JSR Spirits R1768 Rebel Dark Spiced Rum
Introduction
Anyone reading this site regularly will know exactly where I stand on the Spiced Rum category. Supermarket shelves are completely saturated with overly sweetened Vanilla sugar bombs or Kraken imitators. I have grown completely fucking sick of seeing adverts on Social Media highlighting the “New Innovation” in the Rum World. Which 99 times out of 100 turns out to be another Pirate Inspired Blueberry, Guava and Banoffee flavoured Spiced Rum.
Fuck off. I’d gladly have the whole category banned tomorrow with no right to any Parlez and have all the half wits proclaiming its the glorious “gateway” to rum walk the plank.
So what am I doing today reviewing a Spiced Rum? Well I’m sick to the death of concoctions loaded with artificial Vanilla, “Persian” lime and other synthetic bullshit. Occasionally, sorry very occasionally a story about Spiced Rum piques my interest a little. I’d not had any rum from Montserrat so I thought….its got to be worth a review.
JSR Spirits are looking to do things a little differently, following two years of development and sensory testing in collaboration with Murray & Yeatman Distilleries. Yes its in England…..we’ll come to that. They have released two Rums.
The team driving this project includes James Jamal Simmonds alongside Axcel Simmonds and Jeevan A Robinson all descendants of Montserattians. They soft launched JSR Spirits R1768 Rebel Dark Spiced Rum at various UK Rum festivals throughout 2024 and 2025. They officially launched the brand in Montserrat during the St Patricks Festival Week in March 2026.
The R1768 Rebel Dark Spiced Rum bottling serves as a tribute to the 1768 slave uprising on the island. I always appreciate an independent outfit that values genuine heritage over glossy modern gimmicks.
It is vital we discuss the origins of the liquid itself because this is where things get a little confusing. The recent press materials have spoken of the links to Montserrat etc. The label proudly states it is the “Spirit of Montserrat”.
Unfortunately, the base of this rum is not from Montserrat. The island does not currently possess the infrastructure to produce the required volume for a commercial project to be exported to the UK and Europe.
The base rum is not actually distilled on Montserrat nor the UK. It is a Caribbean blend. They utilise molasses based distillates sourced primarily from Jamaica, alongside Trinidad and Barbados. The liquid is then shipped to the UK where it undergoes blending and finishing to create the final profile.
They have been completely open about their sourcing when asked directly via email.
They also advised the following with regard the “Spices” used
“Rebel uses a blend of natural spice extracts and flavour infusions inspired by traditional Caribbean flavours and ingredients commonly used across Caribbean food, drinks, and home remedies.”
“The aim was to create a smoother and more layered flavour profile rather than an overly sugary or artificial-style spiced rum. The flavouring approach combines natural extracts, infusions, and carefully balanced flavour components to maintain consistency and drinkability.”
I might have liked a straighter more detailed answer but I guess I can figure out how natural it all seems when I taste it………..
In JSR Spirits R1768 Rebel Dark Spiced Rum defence the rum did only run at 35% ABV on the Hydrometer. Which means 19g/L of additives. If it doesn’t taste overly sweet then we can say that this definitely has some “real” spicing in it. Most Spiced Rums will tip the hydrometer a lot higher than this. So they are off to decent start with me.
The presentation is a 3/4 stubby style heavy based bottle, which I have always liked. The presentation isn’t as showy or dramatic as the likes of the The Kraken but it will likely appeal to the same demographic.
Tasting
In the glass this is a deep mahogany, almost black. As dark as the Cola people will likely mix it with!
Bringing the glass to your nose reveals a profile that will completely surprise anyone expecting a typical Kraken style experience. The aggressive cloying synthetic vanilla note with tons of sugar to boot? Nowhere to be sniffed thank god.
You are instead greeted by some Red Pepper like spice – akin to Cayenne. Alongside some Cinnamon and some vibrant citrus elements. Lemon and Lime mingle along some slightly tart Orange.
It smells a bit like a Spice Rack to be honest! Plenty of Ginger, some Cumin and Curry Powder. The natural spice blends they mentioned are certainly doing some heavy lifting right from the nose.
There are also distinct tropical fruit notes present in the aroma too. I am picking up clear wafts of Pineapple alongside what I presume is Dragonfruit. I would be lying if I said for ceetain it was as its not something I’m familiar with.
Taking a sip delivers a very solid thwack of flavour. You certainly feel the warm spices straight away, yet whilst it is fairly robust and certain tingles on the palate it has enough sweetness and actual rum like flavours to stop it becoming overpowering.
Many commercial spiced rums lean heavily into extreme sweetness or present an aggressive ethanol bite. This is boozy but in a good rummy way!
Ginger and Cinnamon are guite dominant. I’m first to admit I’m not a huge Cinnamon fan but that is because it is usually used alongside a really sweet sugary profile. Cinnamon Twists for example. It sits much better in this Spiced Rum.
On the mid palate sees that heavy spice influence soften just enough to allow other flavours room to breathe. It makes way for a lovely wave of buttery Caramel alongside those bright tropical Pineapple notes. The balance achieved here is deeply impressive.
The blenders have done a really good job balancing the integration of the Spices. It reminds me very much of Bristol Black Spiced Rum. Which was my first ever 5 star review. Who says I hate Spiced Rum? (me usually). If you wish to read more about my Spiced Rum experiences then here is a link to those reviews
This works really well as a Sipper, surprisingly. The finish is long and warming. Cinnamon spice lingers for quite some time on the palate. You are eventually left with fading notes of caramel alongside a final hit of zesty citrus. The total lack of a cloying sugar coating on the tongue is a massive positive for me. It genuinely leaves you wanting another sip rather than reaching for a glass of water to clear your palate.
It took me a while before I even mixed this with cola. Again it works really well. It’s rummy enough to satisfy that itch but also is suitably different to be worth having on the shelf.
Verdict
This is a genuinely very good, very Authentic actually – Spiced rum. Has the heavy infusion of natural spices bullied some of the traditional rum character out of the spirit? It almost certainly has but in a good way and the Rum has fought back. The Spice Blend is absolutely the star of the show here. That being said, it is still shows enough of the baseline Caribbean profile to unmistakably be a rum.
When the spice profile is managed this well it is very hard to complain. The brand wanted to create a product that challenges the idea that spiced rum must be overly sugary or made with “cheap” base rums. They have absolutely succeeded in that mission. It works brilliantly in a cocktail while retaining enough depth to be a genuinely good neat sipper. A genuine dessert rum.
It brings a modern Caribbean profile to the table rather than falling back on tired tropes. It is incredibly refreshing to see a brand take this category seriously.
If you do fancy trying a “decent” Spiced Rum then you can pick it up direct from their website.
Final Thoughts: I think this will genuinely surprise a lot of people. It certainly shows actual “Spiced” rum can be a legitimate option. Even for skeptics like myself.