Siddiqui Brown Rum. Doesn’t sound to inviting does it? There have been a lot of “objections” recently about labelling rum by its colour. Some of it has been a bit over the top, I have to say. That said “Brown” rum is a new descriptor for me in terms of actually going out there and putting it on the label.

Siddiqui Brown Rum is produced in Wales at the Penderyn Distillery. The distillery is more famous for its whisky. They have recently received no fewer than 18 Liquid Gold Awards in Jim Murray’s 2021 Whisky Bible. Which they aren’t afraid to shout about despite the ongoing controversy sparked by Becky Paskin. Which seems to be turning into one of those mad internet witch hunts, where every move you make and every tweet you ever tweeted is analysed and dissected. In this case, now on both sides.

So it’s fair to say that Penderyn do a decent job of whisky. So what can they do with rum. Well aside from labelling this “Brown” rum they have went with the tagline “Sips like a whisky parties like a rum”. You can probably hear the groans from here (non sexual groans I must add I don’t want to be proclaimed as the Jim Murray of rum). They also add this little nugget of information “and tastes like no other spirit. It has a distinctive whisky-like smoky and oaky note, but it is rounded with a short finish as you’d expect from a quality rum.”

They also have a little back story to the rum – as of course all “good” rums need. Siddiqui (pronounced Sid-dee-kay) was first distilled in the early 1950’s by American Oilmen in the Middle East, after alcohol was prohibited in the region. It is produced to a special recipe taken from the “Blue Flame Manual”

If you want to read a bit more Siddiqui then please read this. I’ve had enough hyperbole for one day.

I’ll be fair to Penderyn Disillery though they are producing this rum for The Siddiqui Rums Corporation based in California. Still it would be nice if someone, somewhere did a little bit of research. It is perhaps no wonder this rum has been largely ignored by the rum community. Leaving overtly curious little weirdos like me to review it……

So let’s see if we can find some information on the rum in the bottle. Unfortunately the Siddiqui rum site is currently undergoing a revamp so no information to be found there.

The only information I have been able to find on Siddiqui Brown Rum is that it is aged in American Oak and is an aged version of their white rum. Quite how long it is aged is I don’t know. Neither can I find any information on their white rum.

All in all this rum really isn’t off to a good start. It is available direct from Penderyn at £27 and you can also find it on Amazon. Most other retailers do not seem to have it in stock at the moment. It is bottled at a standard 40% ABV Presentation wise it comes in a stylish tapered 70cl bottle with a short neck and a chunky cork stopper.

The see-through bottle reveals an oil field. It all looks good but I just can’t get past having “Brown Rum” emblazoned across the front. It just sounds so unappetising.

So in the absence of any other information I may as well reach for my glass and see if this does live up to the “hype”.

In the glass we do indeed have a brown rum. However I think I would possibly describe it as a golden brown with a yellow/orange hue.

The hydrometer bobbed just below 40% at 39% so there is perhaps something “added” to this rum, though to be fair not a lot.

Nosing Siddiqui Brown Rum I am hit by a lot of oak and smoke. It’s very woody but not terribly “spicy”. I’m not getting a lot of vanilla its more an old smell. I’m wondering about oak staves being used and perhaps some added sugar or glycerin. It smells old but has a strange smoky/sweetness to it.

It’s certainly distinctive and unusual. I wouldn’t nose this and think “oh its a bit like whisky” its more like a Smoked Rum.

As a result of all the wood and smoke it’s not a particularly complex nose. It’s not really very rummy either. It’s not an awful nose but it isn’t really drawing me in.

Sipping Siddiqui Brown Rum, is an even woodier experience. To be honest its not terribly pleasant. Bitter woody oak and oak chips fly out at you. Despite this it has a quite a soft and easy going mid palate. Once the oak and wood fade out the sweetness comes out a little more but its still not wowing me at all.

Smoky charred oak come through a little more on the finish. Which as they advised is short. At under £30 its perhaps a bit trite to expect a quality sipper and this is fairly average in that respect. I can’t help feeling its a little bit artificially smooth as well in terms of alcohol burn which seems unusually muted even for a 40% ABV spirit.

As a mixer its not going to win any awards from me either. Mixed with cola and ginger beer it just gives a smoky flavour and little else. Maybe a touch of wood. It just turns your cola into a smoky woody cola.

Siddiqui Brown Rum is distinctive and some people may enjoy this profile. However, I would expect this to be largely people not to familiar with rum.

All in all very average and the marketing did little to make me warm to this brand.