Thank you for this informative video. I’m in the states and this was still very helpful. Very factual, right to the point and super easy to understand. The visuals with the sugar in the glasses was extremely effective at explaining things further. Again, thank you for taking the time to educate us.
Yes, the visual reminded me of the scene in Men in Black when the alien cockroach "wearing an 'Edgar suit'" asks for, "Sugar! Give me sugar! In water. More! More!".
@@liamrogers2152 Ah, nice. I've had it, but never considered looking into how it's made. I was more thinking of if scotch makers started putting sugar in it, but kept it labelled as "scotch". Now I want some Drambuie, dang it...
This does not makes a lot of sense…. Very often the “dark” color is coming from caramel coloring, that is completely flavorless…. Meaning you might find very dark rums that are very young and rums that are aged quite a lot that are just brownish (because they do not have any added colorings). The color is not a good way to categorize rum.
Most Rum experts I know are unable to make sensible videos due to be unable to stand up. So well done! Myself, I enjoy Calvados and Laphroaig and despite speaking French, German, Norweigan, am still unable to produce a coherent video for other speakers of known languages. The most insidious drinks are cocktails. These paralyse the body from the waist down, so, whilst being able to conduct witty, amusing conversations with others, attempts to reach the Gentlemen's room or leave the table with dignity are fraught with embarrassment. I now comply with my Doctor's advice to keep to four glasses of red wine per day. She hasn't seen my verre a vin grand.
i love making spiced rum, though i could never bring myself to buy it. its really simple to make spiced rum, just take a rum you like and add whole spices. the recipe i like to use is for one 700ml bottle of rum: 6 all spice berries (lightly crushed), 1 stick of cinnamon (broken into smaller pieces), about 2oz of sliced fresh ginger, 3 cloves, 8 whole black peppercorns, orange peel (this one is more to taste in my experience, just make sure to use a citrus peeler to not get any white piff with it. i like about two big pulls of peel) and literally just combine everything in with the rum and let it infuse for about a day. its always a good idea to check it every couple hours though to make sure it doesnt get too much spice. i always add 2 teaspoons of demerara sugar as well, but this is optional.
I've only just recently discovered that I like Kraken, after a lifetime of there not being any hard liqours I enjoy drinkin neat. For some reason drinking rum neat never occured to me, I always just saw it as an ingredient in rum & coke. I now have a bottle of Diplomatico in the cabinet that I haven't tried yet. I look forward to trying different kinds. I suspect I'll prefer the spiced rums as I have a sweet tooth, but want to give the traditionals a fair try.
I am drinking Kraken on ice while watching this and "Steve the Barman" has me smiling. He really gets excited about rum. I agree with him that rum and spiced rum are two different things that cannot, and should not, be compared.
That’s the thing, you do have to compare. There just needs to be more clarity. If a Rum has 30g-40g of added Sugar, tell us. If it’s a Spiced Rum and not a “Premium Rum” like Bumbu claims to be, people need to know. It doesn’t matter if you like Spiced or Sweetened Rums, you just need to know what you’re buying!
Heh, I'm trying to expand my knowledge of rum and this was quite helpful. I like Black Kracken and just tried Bumbu recently (I also liked it a lot - I found it quite smooth), but now I need to try some traditionals to see where my tastes lie. I did try some Cruzan blackstrap rum (after I found out Kracken isn't considered real black rum), and was quite surprised how much molasses flavor it had. Not horrible once you get accustomed to it, but still a big difference
Ron Matsuleam, Ron Zacappa, El Pasador de Oro all have great varieties. There are so many more to discover. When it comes to spiced, try to discover the different brands that use artificial versus natural flavours.
one of the best bang for buck brands around in my opinion is Flor de Cana, between them and Plantation it's hard to go wrong and your definitely wont break the bank
Fascinating video. I had no idea spice rums had so much more sugars in it verse traditional. Favorite rum, I would have to point out that nice Appleton 12 year old is my go to. Last trip to Jamaica I picked up a 15 year old Appleton which was amazing. Maybe will get the 21 or 30 next time, I can hope lol.
Thanks for this. I've always found spiced rums a bit on the candy store flavour side of things. Nice to know how to identify them from each other. Cheers 👍😀
@@jeromebreeding3302 I have a bottle of the Sailor Jerry Spiced 80 proof that's been sitting around for years unopened. It just seems to get pushed aside as other Rum and Spirits make their way.
@@jeromebreeding3302 Maybe it's just for the Australian 🇦🇺 market. Specialist whiskey sellers have all sorts of proofs not usually seem on the regular grog seller's lists.
I bought a bottle of rum that was rated very high, Plantation OFTD, but it's just not great served neat. I had about 375ml's left, so I decided to turn it into spiced rum. I put it in a jar with a Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice tea, some orange peel, a few cloves, and half a cinnamon stick. I let it marinade for a couple days, then tasted it. It was pretty damn good. I added some simple syrup to sweeten it up, about a half a cup, and it's delicious. The Kirk and Sweeney 18yo is a great rum that I do enjoy neat.
Hi Steve, thank you very much for this Very Interesting and detailed explanation of the differences between Rum and spiced non-rum spirits. I have, as previously mentioned, a good armoury of both, though all at the affordable end, up to £30. I shall check every bottle I’ve got tomorrow morning and label them so as to easily know the sugar content in future. Well done! Nick from York
I LOVE your rum collection behind you mate! The rum industry is still the wild, wild west and there is simply no internationally recognized classification that other spirits seem to enjoy (example Tequila). It seems to be left up to the countries of origin where it was distilled. Now that is getting convoluted when that rum gets barreled and aged in a different country where something might be added post distilling. I like how you classify Spiced rum as flavored rum. Very simple and to the point! I have a long list of rums that have undergone hydrometer tests which is helpful to determining if anything was "added" after the distilling process like sugar. When I review rums on video it is one of the things I as a Pirate touch on (purity test, lol)! I think there should be required "honest" labels on rums regarding ingredients added that is internationally agreed upon. I am a huge fan of Flor de Cana (yes, they got caught with dubious aging statements) as it is a real rum. Enjoyed the video!
Interesting video and new information for me. I know from trying out some spiced rums that they are very different from normal rums and not my thing. Rum is my favorite spirit drink and I do wish to expand my knowledge on them.
Excellent video, very informative, clear and concise. The only question I have relates to a comment you made. You said, "spiced rum needs proper rum, in the same way proper rum needs spiced rum". Whilst I understand the fact that spiced rum needs proper rum, I don't see how proper rum in any way needs spiced rum? Keep up the good work. 👍
Ha, soz, yeah I didn't make that Clear. Now this is just my viewpoint... but one shared by many...MANY...people as well. While some Rum Distilleries claim "they're doing okay" of course, the vast majority actually sell Rum for other people to Buy up and blend. For example, take Worthy Park who only just recently have released their own label Rums. For the bulk of their life span, other Rum/Spiced Rum brands will have been buying up their aged stuff. So for the vast majority of these Rum Distilleries to keep making a decent money and grow, they obviously need more and more Rum Brands to buy up their Rum. Step forward Spiced Rum. Because with the exception of maybe 10-12 UK Brands...all the other 400+ Spiced Rum brands (which will grow HUGELY over the next 1-2 years) will be buying Rum from Distilleries all over the Caribbean and beyond. So the simple fact is, proper Rum distilleries need all these other Brands to buy their stuff to survive. Granted, Foursquare, Appleton and the like don't. But they are the lucky few. Take DDL... Demerara Distillers Ltd. Essentially El Dorado Rum. I read somewhere that only 10% of their Business is actually from El Dorado. The other 90% of their Rum is bought up by other Rum Brands. And I can name 7 BIG Spiced/Flavoured Rum brands in the UK alone that use DDL Rum as the base of their Spiced Rum. Thats without looking a the likes of Plantation Rum who will have single handily kept some Rum Distillers afloat over the last few years. Okay...that is another Rum Brand. Not Spiced. BUT. Rum Geeks hate on Plantation. But the fact is, Plantation puts a shed load of money back into the Rum economy and help smaller Rum Distillers make a living! This is what people don't see. they don't see all the "Contract Distilling" I guess you'd call it that goes on behind the scenes. Just putting Barbados & Jamaica together, you have 9 Rum Distilleries I think it is. But the vast majority of people will maybe have only heard of 4-5. Maybe less. Yet, all us Spiced Rum fans will have tasted most of the Rum from all 9 Distilleries in some shape of form! Hope that helps.
@@StevetheBarmanUK That helps hugely and your logic makes a lot of sense to me. Spiced Rum is clearly the flavour of the day just now, so if Spiced Rum is what it takes to ensure that "proper rum" survives at sensible prices, then it gets my vote.
Thanks!! I’ll admit my palate is changing massively every week…becoming less Sweet. BUT I still love my Spiced and Flavoured. They’re fun, you can’t deny that.
