It’s been a while since my last review (for this website at least), so I was certainly overdue for another one! This one’s special as it’s the first time I’m reviewing a dram from a distillery I’ve reviewed before! The distillery in question is White Peak Distillery, a local favourite of mine from Derbyshire. Last time I reviewed their Wireworks Alter Ego whisky, which I very much enjoyed, but this time we’re tackling a different beast, as I’m reviewing their cask aged rum!
Bottled at 50% ABV, it’s worth mentioning that this is a newer version of White Peak’s rum, in which they’ve tried to aim for a more dunder heavy recipe than before (this bottle’s batch number is 11-24, for those it matters to). The bottle and label are both very standard, unlike the Wireworks whisky; the rum bottle is also at a lower capacity, holding only 50cl rather than the standard 70cl shared amongst its whisky brethren. It’s clear then that this dram is going to need to be carried entirely by the flavour to stick in people’s minds, and I do believe that’s what their creators are banking on. Let’s see if they succeeded!
The nosing is surprisingly subtle for what should be a powerful beverage. There are some very pronounced honey and vanilla notes, almost akin to what I find in some bourbons, however there is a very welcome mild banana undertone that reels it back into the realm of dark rum. Upfront the flavour is not what you’d expect from the smell, but is more in line with my baseline expectations simply looking at this rum on paper; a sharp pinch of dried dark fruits and brown sugar. The body of the palette is rather complex and seems to be a fusion of the two flavours we’ve seen before, scored by sweet banana, charred oak and a foray of spice. The aftertaste is contrastingly simple, with a strong burn, a smooth swallow and a vanilla finish, complemented nicely by some mild smoke.
If you were to dilute this rum you’d find it remarkably smooth and delicately sweet, bringing out its primary flavours of vanilla and banana in spades. This is a rum that would work nicely in most mixers, be in cola, ginger beer or even lemonade. I could also see aficionados really enjoying this dram with just a bit of water dilution, akin to what is done with some high-end whiskies.
This is a rum that is really diverse in its use, and I believe can be enjoyed in any way the drinker wants, as long as they enjoy the base spirit of course! It’s worth noting that drinking this rum neat is not for the faint of heart; the sharpness at the front and the burn at the end are both rather intense, and could be a bit too much for some. However, in my experience, even mild diluting removes almost all the sharpness and burn from this spirit.
As mentioned, I believe this can be drunk any way the consumer desires, but personally I believe it pairs very nicely with most ginger based mixers, particularly those that are also powerful in flavour such as bitter ginger ale or fiery ginger beer.
If you haven’t gathered already, I really enjoy this rum. It’s simply a brilliant take on a dark rum. I actually had the chance to try both the old recipe for White Peak’s rum and this newer one, and I believe the recent choice to ramp up the dunder was an excellent call. When neat, it’s a great rum for serious connoisseurs to enjoy the intensity and complexity contained within, and when diluted it becomes a delectable, accessible rum for even the most average rum consumer. A truly inspiring achievement, and a massive congrats to White Peak for achieving it! (Just got to get the rum it’s own bottle and label design now, then you’ll have solid gold on your hands!)
This post’s recommended song is: “Somebody New” – The Struts
