The Rum Renaissance, why it’s No Longer Just for Pirates (and a surprising Sambuca!)
Rum is having a moment.
Once associated mainly with pirates, tiki cocktails and sugary mixers, today’s rum category is becoming one of the most exciting in the drinks world. Craft distillers are experimenting with new flavours, premium producers are championing long maturation and provenance, and even alcohol-free alternatives are becoming genuinely impressive.
On this episode of Food Rebels, AJ Sharp was joined by cocktail expert Maria Eastley from The Midnight Muddler and drinks writer Clare Pope to taste a fascinating selection of rums from across the globe. From the Caribbean and the Seychelles to Scotland and Paraguay, alongside innovative alcohol-free alternatives and two premium British sambucas, the tasting proved just how diverse modern spirits have become.
Here’s what we discovered.
CleanCo’s Clean R 0.0% ABV – Raising the Bar for Alcohol-Free Rum
£16 on the CleanCo website
Produced by CleanCo, founded by Spencer Matthews, Clean R was the first spirit we tasted and immediately challenged expectations of what an alcohol-free rum can be.
Rich layers of caramel, vanilla and warming spice create impressive complexity, while avoiding the excessive peppery heat that some alcohol-free spirits rely on. Instead, it delivers genuine depth and a long, satisfying finish.
The panel agreed it would work brilliantly in classic rum cocktails or simply served over ice.
Perfect serve: With ginger beer, fresh lime and plenty of ice, or in an alcohol-free Mojito.
Mermaid Spiced Rum 38% ABV – Caribbean Character with an Isle of Wight Twist
£42 from Amazon & John Lewis
Mermaid Spiced Rum blends Caribbean rum with Isle of Wight white cherry, apricot and locally grown holy grass before being aged for up to five years in bourbon barrels.
The result is wonderfully smooth, opening with honeyed caramel and vanilla before revealing layers of plum, apricot and vibrant cherry. The ageing brings warmth and depth without overwhelming the fruit.
It was one of the panel’s favourite bottles of the day, with everyone commenting on how the flavours continued to develop long after the first sip.
Perfect serve: Over ice with ginger beer and a sprig of fresh mint.
Takamaka Dark Spiced Rum 38% ABV – Tropical Flavours from the Seychelles
£29.19 from Waitrose
Created by brothers Bernard and Richard d’Offay, Takamaka celebrates the relaxed spirit of the Seychelles.
Made using island spring water and molasses sourced from around the Indian Ocean, it offers aromas of baking spices and ripe papaya before opening into tropical fruit, vanilla and caramel with a gentle peppery finish.
The panel particularly enjoyed its warmth and balance, describing it as both comforting and surprisingly elegant.
Perfect serve: Serve over ice with cola or enjoy in a classic Rum Punch.
Island Black Forest Dark Scottish Rum 38% ABV – Scotland’s Unexpected Take on Rum
£36 from their website
Scottish rum might sound unusual, but Isle of Barra Distillers have created something genuinely distinctive.
Built around bold flavours of wild cherry, blackcurrant, orange peel and coconut, this expression is inspired by the richness of a Black Forest dessert while still retaining the tropical warmth of traditional rum.
Its intense fruit profile led to plenty of discussion around the tasting table, with suggestions that it would be just as delicious in desserts or cooking as it would be enjoyed neat after dinner.
Perfect serve: Sip neat, over ice, or use to add depth to chocolate desserts and rich sauces.`
Black Tot Finest Caribbean Rum 46% ABV – A Blend Steeped in History
£40.99 from Master of Malt
Named after the Royal Navy’s famous daily rum ration, Black Tot brings together rums from Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana and Jamaica.
The result is a beautifully balanced blend delivering ripe pineapple, vanilla fudge, toasted cinnamon and warming spice. Rich enough for sipping yet versatile enough for cocktails, it demonstrates just how exciting expertly blended rum can be.
Its distinctive bottle also prompted one of the lighter moments of the tasting, with comparisons being made to a certain famous bottle of Worcestershire sauce!
Perfect serve: Neat, over ice, or in a premium Rum Old Fashioned.
El Supremo 8-Year-Old Rum 40% ABV – Paraguay’s Hidden Gem
£49.95 from Master of Malt, Gerry’s Wine & Spirits, Rum Shop UK
One of the biggest discoveries of the tasting came from Paraguay.
Unlike many traditional rums, El Supremo is produced from pure sugarcane juice which is slowly reduced into miel de caña (sugarcane honey) before being double-cask matured, first in native Paraguayan Incienso Marrón wood and then in French oak.