Great details and information. Funny enough the North American Kraken(the 47abv) is listed (as per Kraken) at 19g of sugar per 1000ml. So different regions different stuff in the bottle, which may have some contributing factor to the global views / opinons. Personally I love them all as well and when used in a cocktail the flavour and sugar content needs to be thought about to get the desired balance.
Yeah, see i can't find the UK figures... but ours is 40% and i wouldn't mind betting you a lot sweeter for the UK market...or at least a lot more Sugar.
Ha. Yeah. And it’s obvs not a 23yo Rum either. No where close cos it’s Solera!! There’s a Law Suit currently going on against them and Diageo. So you could see it rebranded soon (maybe and properly as a 6 month old Rum Based Spirit Drink). And hopefully a huge price drop cos it ain’t worth even close to what it sells for. But that’s Marketing. 😉 Politics aside though. Just liquid. Look it’s okay. Very much in the Don Papa category. Heavily sweetened. I enjoy a cheeky one every now and again. And actually I would say it was an entry point to real Rum. But just be prepared for less sweet stuff if you go down that route. I’d have a lot more respect for it, if it was £20-£25 a bottle and was honest about what it was. Cos it isn’t Rum. But if it went in the Spiced/Flavoured category…it’s a Banger. (And just for Ref…Don Papa is pretty much the same, but the likes of Waitrose and M&S DO sell it as Spiced/Flavoured. Like Bumbu. They know it’s not Rum). 👍👍
@@StevetheBarmanUK thanks for the reply. Yeah. Bit disappointed to find out more about it the more I have been digging into it. But then if it means a price drop then perhaps the disappointment is worth it 🤷♂️😉
@@StevetheBarmanUK what would you recommend as a taster for entry level rum that is on the sweeter side? Granted won’t be at same level of sweetness as the Zacapa but kind of close ? 🤷♂️
For mixing drinks I would mix a spiced rum like Kraken with a rum like Appleton. But I need to find an Appleton in my country, it looks like they no longer ship here.
Thanks for doing this video. I've been drinking"spiced" rum without really putting any thought into why I like it. This was a a really fascinating and simple explanation. Now I want to go and try some non spiced rum. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! That was my sole intention! Look it's awesome if you love Spiced. I too LOVE spiced Rum. But i know the differences and can pick if a Rum is going to be sweet or not.
If you're moving from spiced rum to rum, consider a ti' punch: rum (classically agricole), served with a couple wedges of lime and a bottle of simple syrup. The rule is "every man makes his own death", meaning it's up to the drinker to add the syrup and lime to taste; a good guideline is a teaspoon of simple and a squeeze of lime for two ounces (55cL) of rum, but if you like it sweeter, no shade. Maybe that's how you'll fall in love with a rum.
Have you tried Dark Rum Raisin ice cream from The Mobberley Ice Cream Company? Hard to find, only up north...but the absolutely best thing ever. They soak the raisins in dark rum for at least a week, and then make the creamiest ice cream ever with it...incredible. Apparently its the only ice cream company in the northwest that makes real ice cream; no stabilisers or emulsifiers...just milk/cream/sugar. Can you tell I'm obsessed? LOL
You might become my Favvy!! LOVE Rum and Raisin Ice Cream. Living in Cambridge, I don’t get it that much, but being Cornish, I do have to give a big shout to Kellys. (Although don’t tell them, I love New Forest too). But “Dark Rum” and Raisin does sound a bit next level.
@@StevetheBarmanUK Mobberley Ice Cream is the only brand currently being made the old fashioned way; milk/cream/sugar and NO emulsifiers, stabilisers or powders. It is truly next level. The Heavenly Vanilla Bean is mind bloiwing BUT the Milky Milk Chocolate is unlike anything you've ever had before. Seriously. I didnt know ice cream could be this good (especially in the UK!)) Give it a try!
This is a very interesting and informative video. Man Up Rum contains no colourants, flavourants, sugars, glycerine, caramel or any other obscuration and we have shown that real (unadulterated) rum does not need help. Sugars are added to round off flavours, to break the "bite" of certain spices added to spiced rums and gins, to make it palatable. Many spiced liquors would be barely drinkable without the added sugars.
I have in my little mini-bar some Bacardi 8, Appleton Estate 8, Dorado 12, Sailor Jerry and Kraken... for some reason I can't do white rums, it has to be golden or dark since I prefer them to be sweet and thanks to you, now I know why I like my darker rums!!!
Very informative video, and appreciated too! I had no idea about the EU regulations on what can be called what. I personally appreciate both, each has their place and are amazing 😊
Wow, amazed that spiced rum is such a 'new' trend in the U.K., it's been a thing for a good 20 years over here in Canada. Mostly on the holidays especially Thanksgiving, and Christmas in spiced rum eggnoggs.Great comparison of what 'Rum' is and is not, though!
Well, it's not "new". Don't forget the UK was very first with Spiced Rum... Capt Morgs Spiced waaaaaaay back in the day. We've always had tonnes of Spiced. Waaaaay more than you Canadians. 😉😂 ( I know that cos of the Canadians in my Discord....still pee's me off that you pay half the price though, so you lot win that battle!). Like even 5+ years ago, we had 40-50 readily available. However, NOW... we're closed to 500+ Spiced Rums in the UK. Like proper Brands. Not people at home. So that's what I mean by "New Trend". Purely something that's in a massive growth phase! But, we're also getting LOADS of Spirit Drinks and Flavoureds now. Thats why the line is getting blurry. Bit of a minefield!
Wish I saw this before. I love Diplomatico Rum, first rum I ever bought and ever tried. Bought a captain Morgan to try a different rum(I am a whiskey kinda guy). Absolutely could not finish Captain Morgan. Tasted awful. Gave it to a friend who loves spiced rum.
Sailor Jerry in the UK is pretty terrible. Totally different to the US version. Very ethanolly, not too smooth…and there’s easily a good 200+ spiced Rums better than it now. Shame, cos SJ 1.0, the pre 2010 version was great.
@@StevetheBarmanUK That is a shame! I am sure it is different then, it is super sweet over here and taste like vanilla to me :D Thank you very much for the insight! :) p.s. My dad was stationed at Croughton for 4yrs so i grew up in Warwickshire in Priors Hardwick in the early 80's I love it over there!!! :)
Some useless info when I was a young soldier we used to get tea laced with Rum on Christmas day , And I have been to the Appleton distillery in Jamaica, very nice
Very informative about rum regulations and the sugar levels of spiced rum. Why is there no mention of what spices and flavourings are added. I know that vanilla is commonly added but what spices or spice extracts are used?
Wow learned something new! That’s a ton of sugar! I personally like the captains black spiced rum. The taste of it is enjoyable and on more relaxed days, I like to add some to my coffee.
For spiced I've been on a Black Magic bender for sometime. I mix it with apple cider and heat it up for the perfect simple task winter drink! You can also add some buttered rum ingredients. I also like Cruzan 9 spice, Blackheart, Bacardi Gold for its smoky ness and Krakkwn if its on sale. In the Rum category I don't have much experience but my wife and I went to the Dominican and went to the Bruegal factory. The extra Viejo is spendy but so so good. I like its earthy flavor. Great vid! I'll probably shoot for for Rums now because I don't want to drink so much sugar.
Ty for the info. Am a rum lover for a very long time...Spiced rum to be precise! ..but now that I know about sugar content I will be more mindful in buying any rum!
Glad to help. Just note, i didn't say any of that for Health reasons... but that is ultimately a reason to be mindful, of course. I said it purely to help people distinguish between the sweetness of PROPER RUM versus SPICED & FLAVOURED RUM.
Steve!! Great educational stuff mate, geez that's a frightening amount of sugar involved, it's good to know what we're getting ourselves involved with, great video, cheers mate 🍻🥃
Thank you I did not know. I am here across the pond and I am an Irishman that usually only drinks TILLAMORE DEW but I have wondered about spiced rum since my wife likes it. So now that you have explained it I will stay with my homelands whiskey and leave the foo foo drinks to the ladies
Don't know if it's still there but in the 80s working out of Arbroath there was a bar with a selection like your background and double shelves stacked with'rum' bottles all around the walls.Used to drink Pussers&water...Lots of..Happy daze!!!
One of the reasons why I think I like Captain Morgan's spiced rum is because of the lower sugar compared to other spiced rums. Pretty sure it fits in the normal rum metric of 20g of sugar per litre, if not going just slightly over it. It's just under 1g per 45ml
Capt Morgs is most of our Entry points to Rum, I can't deny that. And yeah, you're right about Sugar Levels, the normal Spiced is circa 15g per litre and the Black is 20g per litre. The only problem is the normal Spiced is just 35% ABV and is pretty meh in taste. There's just nothing going on with it...not even "Rum" taste, which does make it a great entry point. We don't get the Black in the UK, but i do hear good things about it.
What a Rum that is!! the OFTD. Although confession... MGBB... i've never had i don't think. Perhaps my perception of Eclipse has stopped me from trying it!
I am in love with aged Rums, by gifting Abuelo XII Two Oaks i also shared my passion with friend and my next gift is Abuelo XV cask finish triple set :) My fav was Dictador XO Perpetual. I am too sweet myself to drink spiced rums, somehow they do not stick to me. But in drink from time to time... why not!
