Nick Ede’s Guide to what to drink this National Rum Day.

On August 16th its National Rum Day! Rum is a distilled clear alcoholic beverage which is a byproduct of sugar production. It can also be made directly from sugar cane juice. After the fermentation and distillation process, most rum ages in wooden oak barrels and its delicious and can be served in cocktails or with a mixer.

Here is my selection of rums that I hope will inspire you to have a drink and celebrate.

Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve 

An authentic and traditional Jamaican rum, Single Estate Reserve is a blend of 100% copper pot-still rums that have been ageing between 6-10 years. This blend has been created to showcase the unique complexity and distinctive taste that Worthy Park has to offer. 100% single estate product; batch distilled, aged, blended and bottled on-site.

Ruta Maya Rum

Inspired by Belize’s celebrated river challenge that attracts athletes worldwide, Ruta Maya is made for explorers, adventurers and those who want to take the road less travelled. There are four infused rums in the range including: Rum Blanco, Rum Ouro, Coffee and Cocolime, each made raw materials from farms throughout the country at Travellers Distillery in Belize City.

Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 

From Haiti, this is a truly unique creation. Rhum Barbancourt’s striking quality is the result of intricate double distillation and refined ingredients. Crafted from homegrown ‘Madame Mevs’ pure organic sugar cane juice, which is transported directly to the distillery to preserve its freshness, the rum is matured in aromatic oak casks imported directly from the Limousin region of France, making it the only rum on the island to be made this way.

Spirited Union Organic Coconut 

To evolve the tropical flavours in its Belizean rum, Spirited Union unite it with sun-dried organic coconut flakes. These have been toasted to create a slightly nutty, sweet and creamy flavour. For a rich texture and well-rounded mouthfeel, the rum is diluted with organic coconut water down to the perfect mixing strength. Then, a touch of Madagascan vanilla helps to create harmony between these delicious flavours. Finally, to add a burst of nuttiness, raw Peruvian cacao is infused. Its unprocessed flavours create a lovely complex finish.

Mapmaker’s Rum

Mapmaker’s Rum is a tribute to Timothy Pont. An excellent cartographer who spent his summers diligently surveying Scotland. In 1600/1601 Pont was appointed minister of Dunnet Parish a post he still held in December 1610. The only monument to Pont, other than his maps, is a commemorative plaque in Dunnet Parish Church which is located next door to Dunnet Bay Distillery.

V Rum

V Rum is made from scratch using locally sourced, premium quality natural ingredients at the brand’s state of the art sustainable distillery located in Hampshire. Production is led by V Rum’s Head Distiller, Mikey Melrose, and overseen by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs, Carl and Nicole Churchill.The cosmic inspiration for the brand and its unique recipes comes from the 2009 discovery by astronomers and astrobiologists that space smells like rum. Using this extra-terrestrial insight, the founders of V Rum set about creating a recipe that could boldly go where no rum has gone before.

Berry Bros. & Rudd Classic Range Jamaican Rum

Part of Berry Bros. & Rudd’s Classic Rum Range, this rum hails from Jamaica with ebullient notes of fruit, spice and dunder. Burning rosehips, thriving beehives and a boozy evening in an artist’s studio are all conjured into the imagination of this particular taster.

Mermaid Spiced Rum

Anne Bonny

Anne Bonny is Paragons new dark rum, a blend of creamy vanilla, caramel, and praline and aromas. Paragon has also just revealed Gen Z are driving a popularity surge of rum, with almost four in ten (38%) young adults drinking the spirit at least once a week, so there isn’t a better time to have a glass of rum.

Gosling’s Black Seal Rum is the original Bermuda rum. Bermuda’s National Drink, the classic Dark ‘N Stormy, is made with Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, ginger beer and a squeeze of lime. Black Seal has a rich, intricate flavour, well balanced and nuanced with butterscotch, vanilla and caramel. At the finish there is a softness and elegance, a most complex, unusual spirit. Super-premium Gosling’s Black Seal Bermuda Rum is made from a Gosling’s family recipe dating back over two centuries and comprises of independently aged distillates aged in once-used, charred, American oak bourbon casks.

