Rum Chata is a product new to the UK market in 2015. It is noted in other territories as “Horchata con Ron”.  For those not familiar with the term, “Horchata” is in this particular instance a rice, milk or cream based drink with vanilla and Cinnamon flavourings common in Mexico.

In different cultures and different countries it can mean a whole host of different things the Wikipedia page probably explains things best should you wish to learn more.  US band Vampire Weekend have a song entitled “Horchata” on their album Contra.  This has led to delays with this review as every time I see the Rum Chata bottle I start humming the song and its the kind of song that really sticks in your head……..I won’t leave a link.

Anyway, enough of my natterings.  With Christmas fast approaching and a review of Lord Nelson’s Spiced Rum Liqueur recently completed I felt it the right time to review Rum Chata.

In the UK the popularity of Bailey’s as a Christmas gift and drink is not to be underestimated and no doubt those with a love of rum probably feel they might like to try a Rum Based Liqueur over the festive season.

Rum Chata is currently available in Walmart owned ASDA supermarkets throughout the UK.  Retailing at around £10-15 per 50cl bottle.  The ABV of this Rum Cream/Liqueur is 15%.  You would probably be hard pushed getting too drunk on a bottle.  It is distributed by Whyte and Mackay under license from Agava Loco LLC.  I can find little information on what the rum in the blend actually is – other than its 5 times distilled – yipee woo!  You can find some reviews of Rum Chata online – from other sources.  I’ll say no more other than I paid good money for my bottle.

This liqueur is the brainchild of former Jim Beam Executive Tom Maas who after his retirement decided to try and market a liqueur at the Latin American segment of the US market.

The presentation is simple and clean with a slightly tacky plastic “gold” screw cap.  It has a strong brand identity and the bottle offers a real insight into what is contained within…….

This Rum Liqueur looks like milk – there’s no other way to describe it.  It’s a dazzling white colour has no hints of any off white notes or any of the spices contained within this drink.

The nose is super sweet with heavy notes of refined white sugar and a hit of Cinnamon.  There is a faint nose of Vanilla but not much.

The taste is cloyingly sweet – huge amounts of white sugar dominate with almost medicinal notes of Cinnamon.  And to be fair not much else.  Rum wise this so sweet and cloying it could be made with wine or anything really there is no rum taste.  How authentic this is for me is summed up on the back label – it can be kept opened and unrefrigerated for up to 6 months.

This is pretty nasty cheap synthetic muck which is best avoided.  Just buy some cheap Whisky liqueur for half the price and add your own rum!

I accept that other reviews of this product are much more positive.  Cinnamon isn’t my favourite taste flavour in the world but even that aside this promises liqueur with Rum and I can taste no rum – just Cinnamon flavoured condensed milk and that’s not really what I look for as a rum lover.

This review is fairly short but there is little really to say about this.  There are better Rum Creams and liqueurs available.