Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years. One of my earliest disappointments in the rum world hailed from Belize. At the time paying over £30 for a bottle of rum was quite a big deal for me. I’m still not 100% sure why I opted for the bottle of One Barrel Rum.

If you’ve clicked on the link then you will see that my original review (published back in 2014) suggested I bought it based on demography. I think I probably meant geography as I basically had not tried a rum from Belize. I also recall seeing a review of One Barrel Rum on another rum blog which was quite favourable. It’s not a blog I follow now……

Alas I was far from impressed with the rum when it arrived. It was overly sweet and synthetic tasting. I had a lot to learn…………

As a result it was some time before I really tried anything else from Belize. In fact whilst I tried a couple of Independent bottlings it wasn’t really until 2020 where I reviewed a rum from Belize that really showed their true potential. That was an Independent bottling from Rum Exchange.

Now (and this may not be 100% accurate) in the main the output from Travellers Distillery as released under their oKate wn brands – tends to be sweetened. Thus aimed at the less “serious” end of the market, including tourists etc. Whereas the output sourced from the distillery by Independent Bottlers and brokers tends to be aimed towards the “enthusiast” so no additives.

For those unfamiliar with Watt Whisky/Rum it is a brand name of Campbeltown Whisky Company Ltd, which is ran by Mark and Kate Watt. Further information can be found on their very informative website.

Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years comes in a fairly standard “bar style” clear bottle with a slightly bulbous neck. Presentation is clear and uncomplicated. Mark Watt previously worked for Cadenhead’s and I would say that the presentation of his whisky/rum is a bit more modern and in “fashion”.

Information provided on the bottle and cardboard sleeve used to store the rum, relates solely to the liquid in the bottle. No fairy tales or other such nonsense.

Full information on the bottling as provided by a combination of their website and the bottle is as follows.

Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years was one of the first batch of bottles released under the Watt Whisky/Rum banner back in September 2020. It is a single cask rum which yielded 326, 70cl bottles, bottled at 57.1% ABV. It was brought down to “Olde English” 100 proof.

The rum was aged for 8 years in Belize and a further 5 years in Europe in an ex-bourbon barrel. As the rum is from Travellers Distillery, it was distilled on a column still as they have no pot stills.

There are still a few bottles floating around at £79.95 should you wish to purchase one, they still have stock at The Whisky Exchange.

So lets take a look at this rum.

In the glass it presents itself as a Golden/Dark Brown an orange hue. The nose is sweet and light. There is a lot of vanilla and double cream on the nose.

It’s quite bourbon-esque and I’m a bit of a sucker for vanilla. Beneath this is a rich toffee and caramel aroma. There is a slight hint of something “minty” and a nice hit of oak spice from the barrel.

The rum is very reminiscent of lighter Barbados rum. That said it is perhaps more close to the rum from English Harbour Distillery on Antigua.

Sipped the rum is richer and more heavy bodied than the nose suggested. It has a nice weight of wood and oak spice which works nicely alongside the vanilla and toffee flavours. The role reversal is quite noticeable but it is still a nice balance and adds complexity to the overall experience.

It’s spicy with some white pepper heat and a slight raspberry tang to the initial entry. It has a slight char to it as well which evolves nicely into the mid palate.

Hazelnut and creme caramel develop on the mid palate alongside some oak and a slightly menthol/herbal note. Which reminds me a little of St Lucian rum.

Finish wise the rum builds up nicely in terms of oak and peppery heat and the finish is long and retains enough sweetness to be really enjoyable and very pleasant. The menthol notes increase towards the finish giving it a slightly refreshing, minty taste.

I don’t think enough people understand just how much sweetness and balance column still rum can bring to blends. Nor how good a 100% column distilled rum can actually be. That said most of these column distilled rums are produced on more Traditional Coffey Column Stills, rather than some of the huge multi column stills, we see at more industrial distilleries (or alcohol plants).

I’ve really enjoyed this rum – very similar to the Velier release of English Harbour. It’s both “heavy” and “soft” at the same time. Giving it a great complexity. It’s balance is the key.