Local oaked rum has extra kick

What: Special Reserve Barrel-Strength Leatherback Rum from Ottawa’s only craft distillery, North of 7. Why: This is the pure, undiluted drink, straight from the oak barrel where it’s been aging for a year and a half. While most rum is watered down a bit after it’s aged, this is the fullstrength stuff: 57 per cent alcohol, compared to the usual 40 per cent. But it’s not just that it’s stronger.

“Because it’s not diluted, this rum is also darker and has more flavour,” says Greg Lipin, co-owner of the new distillery. “Real rum aficionados like to taste it at barrel strength.”

While many large distilleries add caramel colour and flavour, which can mask corners cut during distilling, this is the real thing: just molasses, filtered water and yeast, aged in oak barrels. How to use it: Handlabelled and individually numbered bottles would make unique made-in-Ottawa gifts. Better yet, pair with bottles of Limestone Creamery eggnog, from near Kingston, which will be sold at Thyme & Again and elsewhere. When: The rum was to be approved by the LCBO for release this week. Because just one barrel is being released, only 244 bottles are available. How much: $54.95 for a 750mL bottle. Where: North of 7 Distillery, 1733 St. Laurent Blvd. (open Monday through Wednesday, from noon to 5 p.m.; Thursday and Fridays, from noon to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, from noon to 6 p.m.) More: northof7distillery.ca