When I realized aimlessly picking out a whiskey bottle wasn't right for me, kracken was the first thing I chose, but I definitely feel that white rum goes down smoother.
Surprised to not see O.V.D on your shelf of rums. During my seagoing days, I got to know a lot of Caribbean rums, our "ship rum" was Four Bells, that was wonderful stuff, if diluted a bit. My favourite these days is O.V.D which in my opinion is like a fine whisky, lots of flavours in there and too good to drown as a mixer I am not a great fan of Appelton Estate and Mount Gay rums as a neat drink. Used to be on Geest Line banana boats where a bottle of Appleton or Mount Gay was all of 50p. I do agree about Spiced rums as they to cover up the flavour of the real stuff.
Not a huge OVD fan if I’m honest. I’ve just done a Black Rum video on the channel, you should check that out. They deffo have a place. Great to have in your collection. But very Sweet and Caramelly. Amazing with Coke and Ginger Beer though. Sipping neat though, my palate is really developing. Loving the higher aged Appletons for example. 8/12/15yo. Guyana Rums are also really great. El Dorado 12yo is great. Mix of Demerara and kinda Black Rum.
Appelton has changed over the years, talking decades here. Maybe it's just me, but the rich fruity and cane aroma just doesn't hit me like it used to. It's just somehow thinner. I've been an Appelton fan ever since I first visited the distillery almost 30 years ago. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.
Yeah...ALL rum will be very different. Even the same 12yo will be different to the 12yo 5 years ago. Climate, Barrels, Wood, different Blenders, slightly different techniques, Sugar Cae will have changed in flavour, giving molasses a slightly different flavour too. Its no different to Whisk(e)y, Tequila etc. All will change over time. BUT the bigger kicker which not many contemplate... as you get older your palate changes. What you liked 5 years ago, will be different to what you like now. You could have the same bottle open for 2 years... but not only will have your palates evolved, but also air in the bottle will have mellowed/helped the Rum. So there's sooooo many factors. But actually, with a lot of the big brands, the main consistent thing IS the Rum. Yeah, some have reblended. When Joy Spense took over at Appleton, the Appleton Rums were a different blend. But in the main, the Rums and blended are all similar... but it's the factors influencing the skills and techniques and flavours will have changed.
Compagnie des Indes makes a spiced rum with minimal sugar added if you're not into the sugar-bombs. It's my go-to spiced rum. Not that I'm snobbish about tum, I just don't really care for most sweet drinks.
Sadly, yes. I try to steer people away from Captain Morgan and toward plantation aged dark/white whenever I work the floor. Not only do I think it's a better spirit, it's bloody cheaper too!
I've always had a soft spot for Appleton its delicious sucks because I'm in the frozen wasteland of Northren Minnesota and out liquor stores don't carry Appleton anymore
BIG Rum fan... but just enjoyed them all differently for their own flavours etc. & did NOT know the reasoning behind the differences. 🙌 I'm smarter than I was 8min ago!! 🍹 Cheers
Haha, thanks for watching! Hopefully it'll help you know which camp you sit in, so you can try other "Rums" similar to what you already love, no matter what they are. I just get fed up with the Kraken lovers slating Real Rums... then the real Rum Lovers slating Spiced Rum. They're just totally different products. Comparing them is like comparing a Ferrari and a Train. They're both methods of transport, but that's where the similarities stop! 😂
Ha, yeah.. i get ya, but actually, probably 75% of all Rum and Spiced etc is consumed Neat. well at least 50%... But don't forget, when making Cocktails, you won't need to add as much Sugar to Spiced Rum cocktails...as you will normal Rum.
Yeah, Rum is Distilled from a Sugar Cane By-Product...so could be Sugar Cane Juice, or Sugar Cane Molasses. So fermented first, then that by-product is distilled. 👍
A lot of comments bemoaning the lack of choice when it comes to rum in shops. While Steve is right, we can just order it online, I think he's missing the point. What people see in the shops will have a big influence on their perception of what is rum, and what is good rum. And while next day delivery is great, a lot of casual drinkers, or people just stocking up their drinks cabinet will not want to do an online order specifically for one spirit, they just want to put something in the trolley.
Great point. There is a huge market for supermarket availability. However, there is an equally huge market for buying online. It's why there are so many online retailers these days. And the likes of Amazon, you don't even pay for delivery if you have Prime! It's horses for courses. No right or wrong. However, I didn't miss the point... thats exactly why I made the video. As there's one brand in particular...Not Kraken... that actually market themselves as a "Premium Rum", that is available in a Lot of Supermarkets... and it really isn't Rum!
Hey Ann, as i say in the video, "Rum" Can Not be flavoured. So a Coconut Rum the world over is merely a Rum Based Spirit Drink...aka Flavoured Rum. Doesn't matter if its Coconut, Pineapple or Banana. They can not be called Rum. They're still flippin Tasty. Just can't be compared to a proper Rum. (Obvs it goes without saying that Malibu is not a Rum...and never has been. Malibu is an out an out Liqueur. The only real Coconut Flavoured Rums in the UK are Koko Kanu, Aluna, Dead Mans Fingers. Even Bacardi doesn't fall into this as its 35% ABV. So not even the 37.5%. The lines get blurred, but Malibu is too sweet to be classed as a Spirit Drink. It's a Liqueur).
Thanks Steve, enjoyed that. Sounds like Spiced Rums are the proper rum's wilder cousins. Where would you say Blackstrap Rums fall? I just tried one for the first time and enjoyed it.
It depends. Blackstrap Rums are just from Blackstrap Molasses. I can't name too many Brands. BUT... I can guarantee, Some WILL have Sugar added, and some WON'T. but without researching no idea which brands!
Steve, I am very new to rum and really enjoyed your video! I found it very helpful. I have a few questions, and also a comment. -How old is spiced rum? I mean, when did rum-makers start to add spices like cinnamon, cloves, and so on? -about the grams of sugar per liter, I didn't understand if this was added sugar, or if this sugar was kind of a measurement of part of the original sugarcane byproduct that was fermented. (This is obviously a *very* newbie question, and I hope you will understand what I mean!) About the spiced rum not being real rum bit, though, I guess as a Canadian, I kind of come at it from a different point of view. Rum has been made in the Caribbean for centuries, long before the EU came to exist. And each of the countries in the Caribbean makes their own laws about what rum can be. I'm guessing that most of them don't have the same law as the EU law that says rum cannot be flavoured or spiced. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong! That said, I found your sugar glasses very helpful. And now a bit of my own beginning in rum. My first rum ever was Kraken Spiced Black Rum (47% here in Canada). I loved it! Then I tried Havanna Club Smoky rum; it took some getting used to, but I think it will take me a very, very long time to work my way through that bottle...maybe years. (It's not the smoke that's the problem, as I love Islay whiskies like Laphroaig Triple Wood. It's just really intense, and maybe reminds me too much of grapes somehow.) Then I tried a tiny sample bottle of Captain Morgan rum (not spiced). It was kind of "meh" for me. Then I tried Bumbu, and loved it. And then I went out on a limb and spent about $45 CAD + tax on a St. James Agricole Rum made with pure cane sugar or some such thing. It's from Martinique. I thought, "well, the best wine I've ever had was French, the best Caesar salad that I had was in Paris, and I recently ate a burger and fries at a French restaurant in Vancouver, and thought I was in heaven! So I will try this rum from a former French colony." You can probably guess what happened: it tasted so bad that I don't even want to get used to the taste of it. It's not sweet enough for me, and the flavour is just extremely strange. I don't know what to do with it now. But the thing is, I *want* to like authentic, "pure" rum. But this one just didn't do it for me. For the future, I want to try rums or spiced rums that remind me of dark brown sugar and very strong vanilla, and ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. If you have any recommendations, please let me know, if this comment hasn't taken up too much of your time already! Thank you in advance for your consideration!
