Unsure about dark rum? Bartender John Davidson chats to us about how to use them in your fave cocktails.
There appears to be a myth circulating out there in the ether that the lighter the spirit, the friendlier and more approachable the flavour. And while that may be true in some instances, if you knew dark chocolate was out there, would you only stick to white? Dark spirits, in this case darker rums, are full of delicious and exciting flavours and spices – things like molasses, dried fruits, honey and vanillas.
We know that drinking these darker rums neat is a bit of an ask for a newcomer to the category (though we highly recommend you try it when the time is right). So, with the help of John Davidson, ex-bar manager at Sydney’s Barbershop and rum bar Button (RIP), we’ve paired each of our fave dark rums with a classic cocktail that shows off their fab flavours.
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1. Captain Webbs Two Swallows Citrus & Salted Caramel Spiced Rum
2. Mantuano Rum
Perhaps the darkest and most flavourful of our rum bunch is the Matuano Rum from Diplomatico. This blended rum, aged for up to eight years in oak casks that previously housed bourbons and malt whiskies, has strong wood, molasses, dried fruit and vanilla flavours. For seasoned rum drinkers, it is a perfect rum to drink neat as a very complex sipper. However, its prominent flavours mean the rum can take a lot of flavour as well. So, John has suggested shaking it up in a Stout Fellow cocktail – a mix of stout, coffee liqueur, dark creme de cacao liqueur and dark rum.
“Because the rum has been aged in barrels that used to contain malt whisky, there is strong malt flavour to it that will pair wonderfully with the malt heavy stout [like Guinness] in the cocktail.” Don’t be scared of these strong flavours – they all blend very well with the rum to create a deliciously harmonious cocktail.
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3. Duppy Share XO
The Duppy XO rum is a brilliant expression of the category. A blend of five, eight and 12-year-old rums, the Duppy XO is sophisticated and complex. The richer, darker flavours are balanced by the sour younger notes, creating a rum that tastes of butter fudge, caramel, apricot, vanilla and nutmeg. That makes this another great rum that seasoned connoisseurs can drink neat, or in something like a Rum Old Fashioned.
John, however, reckons it would be a disservice to Caribbean rum like Duppy XO not to swizzle it up in a Queens Park Swizzle. A sister cocktail to the much-loved Mojito, the Queen's Park Swizzle features rum, lime juice, sugar syrup, mint and bitters, but uses crushed ice and dark rum instead of white rum. “The Queen’s Park Swizzle will really draw out those younger flavours of the rum while balancing and complementing the darker elements.”
4. Appleton Estate Signature Blend Jamaica Rum
A blend of pot and column-still rums, the Appleton Estate is aged for an average of four years and crafted with Jamaican limestone-filtered water. It is a beautiful honey-gold colour and tastes of dried apricot, fresh peach and a subtle sweet molasses flavour.
Because of its young and bright flavours, John picked the Dark ‘n’ Stormy – a mix of dark rum, bitters, lime and ginger beer – to showcase this rum. “It balances the aged chewiness and young brightness, which is perfect for mixing with the light effervescence of ginger beer,” explains John. “Just be sure to add in bitters and plenty of fresh lime because you deserve the best.”
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5. Bundaberg Campfire Bourbon Barrel Rum
Not your average Bundy Rum, this cracker has been made with the distillery’s finest aged reserves, blended with rum and rested in bourbon barrels, giving it a mellower taste of toasted caramel and vanilla. For John, its ideal cocktail was a no-brainer. “This rum really belongs in a Treacle cocktail,” he says.
Created by Dick Bradsell in 1990s London as a twist on the Old Fashioned, the Treacle is a mix of rum, cut through with tart, green freshness from Granny Smith apple juice, sugar syrup and bitters. “The soft spices from the oak and spirit play with the subtle but crunchy green sweetness of the apple float, creating a really sophisticated yet simple drink.”
6. Red Leg Pineapple Spiced Spirit
This spirit is technically not a rum, but it does borrow some of the well-known characteristics from the category. It’s a playful spirit that tastes of sweet pineapple and spicy ginger while still flaunting all those familiar rum-molasses flavours. This was an easy pairing for John: “pineapples pair super well with pineapples.”
His suggestion is to shake it up in a Piña Colada. Those pineapple flavours in the spirit will enhance the pineapple in the cocktail, while the ginger spice adds a bit of intrigue to the Caribbean classic. You could follow the traditional recipe or be adventurous and give the Clarified Piña Colada a go.
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