Smith & Cross Jamaica Rum

Smith & Cross Jamaica Rum Hard to find in stock!This rum represents the distinctively flavorful and aromatic style that made Jamaica rum famous in the late 19th and early 20th century. Containing only Wedderburn and Plummer pot still distillates, famous for their notes of exotic fruits and spice, it delivers a tour de force of flavour and complexity that historically made Jamaica rum a cornerstone of many classic drinks.The mark of Smith & Cross traces its lineage to 1788 as one of Englands oldest producers of sugar and spirits. Over time, the firm and its partners became prominent handlers of Jamaica Rum, with extensive underground cellars along the river Thames.On Production and the Wedderburn & PlummerThrough the 19th century and into the earlier 20th century, Jamaica Rum was revered for its deep full flavors and pleasing aromas. In this era, rum fell into three general classes, Local Trade Quality, Export Trade Quality (mainly an ester-intensive "High Continental" style for the German market), and Home Trade Quality for UK (and US) consumption. In the mid 20th century appeared the more familiar "Common Clean" light and/or sweeter styles on offer today, made with the column-still product introduced in the late 1950s. The heavier bodied Wedderburn and medium bodied Plummer styles were made with a combination of the molasses, skimmings, cane juice, and syrup bottoms from sugar production, and the dunder of the previous rum production. A Jamaica tradition has been the use of wild yeasts indigenous to the region in the fermentation process, which is arguably a major contributor to the special body and flavor. The end result is a rum of tremendous and local character.This ExpressionHere we offer a blend of approximately equal parts Wedderburn and Plummer, the former aged for less than a year, and the latter split between 18 months and 3 years on white oak. It is not a style that necessarily benefits from further aging, as the oak can dominate the fruit and spice notes within and in time dampen the aromas.Navy Strength57% ABV (50% by weight, or 100° English proof) was the traditional strength required by the British Royal Navy. At this proof a spill of the spirits would not prevent gunpowder from igniting. As important, this degree of concentration provided an efficiency in conveyance on board and onward to trading partners far away.Navy Strength should not be confused with Navy Rum, which was for over 200 years a daily ration in the British Royal Navy, and traditionally composed of rums principally from Guyana, also Jamaica and Barbados.