Hey Nathan, right I'll try and answer these concisely for you in turn... How old is Spiced Rum? No set answer. I won't mention any names. BUT. Some bigger brands will literally be a few days old. Purely mass-produced unaged rum, flavoured and colour...cos obviously without ageing, it'll be white. I'm sure you can imagine which brands I'm talking about. However, SOME Spiced Rums from top Brands...Chairmans for example...Chairmans reserve is their normal Rum, (which is a blend of rums including 5yo Rum) BUT then to get the spices and flavours, the Spiced Rum is aged for another 6 months with REAL spices. NO artificial stuff. Grams of Sugar per litre... This refers to sugar added AFTER distillation. Obviously, when you distill something, there is no sugar in that distillate, you are just condensating Vapour in basic terms. When it comes to Rum Laws... Yeah, you're kind of on the right lines. But i think the one thing you miss is that EU Law (which is actually VERY similar to US law - except Rum is US must be 40% / 80 Proof) refers to ALL RUM. Not Rum made in the EU. It doesn't matter where the Rum is Made. So bearing in mind, the UK is one of...if not THE BIGGEST... Rum Market in the World...All Rum made in the Caribbean/Africa/US/Australia etc will conform to EU Law. The majority of it though will be 40%, not 37.5% as they will want to conform to US Law too. It's only super massive brands like Capt Morgs and Kraken that have the finance to make different Rums for different markets. US Capt Morgs is 40%, UK is 37.5%. US Kraken is 47%, UK is 40%. NOW, the issues come where as you rightly state, each Island in the Caribbean is trying to have their own GI. Barbados is leading the way with this. They want ALL Barbados Rum for example to contain ZERO Sugar added. Which is absolutely fine. Brilliant. It doesn't affect EU/US laws, it's just a GI. NOW the issue they have is Brands like Plantation Rum come in, buy Barbados Rum, then add Sugar to it. This is where the Hate of Plantation comes from. (Personally I love what they do) but what Barbados are working towards is no added sugar... but for example; WIRD supplies a lot of Rum to Plantation, who simply won't stop selling "Barbados Rum". So there's lots of negotiations to be added. BUT this is purely GI...NOT LAW. So don't confuse the 2 things. GI is completely different. it's purely providence relating to a certain place. Barbados wants to get to a point where EVERY Bottle of Barbados Rum you ever see around the world, you'll know is Zero Sugar added. But it will take a VERY LONG time to get to that point! Now the point about Agricole Rhum; Agricole is a VERY different beast. Again with its own GI. Agricole (Rhum...French Style) is distilled from Sugar Cane Juice. Not Molasses like a lot of Spanish (Ron...eg Cuba) & English (Rum...eg Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana). So French style which is loved by many, will be reminiscent of Brazilian Cachaca. VERY Grassy. To many of us though, while we don't really like Agricole Rhum Neat... it's an unbelievable addition to some Rum Cocktails. So don't right it off. A touch of Agricole in a Mai Tai is next level. Future Rums... I note from your Comment, you're actually probably more in a Spiced Camp, not "Proper Rum". That also rings true with some of your other comments, and what this whole video is about. If you love that Vanilla, Cinnamon, Clove notes, then obviously you're not going to like Agricole...or many Proper Rums. As I said, Bumbu is far from being a Proper Rum. It's a heavily sweetened "Spiced Rum". So my only advice would be to stick to Spiced Rums. I know Canada is way behind us in the UK, so I can't offer recommendations other than Chairmans which I know you can get. BUT, if you do want to try proper REAL Rums with that "Dark Brown Sugar" notes, then you will need to stick to Molasses based Rums....so predominately English Style. I personally would start you off with Guyana and El Dorado, as they are Demerara based Rums. th 12yo is lovely. But be warned...VERY different to Spiced Rums. Nowhere near as sweet. But Guyana would be the most accessible for your palate. From there, maybe move up to Trinidad, Central America. see how you go with them. THEN maybe attack Barbados & Jamaica because they are very Different. Jamaican Funk for example is a whole other beast. Hope that helps!
@@StevetheBarmanUK Hi Steve! Thank you very much for your very helpful and thorough answer! I appreciate your recommendations for me, too, as well as your answering my question regarding added sugar. Also, now I understand the whole "spiced rum is not rum" thing. I still have one question: when I asked how old spiced rum is, what I meant was when in history did rum-makers start to add spice to their rums? I feel like it should be a very old tradition, but am wondering if it is a sort of newfangled thing. In any case, I quite like it. :-) Having said that, I appreciated learning about the age of rums in your explanation. :-) Finally, a quick question: what does "GI" mean?
@@nathanb.5792 It seems to me, since you also prefer the sweeter liquors, that you should probably try out bourbon whiskey and some of the sweeter scotch whiskeys. They are not spiced, a lot of them have sweet flavours of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and banana embedded into them naturally, while also having the strong general taste of whiskey. I used to only drink spiced rums like Kraken and Bacardi Spiced, but after knowing they're not rums at all and the fact that I didn't like the *actual* taste of rum, I moved on to sweet whiskeys like Four Roses or Three Lions. So for you, I would recommend Four Roses. I've also read that Evan Williams and Tullamore Dew have naturally sweet cinnamon and vanilla notes in them.
If you can get it in the UK, I would love to see your opinion of a local North Carolina Rum. Muddy River distillery, in Belmont NC makes some of the best I have tried, I think their Queen Charlotte variety is better than Appleton. They do produce a spiced Rum, but instead of using a low quality batch, as some distillers do, they use their best aged Rum as the base, and blend that with Root Beer spices.
Good question! I hadn't noticed. In fact, I think i would've heard about that nugget if it had. Are you sure?!!? I mean honestly, it is a "Rum Based Spirit Drink" not a Rum. But with clever wording, they can have Rum somewhere on the Labels.
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ron santisima trinidad 15. Try this rum. Very good one. Please do a. Review as well
Thank you for this informative video. I’m in the states and this was still very helpful.
Very factual, right to the point and super easy to understand. The visuals with the sugar in the glasses was extremely effective at explaining things further.
Again, thank you for taking the time to educate us.
Thanks for watching! Plenty more of those videos here!
Yes, the visual reminded me of the scene in Men in Black when the alien cockroach "wearing an 'Edgar suit'" asks for, "Sugar! Give me sugar! In water. More! More!".
Kraken is the absolute best dark “rum” I’ve ever had. Hands fown
Never had rum outside of a hurricane, but gotta love the enthusiasm
I'm a scotch drinker, but I like darker rums as well. The darker the rum, the more tastier it is to me.
Just imagine if scotch makers started putting sugar in their bottles... Ugh, oh God the horror!
Try OVD sometime, nice and dark
@@insanejughead It's called scotch liqueurs ever heard of Drambuie....
@@liamrogers2152 Ah, nice. I've had it, but never considered looking into how it's made. I was more thinking of if scotch makers started putting sugar in it, but kept it labelled as "scotch".
Now I want some Drambuie, dang it...
This does not makes a lot of sense…. Very often the “dark” color is coming from caramel coloring, that is completely flavorless…. Meaning you might find very dark rums that are very young and rums that are aged quite a lot that are just brownish (because they do not have any added colorings). The color is not a good way to categorize rum.
Most Rum experts I know are unable to make sensible videos due to be unable to stand up.
So well done!
Myself, I enjoy Calvados and Laphroaig and despite speaking French, German, Norweigan, am still unable to produce a coherent video for other speakers of known languages.
The most insidious drinks are cocktails.
These paralyse the body from the waist down, so, whilst being able to conduct witty, amusing conversations with others, attempts to reach the Gentlemen's room or leave the table with dignity are fraught with embarrassment.
I now comply with my Doctor's advice to keep to four glasses of red wine per day.
She hasn't seen my verre a vin grand.
i love making spiced rum, though i could never bring myself to buy it. its really simple to make spiced rum, just take a rum you like and add whole spices. the recipe i like to use is for one 700ml bottle of rum: 6 all spice berries (lightly crushed), 1 stick of cinnamon (broken into smaller pieces), about 2oz of sliced fresh ginger, 3 cloves, 8 whole black peppercorns, orange peel (this one is more to taste in my experience, just make sure to use a citrus peeler to not get any white piff with it. i like about two big pulls of peel) and literally just combine everything in with the rum and let it infuse for about a day. its always a good idea to check it every couple hours though to make sure it doesnt get too much spice. i always add 2 teaspoons of demerara sugar as well, but this is optional.
I've only just recently discovered that I like Kraken, after a lifetime of there not being any hard liqours I enjoy drinkin neat. For some reason drinking rum neat never occured to me, I always just saw it as an ingredient in rum & coke. I now have a bottle of Diplomatico in the cabinet that I haven't tried yet. I look forward to trying different kinds. I suspect I'll prefer the spiced rums as I have a sweet tooth, but want to give the traditionals a fair try.
This blew my mind! Thank you for this, I’m absolutely a spiced rum guy. Bumbu is definitely a favourite in my house.
Spiced rum is an old thing here in Canada. Spiced rum, ginger ale and lime...Castro. Delicious. Bumbu is my fave. Just finished a bottle.
I am drinking Kraken on ice while watching this and "Steve the Barman" has me smiling. He really gets excited about rum. I agree with him that rum and spiced rum are two different things that cannot, and should not, be compared.
He says Thank you!
Such a great video! This is something we try to point out as well. Rum is fun! Stop comparing and start enjoying the differences! Well done.
That’s the thing, you do have to compare. There just needs to be more clarity. If a Rum has 30g-40g of added Sugar, tell us. If it’s a Spiced Rum and not a “Premium Rum” like Bumbu claims to be, people need to know. It doesn’t matter if you like Spiced or Sweetened Rums, you just need to know what you’re buying!
