Old Salt Rum is the only rum fermented and distilled in England.  It’s triple distilled in small batches using a traditional copper still.  The rum seeks to evoke the taste of rum 200 years ago and has a Pirate theme to its rear label.

The rum is sealed with red wax with ES (English Spirit) emblazoned on the top of the bottle.  English Spirit is the name of the distillery which produces the rum.  The distillery is based in Cambridgeshire.  The rum is sealed (once you get into the wax) with a synthetic cork stopper.  The 50cl (not 70cl) bottle is taller and thinner than most.  It will require carefully handling as it will be quite easily knocked over.  The styling of the bottle, in keeping with the Pirate theme is very similar to Patron’s Pyrat Pistol rum.  The packaging of which is supposed to evoke the image of the firearms a Pirate would have used. The rum retails at around £25 per bottle. I’ve yet to find it in a store but its available very easily online in the UK (maybe less so abroad).

The labelling is clear and the rum stands out in a bar or on a shelf.  It’s distinctive and tasteful.  I found the presentation appealing and coupled with it being the only UK rum available, I had to try a bottle.

The rum is extremely pungent, reminiscent in many ways to an Overproof rum but perhaps closer to a  Jamaican style rum.  At 42% it packs a little extra punch but nothing as severe as the similar Smith and Cross’ 57% ABV.

The pungency of the rum can make it quite difficult to sip.  It really is a bit of a nostril burner.  The rum is actually quite smooth to drink with very little afterburn.  There is quite a rich taste to the rum it reminds me a little of fruit soaked in punch.  It’s very intense and quite bitter.  There is sweetness but with a huge hit of booze and esthers running through the mix.

I mixed the rum with a little bit cola.  This definitely tempered the smell making it slightly more enjoyable to drink.  The pungency of the rum still come through and I found it at times a little overbearing.  You can tell that the rum is well crafted and in many respects I could well imagine a pirate drinking this on one of his plunderous voyages, back in the 1700’s.

I’m not sure how the rum sits in our current world of sweetened premium sipping rums.  Well actually I am sure, it doesn’t.  It’s a real blast from the past.  I’m partial to Pussers Blue and Smith and Cross.  Unfortunately I think Old Salt Rum has stepped back a little too far in time for many people’s tastes.  The rum makes a cracking “Grog” (lime juice and simple sugar)

This won’t be a rum which will please everyone.  It definitely sits in the Pussers/Jamaican style rums.  The nearest rums I have tried in terms of taste are Smith and Cross Jamaican Rum (57%) and Coruba 74 (74%) both of which are Overproof rums.  This rum gives you that almost whiskey like booze kick but hopefully at 42% without the hangover!

It’s a rum I would recommend to someone who is not afraid of a very “rummy” experience.