Most supermarkets in the UK have their own brand spirits. Marks and Spencer (or M&S for short), however do not do anything by halves.
So rather than trot out just a standard white and dark Caribbean rum, they have actually got some pretty interesting rums on their shelves.
The M&S Bajan Estate XO and Guatemalan Plantation rums have both been uncovered as being supplied by Cognac Ferrand’s rum blending wing Plantation Rum. The information on this bottle which states the rum is produced and bottled in France leads me to believe that this Gingerbread flavoured offering is also from Plantation Rum. NB – Since writing this review I have been informed by Nick Rodgers who works alongside Cognac Ferrand and Plantation Rum that is not a product produced by Plantation.
In 2014 Havana Club updated the presentation of their 15 year old rum. Along with the update of the former Barrel Proof to Seleccion de Maestros and with a new cigar pairing rum to be released, Havana Club were geared to introducing a new range.
Mezan are a relatively new independent bottler. They are in 
Bacardi re-launched this rum only last year in the UK. Until then Bacardi Gold (as it was then) was bottled at 37.5% ABV. This was increased to 40% ABV. Now the whole Bacardi line up has been re-vamped and Bacardi Gold has been re-named in a more contermporary style whilst still keeping some of the distinguishing Bacardi features.
Havana Club have recently re-branded and re-formulated their entry level Anejo Especial dark rum. Whether this has anything to do with Bacardi’s recent re-branding exercise I’m not sure. I doubt however that the two giants weren’t aware of what the other had planned……
El Ron Prohibido or Ron Habanero. I’m really not quite sure quite how to introduce this rum. The front of the bottle is written mostly in Spanish so that doesn’t really help. The back of the bottle gives more clues as its all in English – Ron Prohibido is the registered Trade Mark on the back so I’ll go with that.
Tiburon Rum is the latest release from Traveller’s Liquors of Belize. Rum from Traveller’s Liquors is not readily available in the UK. I have previously tried only one of Traveller’s offerings