Heh, I'm trying to expand my knowledge of rum and this was quite helpful. I like Black Kracken and just tried Bumbu recently (I also liked it a lot - I found it quite smooth), but now I need to try some traditionals to see where my tastes lie. I did try some Cruzan blackstrap rum (after I found out Kracken isn't considered real black rum), and was quite surprised how much molasses flavor it had. Not horrible once you get accustomed to it, but still a big difference
Cool. That’s what it’s all about. Going on a little journey and discovering new stuff you like 👍
Give zaya, dictator 20 yr a try better than the rest
Matusalem is my favorite
Ron Matsuleam, Ron Zacappa, El Pasador de Oro all have great varieties. There are so many more to discover. When it comes to spiced, try to discover the different brands that use artificial versus natural flavours.
one of the best bang for buck brands around in my opinion is Flor de Cana, between them and Plantation it's hard to go wrong and your definitely wont break the bank
Fascinating video. I had no idea spice rums had so much more sugars in it verse traditional. Favorite rum, I would have to point out that nice Appleton 12 year old is my go to. Last trip to Jamaica I picked up a 15 year old Appleton which was amazing. Maybe will get the 21 or 30 next time, I can hope lol.
Haha. I would live 21 and 30yo bottles!!!
I've been telling people in the pub for years, brilliant. Morgan spiced gold 35% doesn't even say Rum on the bottle. Nice one Steve
Haha, yeah. I mean, Capt Morgs... we ALL grew up on it. it's a great entry to "Rum" but it is really waaaay down as the first rung of the ladder!
(just starting out the video) In my mind Spiced Rum is to Rum as Schnapps is to Whiskey.
Thank you for being very informative and a joy to watch
Thank YOU for watching! 🤗
Thanks for this. I've always found spiced rums a bit on the candy store flavour side of things. Nice to know how to identify them from each other. Cheers 👍😀
Thanks for watching John. Glad I helped.
I like Sailor Jerry's 92 proof spiced rum. Rather alarmed that according to your comments. is not truly rum, but won't stop my buying it.
@@jeromebreeding3302 I have a bottle of the Sailor Jerry Spiced 80 proof that's been sitting around for years unopened. It just seems to get pushed aside as other Rum and Spirits make their way.
@@johndavis7944 Never have seen Sailor Jerry 80 proof, always 92 proof. It's a winner in my book.
@@jeromebreeding3302 Maybe it's just for the Australian 🇦🇺 market. Specialist whiskey sellers have all sorts of proofs not usually seem on the regular grog seller's lists.
Sailor Jerry + Coke is my go to mixed drink. Appleton Estate reserve I sip like good tequila
They changed sailor jerry a few years ago and it sucks ass now
Really liked this, just what I’ve been looking for
I bought a bottle of rum that was rated very high, Plantation OFTD, but it's just not great served neat. I had about 375ml's left, so I decided to turn it into spiced rum. I put it in a jar with a Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice tea, some orange peel, a few cloves, and half a cinnamon stick. I let it marinade for a couple days, then tasted it. It was pretty damn good. I added some simple syrup to sweeten it up, about a half a cup, and it's delicious. The Kirk and Sweeney 18yo is a great rum that I do enjoy neat.
Thanks mate. Very important to explain these insights. Highly appreciated Steve
Glad you enjoyed it Adrian!
Hi Steve, thank you very much for this Very Interesting and detailed explanation of the differences between Rum and spiced non-rum spirits. I have, as previously mentioned, a good armoury of both, though all at the affordable end, up to £30. I shall check every bottle I’ve got tomorrow morning and label them so as to easily know the sugar content in future. Well done! Nick from York
Glad it was helpful Nick! happy NY.
I LOVE your rum collection behind you mate! The rum industry is still the wild, wild west and there is simply no internationally recognized classification that other spirits seem to enjoy (example Tequila). It seems to be left up to the countries of origin where it was distilled. Now that is getting convoluted when that rum gets barreled and aged in a different country where something might be added post distilling. I like how you classify Spiced rum as flavored rum. Very simple and to the point! I have a long list of rums that have undergone hydrometer tests which is helpful to determining if anything was "added" after the distilling process like sugar. When I review rums on video it is one of the things I as a Pirate touch on (purity test, lol)! I think there should be required "honest" labels on rums regarding ingredients added that is internationally agreed upon. I am a huge fan of Flor de Cana (yes, they got caught with dubious aging statements) as it is a real rum. Enjoyed the video!
Interesting video and new information for me. I know from trying out some spiced rums that they are very different from normal rums and not my thing. Rum is my favorite spirit drink and I do wish to expand my knowledge on them.
Excellent video, very informative, clear and concise. The only question I have relates to a comment you made. You said, "spiced rum needs proper rum, in the same way proper rum needs spiced rum". Whilst I understand the fact that spiced rum needs proper rum, I don't see how proper rum in any way needs spiced rum? Keep up the good work. 👍
Ha, soz, yeah I didn't make that Clear. Now this is just my viewpoint... but one shared by many...MANY...people as well. While some Rum Distilleries claim "they're doing okay" of course, the vast majority actually sell Rum for other people to Buy up and blend. For example, take Worthy Park who only just recently have released their own label Rums. For the bulk of their life span, other Rum/Spiced Rum brands will have been buying up their aged stuff. So for the vast majority of these Rum Distilleries to keep making a decent money and grow, they obviously need more and more Rum Brands to buy up their Rum. Step forward Spiced Rum. Because with the exception of maybe 10-12 UK Brands...all the other 400+ Spiced Rum brands (which will grow HUGELY over the next 1-2 years) will be buying Rum from Distilleries all over the Caribbean and beyond.
So the simple fact is, proper Rum distilleries need all these other Brands to buy their stuff to survive. Granted, Foursquare, Appleton and the like don't. But they are the lucky few. Take DDL... Demerara Distillers Ltd. Essentially El Dorado Rum. I read somewhere that only 10% of their Business is actually from El Dorado. The other 90% of their Rum is bought up by other Rum Brands. And I can name 7 BIG Spiced/Flavoured Rum brands in the UK alone that use DDL Rum as the base of their Spiced Rum.
Thats without looking a the likes of Plantation Rum who will have single handily kept some Rum Distillers afloat over the last few years. Okay...that is another Rum Brand. Not Spiced. BUT. Rum Geeks hate on Plantation. But the fact is, Plantation puts a shed load of money back into the Rum economy and help smaller Rum Distillers make a living!
This is what people don't see. they don't see all the "Contract Distilling" I guess you'd call it that goes on behind the scenes. Just putting Barbados & Jamaica together, you have 9 Rum Distilleries I think it is. But the vast majority of people will maybe have only heard of 4-5. Maybe less. Yet, all us Spiced Rum fans will have tasted most of the Rum from all 9 Distilleries in some shape of form!
Hope that helps.
@@StevetheBarmanUK That helps hugely and your logic makes a lot of sense to me. Spiced Rum is clearly the flavour of the day just now, so if Spiced Rum is what it takes to ensure that "proper rum" survives at sensible prices, then it gets my vote.
Fantastic video, Steve. I really appreciate the fact that you weren't pushing an agenda of "spiced rums bad"
Thanks!! I’ll admit my palate is changing massively every week…becoming less Sweet. BUT I still love my Spiced and Flavoured. They’re fun, you can’t deny that.
Great details and information. Funny enough the North American Kraken(the 47abv) is listed (as per Kraken) at 19g of sugar per 1000ml. So different regions different stuff in the bottle, which may have some contributing factor to the global views / opinons. Personally I love them all as well and when used in a cocktail the flavour and sugar content needs to be thought about to get the desired balance.
Yeah, see i can't find the UK figures... but ours is 40% and i wouldn't mind betting you a lot sweeter for the UK market...or at least a lot more Sugar.
This was really interesting! I'm definitely a spiced rum {drink} kind of person, but I didn't know the true label difference involved
Huge fan of the Ron Zacapa 23. So very easy to drink. Not sure where it sits in the sugar levels but it’s sweet without being overly so
Ha. And after looking it up it’s got about 25grams per litre. So clearly on the sweet side
Ha. Yeah. And it’s obvs not a 23yo Rum either. No where close cos it’s Solera!! There’s a Law Suit currently going on against them and Diageo. So you could see it rebranded soon (maybe and properly as a 6 month old Rum Based Spirit Drink). And hopefully a huge price drop cos it ain’t worth even close to what it sells for. But that’s Marketing. 😉
Politics aside though. Just liquid. Look it’s okay. Very much in the Don Papa category. Heavily sweetened. I enjoy a cheeky one every now and again. And actually I would say it was an entry point to real Rum. But just be prepared for less sweet stuff if you go down that route. I’d have a lot more respect for it, if it was £20-£25 a bottle and was honest about what it was. Cos it isn’t Rum. But if it went in the Spiced/Flavoured category…it’s a Banger.
(And just for Ref…Don Papa is pretty much the same, but the likes of Waitrose and M&S DO sell it as Spiced/Flavoured. Like Bumbu. They know it’s not Rum). 👍👍
@@StevetheBarmanUK thanks for the reply. Yeah. Bit disappointed to find out more about it the more I have been digging into it.
But then if it means a price drop then perhaps the disappointment is worth it 🤷♂️😉
@@StevetheBarmanUK what would you recommend as a taster for entry level rum that is on the sweeter side?
