Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum
Hayman Ltd. (UK) · Hampden Estate, Trelawny, Jamaica
Smith & Cross is rum with its gloves off. Bottled at a scorching 57% — the old British proof strength — the point at which spirit-soaked gunpowder would still ignite, a benchmark used by the Royal Navy to verify their rum had not been watered down.
Nose
Explosive tropical fruit — overripe pineapple, banana, passion fruit — with tobacco, molasses, cinnamon bark, and the funky ester character (hogo) that defines Hampden
Palate
Bold and untamed — brown sugar, tropical fruit, clove, black pepper, tobacco leaf, muscovado, with a buttery richness that gives way to an intense spice-driven heat at navy strength
Finish
Long, spicy, and deeply funky with lingering tropical fruit, molasses, and warm tobacco
- Base Ingredient
- Sugarcane molasses
- Distillation
- Copper pot still distilled, blend of Wedderburn and Plummer style marks
Cocktail Suggestion
Cocktail — The Navy Daiquiri: 2 oz Smith & Cross · 1 oz fresh lime juice · 0.75 oz demerara syrup · Lime wheel. Shake vigorously with ice, fine strain into a chilled coupe.
Food Pairing
Pair with: Jamaican jerk chicken — the rum's spice and tropical fruit are a natural echo of the scotch bonnet and allspice in the marinade.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Cihuatán Sahumerio Limited Edition Rum
Cihuatán
Sahumerio is Cihuatán's most ambitious expression—a rum that captures the meditative warmth of incense and firelight in liquid form. Its layered complexity and higher proof make it a contemplative sipper that rewards patience and speaks volumes before words do. A genuinely distinctive Central American aged rum that deserves wider recognition.
St. George California Agricole Rum
St. George Spirits
St. George California Agricole is a masterclass in restraint — a rum that finds its voice by stripping away everything unnecessary and letting fresh California sugarcane speak for itself. It demonstrates that constraint in production yields extraordinary clarity of flavor. A singular American expression that stands proudly alongside the finest rhum agricole blancs of the Caribbean.
El Amparo Rum
El Amparo
El Amparo is a quiet revelation — a Venezuelan rum that rewards patience and the simple act of letting the glass breathe. Its interplay of sweet and dry, tropical and earthy, makes it an ideal contemplative sipper that perfectly embodies how air shapes everything between barrel and glass.
Long Pond Special Edition ITP 15yr Old Jamaican Rum
Long Pond
This 15-year-old Long Pond ITP marque delivers a masterful balance of Jamaican character and aged refinement. The extended maturation has smoothed the pot still funk into a harmonious interplay of tropical fruit, dark sweets, and spice — a rum that feels like the final harvest of warmth before winter descends. An exceptional sipper for contemplative November evenings.