Bounty Fiji Rum Premium Overproof Rum. It might well be the case that we never see this rum for sale in Europe (or the US). It seems to say firmly in the Oceania area of the Southern Hemisphere.

So when I saw this on an Auction site I was quite determined to get it. I was pleasantly surprised to pick it up for £40. I’ve tried a few Independently bottled Fiji rums but never an official bottling.

There are bottlings available in Europe – some of these bottlings are under the Ratu brand. They arrived around 2 years ago and after a very brief appearance they seemed to all but disappear. I found this quite strange but we will discuss that a little later in the review, when I show you a photo which explains why…….

Bounty Fiji Rum Premium Overproof Rum is produced at the South Pacific Distillery by Rum Company of (Fiji). It is denoted as small batch – which I take to mean it is a Pot Distilled spirit. It is a molasses based rum. This is noted as a blend of the best aged barrels on the rear label. However, I cannot find any information on the actual age of this rum.

The presentation is to be honest pretty uninspiring. A standard bar bottle is topped with an admittedly decent quality black screw cap and the gold black/grey colour scheme is okay if a little old fashioned. The picture of the pirate ships is terribly cliched though and unimaginative. They could have made a real statement of Fijian culture with this bottling so a chance missed for me.

Bounty Fiji Rum is actually distributed in Australia (where this bottle orginates) by Coca-Cola. As mentioned already a number of rums from the Rum Co. of Fiji appeared on UK shores. Under the Ratu and Bati brand they did a couple of Rum Festivals and they were available briefly at a few retailers – none of the big boys seemed to stock them. Before quickly disappearing again – aside from some left over stock you may still find online. Quite why and how a group as large as Coca-Cola gave up on such a venture so quickly I am not so sure. Maybe sales in Fiji and Australia were sufficient not to need Europe and the US.

Was I do not notice on the back label is that this 700ml/70cl bottle which has an ABV of 58% yet it states that is contains 32 standard drinks. The formula used in Australia is as follows size in litres multiplied by ABV multiplied by 0.789 (the specific gravity of eythl alcohol). An Australian standard drink contains 10 grams of alcohol. Guidelines recommend no more than 2 standard drinks per day to avoid any potential health risks. So you have 16 days worth of booze here……..

In the UK we tend to see a 25ml of 40% spirit as 1 unit so a 70cl/700ml bottle of 40% spirit would have 28 units. So if we use 28 units divided by 40 and multiplied by 58 we would get 40 UK units. I do not guarantee this mathematical calculation is correct.

Anyway enough of the maths. Let’s get on with some tasting.

In the glass Bounty Fiji Rum Premium Overproof is a dark brown with an orange tinge.

The nose is familiar – both in terms of the general Fiji style and when compared to other rums. It isn’t adultered so we are getting a true spirit here.

For those not familiar with Fijian rum it sits roughly between a Jamaican and a St Lucian Rum. It shows a lot of similarities to Jamaican rum but has a briny/salty and slightly herbal note reminiscent of St Lucian rums.

Menthol on the nose – it clears the nasal passage nicely! It’s strong and aggressive and quite “boozy”. Black Olives, tar,  a touch of varnish blend alongside some sweeter notes of coconut (a trace) and banana. Maybe some pineapple juice as well – maybe a touch fermented.

For an overproof it does have a certain balance to it and some interaction with the oak it was aged in which gives a slight note of vanilla and spice. This balances the rum somewhat.

Sipping its pretty fiery stuff. Hot spicy notes on the first sip. It’s a very savoury rum. Very much influenced by the oak cask. Lots of woody notes and dry spices. A touch of zesty lime. Not very fruity at all. Very dry.

Further sips reveal a touch of chocolate and some sea salt on the mid palate. It’s quite herbal with some slightly vegetal notes.

The finish is warm and intense and very spicy. Ginger, cardamom and some hot curry powder. It’s long and once the spices fade you are left with a slightly numb tongue but the warming sensation is actually quite pleasant.

As a sipper I doubt it would win any awards. It’s not bad but a bit too rough and ready to really enjoy I feel – even diluted you still get the same flavours just in a less intense way. I would prefer more fruit if I was looking for a balanced sipper.

As a mixer it fairs much better. It’s dry and spicy profile make it ideal in a Rum and Ginger Beer. It works nicely with cola as well and most fruit juices. I tried it with Ting and it worked surprisingly well.

As a mixologist you would probably use something like this if you are are looking for a drier less fruity Overproof. I think it could be a useful addition in a bar.

This is certainly something worth looking out for. It might not be the best Overproof on the market but it does offer something a bit different. It’s not a bad introduction to Fijian rum either.