Smith & Cross Rum, 70 cl

Product Information

In a world where marketing hyperbole and misconceptions spread like wildfire via social media, it’s important to set the record straight with objective facts and credible sources. In what follows, you’ll discover the following about Smith & Cross: There is no one definitive answer to this question. However, some rums are considered to be higher-quality than others. Rum is a liquor made from sugarcane byproducts such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, usually distilled in a pot still. Rums are typically light-bodied, and the color of the rum depends on the type of cane sugar and the distillation method. Appleton Estate V/X is a Jamaican rum that scored a 94 out of 100 on the Beverage Testing Institute’s scale. It is a smooth and mellow rum with notes of caramel, toffee, and vanilla. Simply put, Hampden Estate couldn’t have made Smith & Cross in 2009, as it didn’t have aged rum to work with.

One of the things that makes Smith and Cross so special is the fact that it’s pot distilled. This means that the rum is distilled in a copper pot still, which gives it a much richer flavor than column distilled rums. We can’t blame ChatGPT for getting the story wrong. It only “knows” what it finds on the internet. In the 14 years since Smith & Cross launched, hundreds of high-profile publications, rum reviewers, and online liquor stores have spread the myths and misconceptions to all corners of the globe. If we ask ChatGPT-4, the ultimate arbiter of “conventional wisdom” on the internet, about Smith & Cross, it authoritatively states:This is a question that has puzzled many people, as the answer is not immediately clear. The answer, however, is that Smith and Cross is jointly owned by two people. The Smith Cross Rum Company is currently the only distillery in Maine. They produce two types of rum – a white rum and a spiced rum. Both of these rums are made from pure molasses and distilled in a copper pot still. They are also both gluten-free and made with natural flavors. Smith and Cross is made in Jamaica. It is available in the United States and in other countries. What is a million dollar drink?

For one thing, you’ll instantly know what “funk” means when applied to rum. The S&C is prototypical of the Jamaican, high-ester style. There’s an earthy, root-like quality to the Smith and Cross evocative of ginger or ginseng, but boy howdy does that medicinal arrival open up into a cavalcade of additional flavors. By looking at a spirit’s volatile compounds rather than just its esters, we can better understand its flavor intensity. In the same Smith & Cross GC analysis, the volatile compounds were 635 gr/hlAA. That value is several times higher than your typical Spanish heritage rum but middle-of-the-road for a Jamaican rum.Smith and Cross is also a good rum for sipping neat. It has a strong, spicy flavor that is perfect for those who enjoy a bold rum.

Smith & Cross Jamaica Rum contains only Wedderburn and Plummer pot still distillates, famous for their notes of caramelized banana, exotic fruits and spice and earthy finish. This is old-school rum, without the now-common influence of other wines and spirits, chill filtration, excess dilution, or added sugar. The complexity and flavor depth of this Navy Strength (57%) rum makes it a cornerstone of classic rum drinks. Angostura Colada— Bitters, Rum, Pineapple juice, Coconut cream, Lime juice, Orange, Pineapple, NutmegSmith & Cross is made from about equal parts Wedderburn and Plummer type distillates -- these are not still types, but rather a measure of the amount of esters in the finished product. Plummer rums are between 150 and 200 and Wedderburn distillates are over 200, where most rums fall in the 30-50 range. The Wedderburn is aged for less than a year, and the Plummer component is aged for between 18 and 36 months in white oak barrels. Dark and Stormy: The Dark and Stormy is a traditional Bermudian drink that is made with dark rum and ginger beer.

Bottled at 57% the rum is navy strength. This means it is (in old money) 100 proof. This simply means that if any of the spirit was spilt on board a British Royal Navy vessel, it would not affect the lighting of gunpowder. BOOOOOOOMMMMM! This is not to be confused with Navy Rum. Navy rum is traditionally more of a sweeter heavier mostly Demerara based rum, such as Lambs. It doesn’t necessarily have to be bottled at navy strength, though examples such as Pussers and Woods are. This is very definitely a Navy Strength Jamaican only style rum. Information about Smith & Tyers is relatively easy to find via archival sources. The company dates to 1840 and as the Haus Alpenz history states, operated for a few years at 203 Upper Thames Street. Per an 1854 newspaper notice, Smith & Tyers was a manufacturer of cordial flavors, shrub acid, and spirit coloring. In the 20 th century, the company was listed as a spirit rectifier.This Jamaican 100% pot still, high ester rum is one of the heaviest pot still rums available and is said to be reminiscent of 19th century Jamaican rum. Smith & Cross is made using molasses, cane juice and syrup from sugar at the Hampden Estate mill, and is distilled at the estate’s own distillery.” As a rum to recommend its a difficult one you either like dunder heavy Jamaican rum or you don’t! I’ve had around 100ml of the stuff during this review and I can certainly feel it! The ABV obviously attributes to this! Smith & Cross’s two base rums are made in Jamaica, but they’re actually shipped overseas to London’s Hayman Distillers to be blended and bottled. Not only is the Hayman family the oldest gin-distilling family in London, but they’re responsible for some of the most famous gins on the market, including Beefeater and — you guessed it — Hayman’s. Smith and Cross is a blend of Wedderburn and Plummer styles of rum. If you dig into the recent history of Hampden Estate and the Smith & Cross brand, the likelihood that the rum was wholly distilled by, much less bottled at Hampden Estate, is extremely low. Among the reasons why Hampden Estate isn’t the source of Smith & Cross, consider the following: