It’s National Rum Day on 16 August, so with that in mind, we thought it was only fitting to share some of our favourite rums with you. All of the rum that we tried were blends, most hailing from the Caribbean, with a few from Australia and South and Central America, but all are bottled in the UK.
With some very different flavours and attributes, there’s lots to explore and some great cocktails to be mixed, and we can’t think of any better excuse to get our taste buds tingling than National Rum Day.
The Duppy Share
Duppy Share produces a range of Caribbean rums from distilleries in Jamaica and Barbados. The name, Duppy Share
, comes from the evaporated spirits lost from the barrels during the ageing process — the Caribbean version of the Angel’s Share.
Duppy Share rums cover all the bases for rum lovers, with the lineup including white rum, spiced rum, aged rum and an XO rum. Seemingly, no matter what your particular preference, Duppy Share has you covered this National Rum Day.
• Duppy Share White Rum
Duppy Share White Rum is a 100% Jamaican white rum created in collaboration with British musician and actor Kano, resulting in a spirit that he feels reflects his Jamaican roots through its smells and flavours.
As soon as you uncork it, the aroma of tropical fruits is there, with banana and mango mingling with subtle spices. On the palate, there’s a hint of caramel sweetness alongside the fruits, giving way to more spice and a lively pot-still rum finish.
No matter which way you drink it — neat over ice, with a mixer or in a cocktail — at £21 a bottle, it won’t disappoint.
• Duppy Share Spiced Rum
Duppy Share Spiced Rum is made from the blending of two different rums, each aged for two years, from Jamaica and Barbados. These golden rums are naturally spiced with the warming flavours of ginger, vanilla and nutmeg, with flavours of kola nut, pineapple and orange creating an infusion of flavour. The result is a well-balanced, flavoursome rum which isn’t overly sweet. It’s not over-endowed with flavour, but it’s light and pleasant to sip, working well with a mixer to make a refreshing long drink.
A good value option at ÂŁ26 a bottle, but for dedicated spiced rum fans, it could fall a little short of the mark.
• Duppy Share Aged Rum
Duppy Share Aged Rum contains a three-year-old 100% Pot Still rum from the Worthy Park Distillery, Jamaica, which is reputed to be the oldest remaining rum distillery on the island. The blend is joined by a five-year-old 100% Column Still rum from the Foursquare Distillery, Barbados.
While it isn’t particularly impactful on the nose, the quality of the rum comes through on the palate. There is a woody spice to the flavour, coming from being aged in American oak bourbon barrels, and a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg coming through in the finish. The rum has a buttery smoothness, which makes it a pleasant tipple.
At ÂŁ21 a bottle, Duppy Share Aged Rum will always be a good addition to your cocktail cabinet, but probably not one to save for a special occasion.
• Duppy Share XO Rum
Duppy Share XO Rum is a blend of 100% column still rums from Barbados aged for five, eight and twelve years. Duppy Share XO has a rich, sweet aroma on the nose, opening out with caramel and toasted coconut hints on the palate. It’s light, with a slight floral edge, making it a lovely rum to sip neat, with or without ice.
It’s smooth and refined, and though the flavour is a little underpowered, the quality of the rum is evident. At £42 for a bottle of XO, it isn’t going to break the bank, meaning you won’t feel guilty just enjoying the smooth texture and unmistakable quality without needing a special occasion.
Étän Rum
Étän Rum is a celebration of the Cameroonian heritage of the five sisters — Laura, Briget, Noella, Caroline, and Kareen — who created the spirit. They combined their love of spiced rum with influences from West Africa, resulting in a golden-coloured rum that is elegantly presented.
Using a blend of premium aged rum as a base, Étän combines the flavours of five botanicals commonly found in Cameroon — fever grass, ginger, vanilla, cassia and orange peel — to create a flavour profile that is smooth, spicy and has a nice hit of sweetness that balances it well without overwhelming things.
A great option to sip over ice and not a bad price at ÂŁ41 a bottle, so give it a try in honour of National Rum Day.
Hattiers Rum
Hattiers Rum was established in 2017, the brainchild of founder Philip Everett-Lyons. The company imports and blends rums from 25 distilleries across the globe with pure Dartmoor spring water. The aim was to create rum blends that are as accessible to rum-drinking newcomers as to longstanding rum aficionados.
• Hattiers Egremont Premium Reserve Rum
Egremont is a blend of aged rums incorporating four cask-aged rums; eight-year-old rums from Barbados and the Dominican Republic, a six-year-old rum from Panama and finally, a four-year-old Guatemalan rum. These are carefully blended with Dartmoor spring water to balance the strength of the rum.
There are fragrant spices on the nose, with a slight woody note from the ex-bourbon oak ageing casks and a subtle fruity note of apples. Once on the palate, the fruits give way to reveal a complex, warming spice hit, which lingers nicely into a long, creamy finish. An excellent rum to sip over ice, and well priced at ÂŁ42 a bottle.
• Hattiers Eminence Blended Aged White Rum
This aged white rum is a blend of cask rums from Barbados, Australia, Trinidad and Jamaica and range from unaged to eight years old. It’s then blended with Dartmoor water before being filtered through carbon to remove most of the colour, leaving a white rum.
The immediate hit on the nose is fruit — mostly bananas — which gives a hint of sweetness to the aroma. On the palate, the fruit continues, with some pineapple joining the mix before a nutty note comes through. There is a good depth of flavour to the rum before a long, creamy finish.
At £38 a bottle, it’s a great one to have in for sipping and mixing alike.
• Hattiers Resolute Navy Strength Rum
This blended navy strength rum marries aged rums from Barbados, Australia, Guyana and Jamaica, with ages from two to eight years. At 54.5% ABV, this is the highest strength offering from Hattiers and the most expensive at ÂŁ55 a bottle.
Despite the higher alcohol content, the initial hit on the nose is still refined and subtle. On the palate, the depth of flavour is impressive — tropical fruits meet with a toasted brown sugar before opening out to a longer, liquorice finish. There is a hint of smokiness there too, and a smoothness that only adds to the complexity.
A nice tipple to have neat or over ice, and one we’ll be trying out in a cocktail too.
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