Granted won’t be at same level of sweetness as the Zacapa but kind of close ? 🤷♂️
What a fantastic vid ! Thank you as a life long rum fan I had no idea of the difference !
Cheers for watching Neil!! 👍👍
For mixing drinks I would mix a spiced rum like Kraken with a rum like Appleton. But I need to find an Appleton in my country, it looks like they no longer ship here.
Thanks for doing this video. I've been drinking"spiced" rum without really putting any thought into why I like it. This was a a really fascinating and simple explanation. Now I want to go and try some non spiced rum. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! That was my sole intention! Look it's awesome if you love Spiced. I too LOVE spiced Rum. But i know the differences and can pick if a Rum is going to be sweet or not.
If you're moving from spiced rum to rum, consider a ti' punch: rum (classically agricole), served with a couple wedges of lime and a bottle of simple syrup. The rule is "every man makes his own death", meaning it's up to the drinker to add the syrup and lime to taste; a good guideline is a teaspoon of simple and a squeeze of lime for two ounces (55cL) of rum, but if you like it sweeter, no shade. Maybe that's how you'll fall in love with a rum.
Yeah good shout. It’s deffo how I started with Agricole at least.
Thank you for the straight forward info. I’m in canada but born in bristol, missing the UK. Be safe.
Thanks for watching Christina 🫶
Great video! Ever some of the best bartenders need to watch this
Ha. Thanks for the kind words 🤗
Have you tried Dark Rum Raisin ice cream from The Mobberley Ice Cream Company? Hard to find, only up north...but the absolutely best thing ever. They soak the raisins in dark rum for at least a week, and then make the creamiest ice cream ever with it...incredible. Apparently its the only ice cream company in the northwest that makes real ice cream; no stabilisers or emulsifiers...just milk/cream/sugar. Can you tell I'm obsessed? LOL
You might become my Favvy!! LOVE Rum and Raisin Ice Cream. Living in Cambridge, I don’t get it that much, but being Cornish, I do have to give a big shout to Kellys. (Although don’t tell them, I love New Forest too). But “Dark Rum” and Raisin does sound a bit next level.
@@StevetheBarmanUK Mobberley Ice Cream is the only brand currently being made the old fashioned way; milk/cream/sugar and NO emulsifiers, stabilisers or powders. It is truly next level. The Heavenly Vanilla Bean is mind bloiwing BUT the Milky Milk Chocolate is unlike anything you've ever had before. Seriously. I didnt know ice cream could be this good (especially in the UK!)) Give it a try!
This is a very interesting and informative video. Man Up Rum contains no colourants, flavourants, sugars, glycerine, caramel or any other obscuration and we have shown that real (unadulterated) rum does not need help.
Sugars are added to round off flavours, to break the "bite" of certain spices added to spiced rums and gins, to make it palatable. Many spiced liquors would be barely drinkable without the added sugars.
Thanks for sharing! Intriguing Rum! If it ever makes its way to the UK, give me a shout!
Great video Steve! Very informative! ....(insert snobby comment about Malibu :P)
hahah.... for info, Malibu is roughly 180g of Sugar per litre!
Well they say you learn something new everyday, very informative
I have in my little mini-bar some Bacardi 8, Appleton Estate 8, Dorado 12, Sailor Jerry and Kraken... for some reason I can't do white rums, it has to be golden or dark since I prefer them to be sweet and thanks to you, now I know why I like my darker rums!!!
Glad I helped Brent. Stick with us. And tune in one Sunday night for a Live Stream. They’re great fun 🤗
Very informative video, and appreciated too! I had no idea about the EU regulations on what can be called what. I personally appreciate both, each has their place and are amazing 😊
Cheers for watching Ben. Happy NY
Wow, amazed that spiced rum is such a 'new' trend in the U.K., it's been a thing for a good 20 years over here in Canada. Mostly on the holidays especially Thanksgiving, and Christmas in spiced rum eggnoggs.Great comparison of what 'Rum' is and is not, though!
Well, it's not "new". Don't forget the UK was very first with Spiced Rum... Capt Morgs Spiced waaaaaaay back in the day. We've always had tonnes of Spiced. Waaaaay more than you Canadians. 😉😂 ( I know that cos of the Canadians in my Discord....still pee's me off that you pay half the price though, so you lot win that battle!). Like even 5+ years ago, we had 40-50 readily available. However, NOW... we're closed to 500+ Spiced Rums in the UK. Like proper Brands. Not people at home. So that's what I mean by "New Trend". Purely something that's in a massive growth phase! But, we're also getting LOADS of Spirit Drinks and Flavoureds now. Thats why the line is getting blurry. Bit of a minefield!
Wait a year and Brits will be claiming they invented and gave Spiced Rum to the world.
Wish I saw this before. I love Diplomatico Rum, first rum I ever bought and ever tried. Bought a captain Morgan to try a different rum(I am a whiskey kinda guy). Absolutely could not finish Captain Morgan. Tasted awful. Gave it to a friend who loves spiced rum.
Captain Morgan is the best rum of them all!
My favorite is Sailor Jerry's, i do not see any behind you though!!! :D
Sailor Jerry in the UK is pretty terrible. Totally different to the US version. Very ethanolly, not too smooth…and there’s easily a good 200+ spiced Rums better than it now. Shame, cos SJ 1.0, the pre 2010 version was great.
@@StevetheBarmanUK That is a shame! I am sure it is different then, it is super sweet over here and taste like vanilla to me :D Thank you very much for the insight! :)
p.s. My dad was stationed at Croughton for 4yrs so i grew up in Warwickshire in Priors Hardwick in the early 80's I love it over there!!! :)
Very informative video. Learned a lot. Thank you!
Some useless info when I was a young soldier we used to get tea laced with Rum on Christmas day ,
And I have been to the Appleton distillery in Jamaica, very nice
Very informative about rum regulations and the sugar levels of spiced rum. Why is there no mention of what spices and flavourings are added. I know that vanilla is commonly added but what spices or spice extracts are used?
It can be literally anything. That’s why I’m the UK there’s sooooo many brands. Cos they’re 100s of different spices and flavours. Literally 100s.
Wow learned something new! That’s a ton of sugar! I personally like the captains black spiced rum. The taste of it is enjoyable and on more relaxed days, I like to add some to my coffee.
In the US, when you ask someone if they like rum, they’ll say yes and list a spiced rum and I get sad. Lol but it’s often because rum is misunderstood
Yeah. Half the reason I made the video. Cheers for watching 👍
For spiced I've been on a Black Magic bender for sometime. I mix it with apple cider and heat it up for the perfect simple task winter drink! You can also add some buttered rum ingredients. I also like Cruzan 9 spice, Blackheart, Bacardi Gold for its smoky ness and Krakkwn if its on sale. In the Rum category I don't have much experience but my wife and I went to the Dominican and went to the Bruegal factory. The extra Viejo is spendy but so so good. I like its earthy flavor. Great vid! I'll probably shoot for for Rums now because I don't want to drink so much sugar.
Ty for the info. Am a rum lover for a very long time...Spiced rum to be precise! ..but now that I know about sugar content I will be more mindful in buying any rum!
Glad to help. Just note, i didn't say any of that for Health reasons... but that is ultimately a reason to be mindful, of course. I said it purely to help people distinguish between the sweetness of PROPER RUM versus SPICED & FLAVOURED RUM.
@@StevetheBarmanUK yes I got it. Am on keto diet that's why I said that.. i shouldnt even be drinking but on my cheat days I will choose wisely:)
What are the brands that use 200g of sugar per liter? You brought up a solid question I wish you would have answered.
Think I have just found my new favourite spiced rum it's called Bullion and comes in a gold coloured bottle 👌
I’m in New Zealand and this was fascinating! Thanks! I might even open my bottle of RNZN Rum…! Cheers!
I first found rum when I went to the Dominican 20 odd years ago!
There was also a rum they had that was so high % it was not allowed on flight home.
Steve!! Great educational stuff mate, geez that's a frightening amount of sugar involved, it's good to know what we're getting ourselves involved with, great video, cheers mate 🍻🥃
Glad you enjoyed it mate!
Thank you for this helpful and enlightening information.
It’s kinda like finding out Santa isn’t real.
Wait what??! Who delivers my Pressies on Christmas Day??
Thank you I did not know. I am here across the pond and I am an Irishman that usually only drinks TILLAMORE DEW but I have wondered about spiced rum since my wife likes it. So now that you have explained it I will stay with my homelands whiskey and leave the foo foo drinks to the ladies
Hahaha. Well at least try proper Rum, you’ll love it!!!
Did you mean Tullamore dew?
Don't know if it's still there but in the 80s working out of Arbroath there was a bar with a selection like your background and double shelves stacked with'rum' bottles all around the walls.Used to drink Pussers&water...Lots of..Happy daze!!!
Haha, yeah, I'd love a Bar like that locally. I mean its nice to have them at home. But it'd be great to get stuck in Sat at a Bar making new friends!
