TOTS WITH PUNCH: SIX TOP BOTTLES
The Duppy Share Caribbean Rum 70cl (£27, 40%)
Created by Sir David Frost’s son George, and Ben Goldsmith, this award-winning blend of premium rums from Jamaica and Barbados contains no added sugar, colouring or flavouring. Said to be the first new London rum company in 100 years, it is named after the rum-stealing so-called Duppy ghosts of the Caribbean. Aged in bourbon barrels, it’s lip-smackingly good with a beautifully warm finish, lovely golden colours and flavours of oak and tropical fruit. Available from the Coop.
Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum 70cl (£25.50, 63%)
White rum is still the UK’s favourite and Wray & Nephew’s is one of the undisputed favourites both at home and in Jamaica. Promises flavours of citrus, pear and pineapple with a spicy finish. Perfect on its own or mixed into cocktails. Available from Tesco.
Dark Matter Spiced Rum 70cl (£27, 40%) Scotland’s first rum distillery has produced a corker. Made using molasses and infused with ginger, berries and peppercorn, it’s a cornucopia of tastes and just what you really need on a cold evening to keep the winter blues at bay. Available from Majestic.
Rockstar Grapefruit Grenade Overproof Spiced Rum 50cl (£30, 65%) Manchester’s Rockstar Spirits rums – including its premium Grapefruit Grenade and Pineapple Grenade drinks – were created by founder Thomas Hurst to provide the perfect rum and coke. This one certainly doesn’t disappoint, although given its complex blend of mango, grapefruit, pineapple and caramel, I’d be tempted to enjoy it neat over ice to really savour the flavours. Available from Majestic.
Tesco White Rum 70cl (£11, 37.5%)
The great-value white rum with pronounced flavours of vanilla is ideal for mixing into cocktails – yummy mojitos, daiquiris and the like. It’s bottled in the UK but produced in the West Indies. Available from Tesco.
Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Old Jamaican Rum 70cl (£37.75, 43%)
A stunning blend of Jamaican rums, each aged for at least 12 years, with warm, spicy flavours of oak, orange and vanilla. I also tasted chocolate. They’ve been producing rum on the Appleton Estate in the heart of Jamaica since at least 1749 and it shows in the quality. Perfect for sipping over ice – the traditional Caribbean way – or mixing into cocktails. Available from The Whisky Exchange.
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