Kiyomi Japanese Rum

Produced by the Helios Distillery in Nago City, Okinawa, Kiyomi means ‘pure beauty’ and it is distilled on the beautiful Southern isles of Okinawa from locally grown sugar cane molasse. The long fermentation provides beautiful Agricole characteristics and a white rum with an unparalleled aromatic explosion, with notes of truffle, banana flambe and other tropical fruits. The sugar cane benefits from a mineral-rich soil and a tropical climate, which brings minerality and salinity to this rum.

Havana Club

This season, Havana Club is unveiling an eye-catching new look for the much-loved, award-winning Havana Club Original – Añejo 3 Años. This light, citrusy rum, a staple for iconic cocktails like Mojitos and Daiquiris, has been reimagined with a vibrant design that’s as energetic and colourful as the streets of Havana. To bring the bottle to life, Havana Club collaborated with the creative powerhouse Golgotha Studio – the geniuses behind campaigns for Adidas, Jacquemus, Mercedes, and Red Bull – to craft this limited-edition bottle. It’s a lively homage to Cuban culture and Havana Club’s commitment to innovation.

Discarded Banana Peel Rum

Discarded Banana Peel Rum is a fruity, sweet rum which features a base of Caribbean rum, (originally used to season empty whisky casks at William Grant and Sons) before being blended with an extract made from banana peels. Rumour has it that it tastes like liquid banana bread,but we will let you find out for yourselves! As an extract, banana peel provides toffee notes with a fruity balance. Flavours of banoffee pie and sticky toffee pudding, with the deep fruity milk chocolate raisins, accompanied by a crystallised ginger finish. 

Rump@blic

Characterised by distillation in a blend of column and pot stills under the supervision of Sicilian experts, each expression focuses on the distinctive distillation techniques, and ageing methods of each country they are rooted in, resulting in complex, layered rums. Each bottle is signed with its country of origin’s geographical coordinates, as well as an authentic Rump@blic travel stamp.

• African Rum Identity is a masterclass in the essence of Africa – aromatic with sharp and slightly spicy notes, this expression offers a balanced taste with peppery notes from Ghana and eSwatini
• Spanish Rum Identity encapsulates signature Spanish-style rum with its warmth, structured softness and floral hints. Full-bodied yet light, its fragrant aroma takes inspiration from Venezuela and Spain
• Indochina Rum Identity originates in Thailand and Philippines. Smooth and round with a spicy touch, this expression encloses South-East Asian flavours, completed by a long liquorice finish

Project 173

Mix up everyone’s rum favoyrite with a flick of the wrist. With Project #173 you can refresh your cocktail menu in seconds to keep those drinks fresh for your customers. Butterscotch daquiries, Pineapple Mai Tais or Back Cherry rum and cola – the possibilities are endles.

Delectable flavours created with the same sugar levels in each means switching up flavour has never been easier!

Wray & Nephew

Whether in a flask, bottle, or miniatures, Wray & Nephew Rum has rippled into living rooms, dancehalls, community centres and bars, as basslines boomed and memories were made. Bold and authentic, the black, green, and gold heritage has remained undiluted. Wray & Nephew features subtle notes of pineapple and banana; it is a full strength, versatile and flavourful white rum that is full of character. Only half the measure (25ml) adds twice the flavour, making it the ideal spirit for premium cocktails

Clean Co Non Alcoholic Rum

As a non alcoholic alternative Clean R is a non alcoholic take on Spiced Caribbean Rum. Think warming spice, golden caramel, and just a hint of cayenne pepper. It’s like a tropical vacation in a bottle! Inspired by the bold flavours of Jamaican rum, our master distillers blend it with our secret spice mix, resulting in a tantalisingly bold and flavourful spirit. Perfect for enjoying the taste of the Caribbean without the alcohol.

Don’t forget to drink responsibly and enjoy National Rum Day.

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