SMITH & CROSS Traditional Jamaica Rum
- SKU:
- 3906513
- UPC:
- 5021692500963
This high-ester Jamaican rum is probably your bartender’s favourite. Soon it will be yours too.
Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum is bottled at ‘navy strength’ – a warming 57% – and was made at the legendary Hampden Estate. It contains only Wedderburn and Plummer pot still distillates which we’ll explain…
Each Jamaican distillery classifies its rum production based on their specific marques (or marks) which correspond to the content of esters after distillation. Esters are the aromatic chemical compounds created during fermentation and these determine how heavy and how funky the final rum is. Wedderburn and Plummer are obsolete rum marques that have an almost mythical status among rum geeks in no small part due to Smith & Cross Velier and Bristol Classic Rum. Wedderburn and Plummer rums take their names from West India merchant traders from Britain so there’s some pretty dark history behind those guys. However stylistically the rums that take their name are rich and bold with a dunder-driven funk exotic fruits and spices.
The Wedderburn component is heavy fiery and aged for six months. This is blended with a medium-bodied and slightly less funky Plummer component which was aged for between 18 months and three years in ex-Bourbon casks. The result is a punchy brew of roasted pineapple barbequed banana cigar dried Mexican chilli prune dark chocolate mulled wine spices wild blackberry Muscovado sugar vanilla custard buttery plum crumble topping vintage marmalade and prickly pepper. Those who love a full-on rum can sip this beauty neat maybe with a few ice cubes and a squeeze of lime. For us Smith & Cross is a must-have for characterful cocktails especially the Tiki kind which is probably why it is caused such a stir with bartenders on release. Find out what all the fuss is about today.
Originally Scottish-owned and active non-stop since 1753 Hampden is one of the oldest cane field owners in Jamaica and it produces high ester rum with true terroir. Based in Trelawny it’s one of only two rum distilleries in the entire world to use both their own spring water and sugar and to also employ purely pot stills wild fermentation and no addition of sugar or colouring. Master Distiller Vivian Wisdom also reserves both the dunder (non-alcoholic stillage) in wooden vats and the thick dark and bubbling gloop lovingly referred to as ‘muck’ (the skimmings from fermentation and by-products of the production process) these are reintroduced to their fermented molasses creating a completely unique fruity funk. As wild as the biodiversity that surrounds the distillery this creates a craft rum like no other on the planet.
You may be wondering why Hampden Estate is only whispered about by cocktail bartenders and diehard rum geeks rather than being a household name like Appleton and Wray & Nephew. Especially as it has inspired rum experts like Richard Seale and Luca Gargano. Well that’s because very little rum has been bottled under the Hampden name. Over the years most of it has found its way into well respected tots such as Smith & Cross.
SKU No.: 3906513
Style No.: 912691
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 57%
Volume: 700ml
This high-ester Jamaican rum is probably your bartender’s favourite. Soon it will be yours too.
Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum is bottled at ‘navy strength’ – a warming 57% – and was made at the legendary Hampden Estate. It contains only Wedderburn and Plummer pot still distillates which we’ll explain…
Each Jamaican distillery classifies its rum production based on their specific marques (or marks) which correspond to the content of esters after distillation. Esters are the aromatic chemical compounds created during fermentation and these determine how heavy and how funky the final rum is. Wedderburn and Plummer are obsolete rum marques that have an almost mythical status among rum geeks in no small part due to Smith & Cross Velier and Bristol Classic Rum. Wedderburn and Plummer rums take their names from West India merchant traders from Britain so there’s some pretty dark history behind those guys. However stylistically the rums that take their name are rich and bold with a dunder-driven funk exotic fruits and spices.
The Wedderburn component is heavy fiery and aged for six months. This is blended with a medium-bodied and slightly less funky Plummer component which was aged for between 18 months and three years in ex-Bourbon casks. The result is a punchy brew of roasted pineapple barbequed banana cigar dried Mexican chilli prune dark chocolate mulled wine spices wild blackberry Muscovado sugar vanilla custard buttery plum crumble topping vintage marmalade and prickly pepper. Those who love a full-on rum can sip this beauty neat maybe with a few ice cubes and a squeeze of lime. For us Smith & Cross is a must-have for characterful cocktails especially the Tiki kind which is probably why it is caused such a stir with bartenders on release. Find out what all the fuss is about today.
Originally Scottish-owned and active non-stop since 1753 Hampden is one of the oldest cane field owners in Jamaica and it produces high ester rum with true terroir. Based in Trelawny it’s one of only two rum distilleries in the entire world to use both their own spring water and sugar and to also employ purely pot stills wild fermentation and no addition of sugar or colouring. Master Distiller Vivian Wisdom also reserves both the dunder (non-alcoholic stillage) in wooden vats and the thick dark and bubbling gloop lovingly referred to as ‘muck’ (the skimmings from fermentation and by-products of the production process) these are reintroduced to their fermented molasses creating a completely unique fruity funk. As wild as the biodiversity that surrounds the distillery this creates a craft rum like no other on the planet.
You may be wondering why Hampden Estate is only whispered about by cocktail bartenders and diehard rum geeks rather than being a household name like Appleton and Wray & Nephew. Especially as it has inspired rum experts like Richard Seale and Luca Gargano. Well that’s because very little rum has been bottled under the Hampden name. Over the years most of it has found its way into well respected tots such as Smith & Cross.
SKU No.: 3906513
Style No.: 912691