That Boutique-y Rum Company The London Distillery Company Batch 1. Quite a mouthful that and Google Search will certainly not be pleased with it either. I’ve covered the back story of The Boutique-y Rum Company in previous reviews of their bottlings. Those reviews will appear at the foot of this one. So please read those, if you haven’t already.

So we will cover the back story of The London Distillery Company. Such a company existed way back in 1807. The original distillery was opened by Ralph Dodd. Except it never actually did. A complaint by a prominent Essex-based corn distillery, headed by Tory MP Philip Metcalfe, the English Crown brought a case against Dodd and The London Distillery Company under the 1720 Bubble Act. This was after Dodd had raised funds, assembled a staff and acquired the Old Water Mill at Nine Elms on the Thames for £12,000. As the first case to be made under this act the Crown hired barrister Sir William Garrow as prosecutor. Dodd lost the case and the business was disbanded before it began.

The Bubble Act was brought into prevent the promotion of a scheme for a company with transferrable shares. The capital used to fund the distillery had been raised by a public subscription of 2,000 shares at £50.

In 2013, The London Distillery Company launched their range of Dodd’s Gin in Ralph’s honour. His intention when opening the distillery was to produce and promote the finest English Spirits. The new venture hoped to realise his dream.

The distillery is now situated on 55 Druid Street, Bermondsey in an archway in what is known as “Beer Mile“.

The Boutique-y Rum Company The London Distillery Company Batch 1 is the first rum I have seen or heard from this particular distiller. When looking for distilleries in London be careful a few have very similar names. If they do have a brand of rum out at the moment then I am not aware of it and nor seemingly is their own website.

This release comes in the standard Boutique-y 50cl bottle on release only 139 bottles are available. It has been bottled at 44.6% ABV. It retails at £51.95 via Master of Malt.

The London Distillery Company Batch 1 is 100% Pot Still distilled I assume from imported molasses. I did search for some more information on That Boutique-y Rum Company’s website but alas this one hasn’t been added as yet.

in the glass we have a crystal clear liquid – as I would expect of an unaged rum. The nose being it “another” (we have seen quite a few crop up the last few years) British rum. I say British because a lot of the rum that has sprouted up from our little island has been from Scotland. I especially like Sugar House White and J Gow’s Fading Light an innovative Chestnut Cask offering.

They love a bit rum in Haggis land. In terms of English rum we have seen the likes of English Spirit Distillery and Bimber emerge over the past few years, with some fairly molasses heavy expressions of rum.

Which is the first surprise with London Distillery’s offering. A lack of that strong toffee/caramel molasses aroma on the nose. Instead I’m getting a very aromatic almost gin like nose. Juniper? Is that really what I am nosing?

It is (and I’ve asked around and others have confirmed). Other than the aromatic nose of Juniper, I can’t really detect that much else. A slight rub of alcohol and a tiny kick of black pepper.

The nose is quite neutral all be told. Yes, there is a slight “gin” like aroma but it’s mostly just a hit of booze. There is a slight vegetal sour note to it but its way down in the mix – it’s all a bit muted.

Sipped, it’s not all that interesting either. Quite plain and pretty bland if I am being honest. It’s a very light style of white rum. As a sipper, I don’t really feel I am that far from drinking neat vodka to be honest.

There is a slight note of strawberries and some spicy kick on the mid palate, which leads into a very limp almost apologetic finish. It pretty much just fades into a bit of boozy alcohol and then disappears.

When you consider this is 100% Pot Still Rum and Bimber is a blend – I have no idea quite what they have done in the distillation to remove so much flavour. I was expecting a lot of this and I’m pretty disappointed.

It’s not unpleasant but its very neutral. How does it go as a mixer? Does it redeem itself with some kind of flavour burst caused by the mixers?

Does it hell. Mix it with lemonade, you might not even realise its not vodka. There is a slight burst of sugar cane in their somewhere, maybe. A slightly sour tangy note but its all very watered down.

Overall a real disappoint and its way down the pecking order of British Rum I’m afraid. Hopefully, things will improve in the future this is after all their first attempt.