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Thameside Signature Blend Premium Caribbean Rum. This is the first rum to be released from the Thameside Rum Company which was established in 2018.

The rum is noted on the front label as being an English style blend of the finest aged Caribbean rum. This information is clarified further by the rear label which notes that the rum is from Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana.

These Caribbean destinations (I would normally say islands but Guyana is actually on the coast of mainland South America) have long been associated with Navy rums. In some circles rum from these countries are referred to as “British Style”.

Multi Island Blends of rum are often looked down upon by more serious Rum Enthusiasts. They are often fairly cheap and made up of fairly young rums. Rums such as Lamb’s Navy Rum and Captain Morgan Dark Rum are usually taken with cola or ginger ale and aren’t generally on the spectrum of such enthusiasts.

Rums such as Pusser’s Navy Rum are seen as better but more expensive alternatives. The Whisky Exchange have just released a new Black Tot Rum which is priced at £40 which is a multi island blend.

So it will be interesting to see how Thameside Signature Blend fares in the market. It is priced at just under £40, currently in stock at both their own website and Master of Malt.

Presentation wise Thameside Signature blend comes in a rounded stubby style bottle with a chunky cork stopper. The branding is clear and modern and you are given some information about the actual rums in the bottle. No age statements etc however. The rums in this blend have been aged entirely in ex-bourbon casks and there have been no post distillation additives used. It is also without any kind of colouring. Rums such as this are usually very dark. So fair play to Thameside Rum Company for taking a different, more daring approach and presenting this rum in its natural state. It is also non chill filtered.

Thameside Signature Blend is blended at Cask Strength but is brought down to 40% ABV when bottled. Which is to be expected as the minimum ABV for a rum retailing at this price point. I dare say a few people would like to see a higher ABV. Maybe they will introduce a “Cask Strength” or “Overproof” offering in the future. Obviously as a new company they are still working on increasing their Economy of Scale.

The Thameside Rum Company website is very informative and they give a breakdown on the rums used in the blend. (I think some of this information on the bottle might also be useful). So the rums in this blend are as follows

4 Year Old 100% Pot Still rum from Jamaica

5 Year Old Pot and Column distilled rum from Barbados

2-5 Year Old Pot and Column distilled rum from Guyana

The actual distilleries aren’t named but the Barbados element will almost certainly be from Foursquare and the Guyanese rum can only hail from Demerara Distillers Limited. The Jamaican element could be from a few different options – Long Pond, Hampden or Worthy Park being the most likely.

I don’t think there is much else I cant say about this rum. I think pretty much everything is covered. So lets see how this fairs when put to the taste test.

In the glass as promised we have a golden brown rum, rather than the more “traditional” dark brown/black style adopted by most other blended Navy/British style rums. It’s a little on the hazy side which attests to it not being chill filtered.

On the nose Thameside Signature Blend will be familiar to anyone who has tried some Continentally Aged Demerara and/or Jamaican rum. It has a slightly savoury note to it – woody and earthy at the same time. Hints of aniseed and brown sugar mingle alongside some smoky funky notes. Burnt banana and some unsweetened toffee.

Further nosing reveals vanilla and some sultanas. It is a very complex nose especially for a 40% ABV rum. I think if you were given a glass you might well think it is a higher ABV. Such is the concentration of the aromas – rather than it being particularly “boozy”.

That said it is quite a hairs on the chest kind of rum. It’s certainly not delicate and fragrant. The Barbados element of the rum certainly stops the Jamaican Pot Still from running away with this rum but its still big and punchy.

Sipped this is every bit as flavourful as the nose suggested. It’s less smoky and oaky than the nose with a lot more fruitiness coming through.

Classic Demerara notes of brown sugar, toffee, raisins and aniseed mingle alongside some more savoury Jamaican funk. It’s not out there funky but its enough to keep things interesting and an extra layer.

The Barbados element of this rum is adding just enough balance to keep this from becoming unwieldly.

It’s quite a dry rum but the finish isn’t as oaky as I was expecting. It retains just enough sweetness throughout the delivery. The initial burst of sweetness moves into the smokier and oakier elements of the rum on the mid palate. The finish is a decent length and some of the sweeter notes return in the form of brown sugar and raisin.

The lower ABV on this one makes is really easy to sip. Especially if you are used to sipping Cask Strength aged rums. It deliver a more “Continentally Aged” style of rum than some of the Velier aged rums. If you are a fan of European aged Demerara rums then I think you will get a lot of enjoyment out of this rum as an occasional sipper.

I’m usually quite skeptical about rums like these, however as you will see from their website the company behind this are very much against the usual industry bullshit. Which is great to see.

For £40 this makes a really decent sipper. However, they also suggest using this rum in a number of cocktails and other serves. I have to say having this in a rum and cola makes for one of the best I have had to date. In some ways it does the job of a few different rums. The Demerara and Jamaican rums give a real complexity of flavour and the Barbados element really smooths the drink out and adds a great balance.

Really, really good stuff. Cask Strength next please……….