Great video again Steve! Still teaching me & love my teacher! (Ben in Ibiza 🙌🏻)
Cheers Ben! Hope all is well in Beefa? Hopefully warmer and drier than it is here (Sitting here in 5 layers including 2 hoodies and a Jumper! 😂)
Good to see you’ve Flor de Caña on your shelf
Yeah love it. Which one is your Favourite??
@@StevetheBarmanUK used to buy the 10 year old dark for $2 a quart down in Honduras. So smooth.
Really limited selection of dark rums in shops saddens me 😥
Where are you? I assume you're not UK, simply because we can get anything we want online for next day delivery.
What do you mean with dark tho? All non-white rums or just real dark/black rums like kraken?
Great information video. Now for some Rum cocktails Steve? Or spiced rum 🤔😆🍸👌👍😎
One of the reasons why I think I like Captain Morgan's spiced rum is because of the lower sugar compared to other spiced rums. Pretty sure it fits in the normal rum metric of 20g of sugar per litre, if not going just slightly over it. It's just under 1g per 45ml
Capt Morgs is most of our Entry points to Rum, I can't deny that. And yeah, you're right about Sugar Levels, the normal Spiced is circa 15g per litre and the Black is 20g per litre. The only problem is the normal Spiced is just 35% ABV and is pretty meh in taste. There's just nothing going on with it...not even "Rum" taste, which does make it a great entry point. We don't get the Black in the UK, but i do hear good things about it.
Rum is fun. Words to live by.
Plantation OFTD is my go to. I love it. Along with Mount Gay Black Barrel as my top 2 picks
What a Rum that is!! the OFTD. Although confession... MGBB... i've never had i don't think. Perhaps my perception of Eclipse has stopped me from trying it!
I have to explain to my friends that Fireball is as much Whiskey as Spiced Rum is Rum. That's usually what gets them to understand.
Makes perfect sense, to be considered "spiced rum", just add sugar. Should've guessed that from the start.
I am in love with aged Rums, by gifting Abuelo XII Two Oaks i also shared my passion with friend and my next gift is Abuelo XV cask finish triple set :)
My fav was Dictador XO Perpetual.
I am too sweet myself to drink spiced rums, somehow they do not stick to me. But in drink from time to time... why not!
I do like rum tbh. I am Polish, but vodka is a bit harder to drink.
When I realized aimlessly picking out a whiskey bottle wasn't right for me, kracken was the first thing I chose, but I definitely feel that white rum goes down smoother.
Sooooo many Rums. I'm deffo a White Rum in a Daq guy. But love my Aged Rums for neat sipping.
Great video Steve! Dropping a few informative facts there
Cheers Steven! Just thought it'd help people!
@@StevetheBarmanUK I’m sure it will. Helped me at least. Didn’t realise some spiced rums were quite as heavy on the sugar as they apparently are!
That was fun. Thanks
Surprised to not see O.V.D on your shelf of rums. During my seagoing days, I got to know a lot of Caribbean rums, our "ship rum" was Four Bells, that was wonderful stuff, if diluted a bit.
My favourite these days is O.V.D which in my opinion is like a fine whisky, lots of flavours in there and too good to drown as a mixer I am not a great fan of Appelton Estate and Mount Gay rums as a neat drink. Used to be on Geest Line banana boats where a bottle of Appleton or Mount Gay was all of 50p. I do agree about Spiced rums as they to cover up the flavour of the real stuff.
Not a huge OVD fan if I’m honest. I’ve just done a Black Rum video on the channel, you should check that out. They deffo have a place. Great to have in your collection. But very Sweet and Caramelly. Amazing with Coke and Ginger Beer though. Sipping neat though, my palate is really developing. Loving the higher aged Appletons for example. 8/12/15yo. Guyana Rums are also really great. El Dorado 12yo is great. Mix of Demerara and kinda Black Rum.
What an amazing rum collection in the background
Thanks, It grows by 2-5 every week!
Appelton has changed over the years, talking decades here. Maybe it's just me, but the rich fruity and cane aroma just doesn't hit me like it used to. It's just somehow thinner. I've been an Appelton fan ever since I first visited the distillery almost 30 years ago. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.
Yeah...ALL rum will be very different. Even the same 12yo will be different to the 12yo 5 years ago. Climate, Barrels, Wood, different Blenders, slightly different techniques, Sugar Cae will have changed in flavour, giving molasses a slightly different flavour too. Its no different to Whisk(e)y, Tequila etc. All will change over time. BUT the bigger kicker which not many contemplate... as you get older your palate changes. What you liked 5 years ago, will be different to what you like now. You could have the same bottle open for 2 years... but not only will have your palates evolved, but also air in the bottle will have mellowed/helped the Rum. So there's sooooo many factors. But actually, with a lot of the big brands, the main consistent thing IS the Rum. Yeah, some have reblended. When Joy Spense took over at Appleton, the Appleton Rums were a different blend. But in the main, the Rums and blended are all similar... but it's the factors influencing the skills and techniques and flavours will have changed.
Compagnie des Indes makes a spiced rum with minimal sugar added if you're not into the sugar-bombs. It's my go-to spiced rum. Not that I'm snobbish about tum, I just don't really care for most sweet drinks.
Sadly, yes. I try to steer people away from Captain Morgan and toward plantation aged dark/white whenever I work the floor. Not only do I think it's a better spirit, it's bloody cheaper too!
I've always had a soft spot for Appleton its delicious sucks because I'm in the frozen wasteland of Northren Minnesota and out liquor stores don't carry Appleton anymore
That’s a shame!!
Thanks for this, it was really helpful! 😊
Great video lots of info . And loving the barney rubble
Thanks 👍 Think it's here to stay! It's grown on me... Pun may or may not be intended!
BIG Rum fan... but just enjoyed them all differently for their own flavours etc. & did NOT know the reasoning behind the differences. 🙌
I'm smarter than I was 8min ago!! 🍹 Cheers
Haha, thanks for watching! Hopefully it'll help you know which camp you sit in, so you can try other "Rums" similar to what you already love, no matter what they are. I just get fed up with the Kraken lovers slating Real Rums... then the real Rum Lovers slating Spiced Rum. They're just totally different products. Comparing them is like comparing a Ferrari and a Train. They're both methods of transport, but that's where the similarities stop! 😂
@@StevetheBarmanUK Good analogy, hate the polarised camps mentality... Different drinks to appreciate in their own way.
Then we add 30ml of sugar syrup to our rum cocktails 🤯🥳🤣. Great explanation though 👌👍
Ha, yeah.. i get ya, but actually, probably 75% of all Rum and Spiced etc is consumed Neat. well at least 50%... But don't forget, when making Cocktails, you won't need to add as much Sugar to Spiced Rum cocktails...as you will normal Rum.
Wasn't rum brewed from sugarcane. Personally I like the 42.8% mixed with sugarcane juice. Very good sleep 💤
Yeah, Rum is Distilled from a Sugar Cane By-Product...so could be Sugar Cane Juice, or Sugar Cane Molasses. So fermented first, then that by-product is distilled. 👍
Good info. Now I get it. Thanks!
Orange soda and sailor Jerry’s spiced rum, tastes like an orange vanilla ice cream, we found this out back in 2010
Yeah, we used to do the same with fanta!
"Bumbu" is a good one I've found. I can drink that neat.
Yeah. It’s a decent Spiced Rum. 👌
A lot of comments bemoaning the lack of choice when it comes to rum in shops. While Steve is right, we can just order it online, I think he's missing the point. What people see in the shops will have a big influence on their perception of what is rum, and what is good rum. And while next day delivery is great, a lot of casual drinkers, or people just stocking up their drinks cabinet will not want to do an online order specifically for one spirit, they just want to put something in the trolley.
Great point. There is a huge market for supermarket availability. However, there is an equally huge market for buying online. It's why there are so many online retailers these days. And the likes of Amazon, you don't even pay for delivery if you have Prime! It's horses for courses. No right or wrong. However, I didn't miss the point... thats exactly why I made the video. As there's one brand in particular...Not Kraken... that actually market themselves as a "Premium Rum", that is available in a Lot of Supermarkets... and it really isn't Rum!
I’m in the plantation rum camp (big Barbancourt fan). But Kraken is fun.
Thank you!
Appleton over ice with cloudy apple juice for me!. Spiced rum is lolly water.
Does this mean the UK doesn't have coconut rum. Does coconut rum count more towards the spiced rum side of things or is it a real rum?
Hey Ann, as i say in the video, "Rum" Can Not be flavoured. So a Coconut Rum the world over is merely a Rum Based Spirit Drink...aka Flavoured Rum. Doesn't matter if its Coconut, Pineapple or Banana. They can not be called Rum. They're still flippin Tasty. Just can't be compared to a proper Rum.