The nose offers warming cinnamon, clove and wood, while the palate delivers cocoa, caramel and a distinctive mineral character before finishing with lingering spiced cocoa.
Elegant, refined and beautifully balanced, this is a rum made for slow sipping.
Perfect serve: Serve neat or over a single large cube of ice.
CleanCo Clean T 0.0% ABV – A Fresh Take on Tequila
£16 on the CleanCo website
Although technically stepping away from rum, CleanCo’s alcohol-free tequila alternative proved another pleasant surprise.
Gentle agave sweetness combines with savoury herbal notes and a subtle peppery finish, creating an excellent base for alcohol-free Margaritas or Palomas.
It demonstrated once again how quickly the low and no category is evolving.
Perfect serve: With tonic over ice, or mixed into an alcohol-free Margarita.
Cimbroni 33 Classic Sambuca 40% ABV – Sambuca Reimagined
Crafted in Kent, Cimbroni 33 aims to change perceptions of sambuca.
Produced in small batches and rested in oak for 33 days, it offers smooth aniseed balanced with vanilla, floral notes and gentle spice. Rather than being designed as a shot, this is very much a sipping spirit.
The panel agreed it was a far more refined experience than many people associate with sambuca.
Perfect serve: Serve neat or over ice after dinner.
Cimbroni 33 Coffee Sambuca 38% ABV – A Luxurious Finish
The final spirit of the tasting delivered rich coffee, creamy caramel and butterscotch before the familiar aniseed character emerged on the finish.
Smooth, indulgent and surprisingly elegant, it felt more like an after-dinner digestif than a traditional sambuca.
For several members of the panel, it completely changed their perception of the category.
Perfect serve: Serve chilled after dinner or pour over vanilla ice cream.
Our Tasting Panel’s Favourites
Although every spirit brought something different to the table, a few clear favourites emerged.
Maria Eastley
- Favourite Rum: Mermaid Spiced Rum
- Runner-up: Cimbroni 33 Classic Sambuca
“The Mermaid had beautiful stone fruit notes and a lovely long finish, but the Cimbroni was a real surprise.”
Clare Pope
- Favourite: Takamaka Dark Spiced Rum
“It had wonderful tropical character and a really comforting warmth.”
AJ Sharp
Choosing just one proved almost impossible, but AJ’s stand-out bottles included:
- Mermaid Spiced Rum
- El Supremo 8-Year-Old Rum
- Cimbroni 33 Coffee Sambuca
She also described Clean R as one of the best alcohol-free spirits she’d tasted, proving just how far the category has come.
The Biggest Trends We Noticed
Rum has grown up: One thing became clear almost immediately: rum is no longer simply a mixer. Many of the bottles we tasted were designed to be enjoyed neat or over ice, with complex layers of flavour that evolved in the glass. Several of the panel commented that these were spirits to savour rather than simply mix.
Premium spiced rum is raising the bar: Spiced rum has become one of the fastest-growing categories in recent years, but today’s examples are far removed from the overly sweet bottles of the past. Instead, producers are using carefully selected fruits, botanicals and carefully managed ageing to create sophisticated spirits with real depth and balance.
Great rum can come from unexpected places: The Caribbean may still be the spiritual home of rum, but it certainly isn’t the only place producing exceptional bottles.Our tasting included rum from the Seychelles, Scotland and Paraguay, each bringing its own character and local influence to the category.
Alcohol-free spirits continue to impress: We started, and almost finished, the tasting with alcohol-free alternatives from CleanCo. Rather than simply trying to imitate rum and tequila, they offered genuine complexity and flavour, proving just how far the low and no category has evolved.
More Than Just Great Rum
Whether it was Mermaid blending Caribbean rum with Isle of Wight botanicals, Takamaka capturing the spirit of the Seychelles, El Supremo introducing Paraguay’s rum-making traditions to the UK, or Isle of Barra creating an unmistakably Scottish interpretation of rum, every producer had a unique story to tell.
The tasting also highlighted just how quickly alcohol-free spirits are evolving, while Cimbroni demonstrated that even familiar categories like sambuca can be completely reimagined.
Our tasting wasn’t about finding a single winner—it was about celebrating innovation, craftsmanship and great flavour.
That’s exactly the kind of rebellion we love championing on Food Rebels.
If you’d like to hear the full tasting, the lively discussion and plenty more tasting notes, listen to the complete episode of Food Rebels, hosted by AJ Sharp.
