Hoxton Banana Rum
Hoxton Banana Rum. As well as being a part of East London, Hoxton is also the name taken by Gerry Calabrese, who is the founder of Hoxton Spirits London. He is, as his website declares a “Drinks Maverick”.
Cutting his teeth with Gin, Gerry initially introduced Hoxton Gin and Hoxton Pink Gin. Last year he released Hoxton Banana Rum. Which according to the Hoxton website consists of “Fresh Banana macerated for five weeks with the finest hand selected Caribbean rums”.
The website claims that for Hoxton “Quality is key to me when creating a Hoxton Product so we only ever use ethically sourced ingredients throughout our entire range and select only the finest alcohol at the core of the products we create. I am fanatical about detail and spend months developing each recipe”
It is perhaps a shame then that his fanaticism does not extend to giving customers information on what rum(s) is/are used in producing Hoxton Banana Rum, on the very same website…….
I went digging and unearthed an interview on Morning Advertiser which gave more details about the actual make up of the rum base. Here it is disclosed that it is a blend of rums from Barbados, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, the last of whom for some people, might not fit into their view of an ethical producer following the revelations made way back in 2015.
Still at least we have some information on the rums used in Hoxton Banana Rum. Further information details a 15% Pot Still to 85% Column Distilled ratio. The rums have been aged between 3 and 8 years but no average age is given. It’s pretty much nailed on that this is a blend sourced from E A Scheer in Amsterdam or Main Rum Company here in the UK. Rather than the “hand-selected” claims made on the website. More information can also be taken from this article which states both fresh and dried banana is used in the maceration.
Hoxton Spirits 
are currently being distributed by Emporia Brands, who are more famous for Chairman’s Reserve and the rest of the St Lucia Distillers range.
So that is what we are getting in the bottle, now lets take a quick look at that. Hoxton Spirits London certainly have good branding of their products and they have a distinctive look which is encapsulated by their small, square, squat bottles. There is a wax seal, which covers the synthetic cork stopper.
Colour scheme we get an unsurprising Yellow and Green. It is fair to say that Hoxton Banana Rum will certainly appeal to its intended “young and trendy”, share of the rum market. It may also move people from flavoured Gin over to flavoured Rum. At least for one drink anyway.
Hoxton Banana Rum retails at around £33 and can be found at most of the usual online stockists. It’s worth noting that the bottle size is a 50cl (1/2 litre) size. Not the more common 70cl.
As this is a flavoured rum then we should not be surprised to see that the Hydrometer does not bob at 40% when immersed in the spirit. 20% which gives around 64g/L of additives. To be honest this is not something that concerns me. It states clearly it is Banana Flavoured rum so it is to be expected.
In the glass the rum is a golden brown,. The nose is nowhere near as “banana-ey” as I was expecting,. There is quite a lot of molasses/treacle on the nose – Toffee and Caramel. There is some black almost booze soaked banana coming through but not a great deal.
Sipped there is a bit of sweet sugar syrup. A little taste of banana but it tastes more like banana skin than the actual fruit. It’s quite a weird tasting spirit. Hoxton Banana Rum not as sweet as I was expecting. Pretty boozy and more than a little harsh. Aggressive and boozy, it’s not the greatest base rum I have ever experienced. It does taste quite a lot of young alcohol and is pretty woody as well. Too much really to be nicely balanced.
There isn’t really a progression through this rum – it’s a bit molasses heavy on the initial sip with a lot of treacly sweetness. That then fades into the slightly odd banana flavour. In turn this just fades out rather than giving any kind of defined “finish”. You are just left with an odd tasting kind off sour Banana milk flavour in your mouth.
The best thing to do with this odd little rum is perhaps to mix it. It works better with lemonade and cola but it still tastes a touch off. It tastes quite vegetal and again very much like banana skin rather than banana. A bit grassy even.
Not a great example of a flavoured rum. Certainly not the Stiggins’ Fancy of the Banana Flavoured Rum World. Bit of work needed on this one going forward.
Angostura Aged 3 Years Superior White Rum. Angostura is a distillery with a long, storied history in the rum world. Founded in 1824 in Trinidad, it’s best known for its aromatic bitters but it also produces a range of rums that span from entry-level mixers to aged spirits. Blends such as its flagship 1919 and 1824.
rum, you’ll be disappointed. Yes its a white rum but it does call itself “Superior” and it does highlight its aged. So I will pull it up for that.
Saint James Heritage rum. It comes in their standard tall, rectangular bottle. The name suggests some kind of retro rhum agricole, perhaps a throwback to times gone by.
When poured the rum is a light to golden brown colour. It is a little dull to be honest.
Bacardi Anejo. Aside from the usual Bacardi bottles you find in the Supermarket and Duty Free a trip to the continent (and further a field) can often throw up a few more variations from the Puerto Rican rum powerhouses.
cheaper or inferior spirit.
oves onto some ginger and some light notes of pepper. The finish is next to non-existant as the ginger and pepper are overtaken by a slight bitter tobacco note which quickly fades away. All of this is running alongside some rough sweet alcohol which is delivering most if not all the flavour. A good sipper it is not.
Liberte Black Spiced Rum is a new entrant to the ever expanding Spiced Rum market. Liberte Black Spiced Rum is actually a supermarket “own brand”. This one hails from German discount supermarket Lidl.
To be honest as much as it was no show stopper sipped, at least it was drinkable. Mixing this just gives you a very sweet, cloying drink. Which only the sweetest sweet tooth will manage to drink beyond a glass or two.
No your eyes do not deceive you. Along with the outdated Caribbean stereotype so loved by my European cousins we have here a Room rather than a Rum. From Maraska.
Don Papa Rum Aged 10 Years. Alongside Bumbu, Don Papa have become the poster boys for adultered rum masquerading as premium. You could throw a few other rums into the mix, that use additives but Don Papa’s offerings are met with dismay and derision by most serious rum enthusiasts.
In the glass Don Papa Aged 10 Years is a very dark brown. Almost black. It’s a bit of a push to say a 10-year-old rum would be this dark even if it has been aged in Sugarlandia (I am not making that up it’s what they call it).
Fortunately because your taste buds have been assaulted in such a way you probably won’t even notice the finish. It’s very much a blink and you miss it kind of affair. A tiny hint of something sweet and woody – and its gone. All that is left on the palate is artificial bitterness.