(Obvs it goes without saying that Malibu is not a Rum...and never has been. Malibu is an out an out Liqueur. The only real Coconut Flavoured Rums in the UK are Koko Kanu, Aluna, Dead Mans Fingers. Even Bacardi doesn't fall into this as its 35% ABV. So not even the 37.5%. The lines get blurred, but Malibu is too sweet to be classed as a Spirit Drink. It's a Liqueur).
Thanks Steve, enjoyed that. Sounds like Spiced Rums are the proper rum's wilder cousins. Where would you say Blackstrap Rums fall? I just tried one for the first time and enjoyed it.
It depends. Blackstrap Rums are just from Blackstrap Molasses. I can't name too many Brands. BUT... I can guarantee, Some WILL have Sugar added, and some WON'T. but without researching no idea which brands!
Awesome video!! Thank You. I learned
Steve, I am very new to rum and really enjoyed your video! I found it very helpful. I have a few questions, and also a comment.
-How old is spiced rum? I mean, when did rum-makers start to add spices like cinnamon, cloves, and so on?
-about the grams of sugar per liter, I didn't understand if this was added sugar, or if this sugar was kind of a measurement of part of the original sugarcane byproduct that was fermented. (This is obviously a *very* newbie question, and I hope you will understand what I mean!)
About the spiced rum not being real rum bit, though, I guess as a Canadian, I kind of come at it from a different point of view. Rum has been made in the Caribbean for centuries, long before the EU came to exist. And each of the countries in the Caribbean makes their own laws about what rum can be. I'm guessing that most of them don't have the same law as the EU law that says rum cannot be flavoured or spiced. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!
That said, I found your sugar glasses very helpful.
And now a bit of my own beginning in rum. My first rum ever was Kraken Spiced Black Rum (47% here in Canada). I loved it! Then I tried Havanna Club Smoky rum; it took some getting used to, but I think it will take me a very, very long time to work my way through that bottle...maybe years. (It's not the smoke that's the problem, as I love Islay whiskies like Laphroaig Triple Wood. It's just really intense, and maybe reminds me too much of grapes somehow.)
Then I tried a tiny sample bottle of Captain Morgan rum (not spiced). It was kind of "meh" for me.
Then I tried Bumbu, and loved it.
And then I went out on a limb and spent about $45 CAD + tax on a St. James Agricole Rum made with pure cane sugar or some such thing. It's from Martinique. I thought, "well, the best wine I've ever had was French, the best Caesar salad that I had was in Paris, and I recently ate a burger and fries at a French restaurant in Vancouver, and thought I was in heaven! So I will try this rum from a former French colony." You can probably guess what happened: it tasted so bad that I don't even want to get used to the taste of it. It's not sweet enough for me, and the flavour is just extremely strange. I don't know what to do with it now.
But the thing is, I *want* to like authentic, "pure" rum. But this one just didn't do it for me.
For the future, I want to try rums or spiced rums that remind me of dark brown sugar and very strong vanilla, and ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. If you have any recommendations, please let me know, if this comment hasn't taken up too much of your time already! Thank you in advance for your consideration!
Hey Nathan, right I'll try and answer these concisely for you in turn...
How old is Spiced Rum?
No set answer. I won't mention any names. BUT. Some bigger brands will literally be a few days old. Purely mass-produced unaged rum, flavoured and colour...cos obviously without ageing, it'll be white. I'm sure you can imagine which brands I'm talking about.
However, SOME Spiced Rums from top Brands...Chairmans for example...Chairmans reserve is their normal Rum, (which is a blend of rums including 5yo Rum) BUT then to get the spices and flavours, the Spiced Rum is aged for another 6 months with REAL spices. NO artificial stuff.
Grams of Sugar per litre...
This refers to sugar added AFTER distillation. Obviously, when you distill something, there is no sugar in that distillate, you are just condensating Vapour in basic terms.
When it comes to Rum Laws...
Yeah, you're kind of on the right lines. But i think the one thing you miss is that EU Law (which is actually VERY similar to US law - except Rum is US must be 40% / 80 Proof) refers to ALL RUM. Not Rum made in the EU. It doesn't matter where the Rum is Made. So bearing in mind, the UK is one of...if not THE BIGGEST... Rum Market in the World...All Rum made in the Caribbean/Africa/US/Australia etc will conform to EU Law. The majority of it though will be 40%, not 37.5% as they will want to conform to US Law too. It's only super massive brands like Capt Morgs and Kraken that have the finance to make different Rums for different markets. US Capt Morgs is 40%, UK is 37.5%. US Kraken is 47%, UK is 40%. NOW, the issues come where as you rightly state, each Island in the Caribbean is trying to have their own GI. Barbados is leading the way with this. They want ALL Barbados Rum for example to contain ZERO Sugar added. Which is absolutely fine. Brilliant. It doesn't affect EU/US laws, it's just a GI. NOW the issue they have is Brands like Plantation Rum come in, buy Barbados Rum, then add Sugar to it. This is where the Hate of Plantation comes from. (Personally I love what they do) but what Barbados are working towards is no added sugar... but for example; WIRD supplies a lot of Rum to Plantation, who simply won't stop selling "Barbados Rum". So there's lots of negotiations to be added. BUT this is purely GI...NOT LAW. So don't confuse the 2 things. GI is completely different. it's purely providence relating to a certain place. Barbados wants to get to a point where EVERY Bottle of Barbados Rum you ever see around the world, you'll know is Zero Sugar added. But it will take a VERY LONG time to get to that point!
Now the point about Agricole Rhum;
Agricole is a VERY different beast. Again with its own GI. Agricole (Rhum...French Style) is distilled from Sugar Cane Juice. Not Molasses like a lot of Spanish (Ron...eg Cuba) & English (Rum...eg Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana). So French style which is loved by many, will be reminiscent of Brazilian Cachaca. VERY Grassy. To many of us though, while we don't really like Agricole Rhum Neat... it's an unbelievable addition to some Rum Cocktails. So don't right it off. A touch of Agricole in a Mai Tai is next level.
Future Rums...
I note from your Comment, you're actually probably more in a Spiced Camp, not "Proper Rum". That also rings true with some of your other comments, and what this whole video is about. If you love that Vanilla, Cinnamon, Clove notes, then obviously you're not going to like Agricole...or many Proper Rums. As I said, Bumbu is far from being a Proper Rum. It's a heavily sweetened "Spiced Rum". So my only advice would be to stick to Spiced Rums. I know Canada is way behind us in the UK, so I can't offer recommendations other than Chairmans which I know you can get. BUT, if you do want to try proper REAL Rums with that "Dark Brown Sugar" notes, then you will need to stick to Molasses based Rums....so predominately English Style. I personally would start you off with Guyana and El Dorado, as they are Demerara based Rums. th 12yo is lovely. But be warned...VERY different to Spiced Rums. Nowhere near as sweet. But Guyana would be the most accessible for your palate. From there, maybe move up to Trinidad, Central America. see how you go with them. THEN maybe attack Barbados & Jamaica because they are very Different. Jamaican Funk for example is a whole other beast.
Hope that helps!
@@StevetheBarmanUK Hi Steve! Thank you very much for your very helpful and thorough answer! I appreciate your recommendations for me, too, as well as your answering my question regarding added sugar. Also, now I understand the whole "spiced rum is not rum" thing.
I still have one question: when I asked how old spiced rum is, what I meant was when in history did rum-makers start to add spice to their rums? I feel like it should be a very old tradition, but am wondering if it is a sort of newfangled thing. In any case, I quite like it. :-) Having said that, I appreciated learning about the age of rums in your explanation. :-)
Finally, a quick question: what does "GI" mean?
@@nathanb.5792 It seems to me, since you also prefer the sweeter liquors, that you should probably try out bourbon whiskey and some of the sweeter scotch whiskeys. They are not spiced, a lot of them have sweet flavours of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon and banana embedded into them naturally, while also having the strong general taste of whiskey.
I used to only drink spiced rums like Kraken and Bacardi Spiced, but after knowing they're not rums at all and the fact that I didn't like the *actual* taste of rum, I moved on to sweet whiskeys like Four Roses or Three Lions. So for you, I would recommend Four Roses. I've also read that Evan Williams and Tullamore Dew have naturally sweet cinnamon and vanilla notes in them.
If you can get it in the UK, I would love to see your opinion of a local North Carolina Rum. Muddy River distillery, in Belmont NC makes some of the best I have tried, I think their Queen Charlotte variety is better than Appleton. They do produce a spiced Rum, but instead of using a low quality batch, as some distillers do, they use their best aged Rum as the base, and blend that with Root Beer spices.
Not heard of it. But will keep an eye out. Thank you 🙏
Hey steve love your videos! One question: any ideas on why the word RUM disappeared from the kraken label?
All the best! Keep uploading!
Good question! I hadn't noticed. In fact, I think i would've heard about that nugget if it had. Are you sure?!!?
I mean honestly, it is a "Rum Based Spirit Drink" not a Rum. But with clever wording, they can have Rum somewhere on the Labels.
I’d like to know where Kenny Chesney’s Blue Chair Bay falls in this. It’s considerably less sweet & brighter than most spiced rums.
Not heard of that 🤷♂️