 1782) which, among other things, prevented a French invasion of the important colony of Jamaica and also saved the Windward Islands group, including St Lucia. Strange though it now seems, Britain’s Caribbean interests were then thought more valuable than the 13 American colonies, so considerable importance was attached to their defence during the American War of Independence (the colonists were aided by the French).

So, consider this: had Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney not given the Comte de Grasse and his 35 ships of the line a jolly good thrashing, St Lucia might have become French and we’d be drinking rhum agricole. But Rodney was keen on his prize money (rather too keen, according to many contemporaries), and fittingly, this Admiral Rodney rum has been filling its boots with honours.

Rightly so, because this is a nicely matured and very well-made rum from the charming St Lucia distillery. It’s described as ‘Extra Old’, which seems rather vague, but upon further enquiry I have established that the rums used have an average age of 12 years, and the distillery hopes that future releases will see that increase to 15 years. It’s very much the company’s flagship product and a fine example of an aged rum from molasses and a continuous still.

It’s unsweetened, but naturally delivers quite a honeyed, rich and mouth-coating palate. At around £50 it’s definitely one for sipping while reflecting on the glorious history of our past naval victories (unless you’re reading this in France, obviously).

2

ALDI’S OLD HOPKING WHITE

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Brand owner: Aldi Stores Ltd

Website: www.aldi.co.uk

Origin: Blend

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NOW, LET’S BE HONEST. YOU’RE WATCHING THE TELLY AND PROBABLY snacking on crisps (though you know you shouldn’t). Some friends – not terribly discriminating drinkers, if truth be told – have popped by for a chat. Or perhaps it’s sunny and you’re chilling in the garden.

There are some days when all you want from your rum is a pleasant hit of alcohol; a bit of complexity and depth and a sensible price. After all, it’s not every day that you want or need to think deeply about what you’re drinking; to sip and savour the subtleties of some arcane spirit or to impress your drinking buddies with your superior connoisseurship. Some days you just want a drink.

This may just hit the spot. It may come in at a modest 37.5% ABV but, tasted neat, it drinks fuller than that, and in practical terms all it means is that your chosen mixer goes further because you won’t be using as much. And there’s more good news: at the time of writing, the price of a full bottle is under a tenner. So, what’s not to like?

Well, the curious Old Hopking brand name, I suppose. I must admit to some confusion when I first encountered this, assuming it was a craft beer. So confused was I that I asked their helpful PR person where the name came from. Normally, if they don’t know, you get some PR obfuscation and a more-or-less convincing attempt to make something up. Bearing this in mind, I was delighted to learn that (and I quote directly from the email) ‘unfortunately the current buyers inherited the product, so don’t know where the name Old Hopking comes from! One of life’s mysteries"☺)’.

And so it must remain, but I particularly appreciated the smiley face.

Ignore the basic bottle and label, ignore the drinks snobs who may look down on this and grab a bargain. If challenged, point out that this won a perfectly decent silver medal in the 2016 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) and it is a genuine Caribbean rum, originating in Trinidad and Tobago (here endeth the Bluffer’s Guide). Or get your picky friends to taste it blind in a line-up of two or three other better-known white rums – that should shut them up.

Or tell them it cost less than a tenner (did I mention the price already?). Then put on your best smiley face.

3

ANGOSTURA 1919

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Brand owner: Angostura Holdings

Website: www.angosturarum.com

Origin: Trinidad

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LONG REVERED FOR FINE RUM AND FOR ITS EPONYMOUS BITTERS – an essential in any cocktail cabinet – this Trinadadian producer has emerged from some tortuous commercial wrangling to again concentrate on the products that made it famous. If you’re wondering where the name came from, it was actually Venezuala, where in 1824 in the town of Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar), Dr J. G. B. Siegert invented his aromatic bitters while working as Surgeon General to the armies of Simón Bolívar.

Later, to escape Venezuala’s penal taxes, the family moved to Trinidad and distilled rum on a small scale. Things really took off in the 1940s but, confusingly, this 1919 expression relates to events in 1932, when the Government Rum Bond burnt down. Some heavily charred casks survived the fire and the master blender of Fernandes Distillers, J. B. Fernandes, bought them. They dated from 1919 and, one presumes, the combination of their great age and their exposure to the heat, flame and smoke of the conflagration had produced something quite unusual. I’d love to tell you that ancient casks of rum are still left to the tender mercies of some pyromaniac in the hope of Vulcan’s favourable intercession, but nothing so romantic actually occurs (though it’s an idea . . .).

So, though Angostura 1919 may celebrate a very particular date in the development of the rum industry in Trinidad and Tobago, today the product is sadly only a tribute to that remarkable original. However, though its creation is no longer a matter of serendipity, it is still a notable achievement, employing Angostura’s large five-column distillation plant, with lengthy ageing in specially charred barrels. As to the exact age, eight years is often quoted, though I have been unable to verify this and other sources suggest this is a blend of five to ten-year-old rums. It scarcely matters, for this is well matured without being over-aged or woody, with the molasses fading discreetly into the background.

The result is a beautifully well-mannered and complex spirit, creamy sweet on initial impact but revealing crème brûlée notes alongside cocoa, caramel, buttered toast and ripe bananas. This is not quite top of the line for Angostura (they also offer a couple of higher-priced expressions), but I would suggest that you can buy this confident that no bitter surprise