Its strong, flavorful and even a bit bitter..and it got ATTITUDE – this is Smith & Cross rum from Jamaica.
Oops..i`m a bit late to post after the Tales..but real life has hit me with something called work…yes i do have a real job;-) – i`m not sitting here experimenting with rare demeraras all days…but now its RUM TIME!
And better late than never..
I managed to bring back a few rum treasures like the Lemon Hart 151 and the since a long time wanted Jamaican pot still rum Smith&Cross. Now i also know what the fuss was all about – and yes they are so right to rave over this one.
I can`t really figure out how it happened but last year on Tales in New Orleans this rum was out for tasting and somehow i managed to miss it..can you believe that? i really wonder what i was doing..apparently i was doing something!
Anyway, so it took a year for me to get to try it out and get me a bottle…because as far as i know you need to go to the states to get hold of this rum as its not sold in Europe (yet) i really hope to see it sold in the UK..will it be? and if so…when? and why is not already?
The Smith & Cross brand goes back all the way to the 1788s when underground cellars near the river Thames in London stored Jamaican rum which was famous in the 19th and 20th century.
Smith & Cross contains only pot still distillates by Wedderbaum and Plummer – and its unfiltered so here`s flavor….of exotic fruits and island spice – its very deep, raw, flavorful and it kicks ass! – its what rum used to be..Its a bit too strong for sipping though ( 57% ABV – navy strength ) and more suitable for mixing and as a mixing rum its excellent.
Perfect for Tiki drinks as well! and it blends well with other rums. I haven´t had the time yet to play that much with it yet, But Jay over at Oh Gosh! made an excellent review of it last year.
So for now i have mostly had it by itself mixed with fresh fruit juices or with Batavia arrak to make a witchdoctor.. Here`s a few other ways to use it:
MIXOHAUS CHARTREUSE SWIZZLE
Can`t have enough of this iconic drink..its both strong and extremely refreshing at the same time. I miss all the evenings in the mixohouse with this grand drink passed around in flower vases..where additions of various rums were added. One of those that i like the most is the one with Smith&Cross.
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Falernum
1 oz Smith&Cross
1 oz Green Chartreuse
2 dash Angostura Bitters
Fresh mint for garnish
Add ingredients to a glass full of crushed ice. Swizzle until the glass frost on the outside, lavishly garnish with mint, and add straw.
ELYSIAN TIKI PUNCH – A tiki drink in rememberance of the 2010 Mixohouse and those warm humid nights on the porch listening to the whole orchestra of cikadas sipping great cocktails and ice cold beers. The name comes from the street Elysian ave – a version with Zaya instead of ONO Cajun was made for the Zaya TDN last thursday.
This is a drink to sip and remember the summer, the syrup has a subtle touch of pecan nuts.
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz fresh orange juice
1 oz Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum
1 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum
0.5 oz pecan butter syrup
0.5 oz fresh lime juice
Dash Bitter Truth Creole bitters on top of the ice
Mix in blender with crushed ice for 10 sek or shake vigoriously with ice, strain and serve in a glass filled with fresh crushed ice, add some extra ice to build it up over the glass a bit and add a few dashes of the Creole bitters on top. Garnish with fresh mint. Add straws.
PECAN BUTTER SYRUP
Lightly crush and toast a handful of pecan nuts in a dry iron pan until fragrant. make a simple syrup with 2:1 muscovado sugar and water, add the pecan nuts and slightly boil, set aside to cool. Strain into a clean bottle. Before using it warm up the amount you gonna use and add little bit of unsalted butter to it. When the butter is melted, stir it in and use for the drink.
Smith & Cross is imported to the US by Haus Alpenz LLC, Edina MN, www.alpenz.com
This is what i call a RUM! Can also be found online at DrinkUpNy
http://www.braindumps.com/C2010-570.htm http://www.test-king.com/exams/VCPVCD510.htm http://www.norwich.edu/ http://www.actualtests.com/exam-400-051.htm http://www.certkiller.com/exam-350-018.htm http://www.ism.ws/
I thought this rum was very good, with estery top-notes and an evident pot still rum character (grass, spice). It reminds me of a lot of the white overproof you get around the Caribbean but superior due to the aging and blending. I am glad one taster mentioned a funky note, I get that too, as in overripe fruit perhaps or even a brett-like taste (hard to describe). I noticed it more when the rum is diluted with water or ice.
I find it perfect to drink neat when let down to about 40% ABV. I used water from a Brita filter system and it drank smooth as glass with rich flavour. Thanks for the chance to comment.
Gary
Yeah i know about Hitime, Forrest Cokely worked there, but i didn`t know they shipped out of the US.Might try it sometimes to get those rare things over but now i`m soon going so that`ll be later! thanks for sharing the link.
Love a S&C Daiquiri, nice and stiff. I love the flavor for mixing when I have call for dark Jamaican, I sub it for Appleton a fair amount. It was tough to find when I got my first bottle but US distribution is much better now.
One of my favorite rums has Hogo. I feel like a pirate when I drink it 😉
If any of you Euros are of a mind to order spirits from the US http://www.hitimewine.net/ in Costa Mesa, CA will ship to EU, I just spoke with them on a lark to confirm, one bottle is US$70 shipping Add~$20 per bottle additional.
They are one of the better bottle shops in California and I think their online selection is the best in the country, they have a huge selection of cane spirits, massive whiskey and scotch, ton of vodkas (don’t know why one needs more then 1) and a nice gin selection as well as wines of all kinds.
Yeah Jimbo! but i prefer it mixed though..mainly because of it´s high proof but taste is as we know personal..and when it comes to Smith and Cross i think we are truly blessed to have such a rum since it´s unfiltered and really a true pot still. But when it comes to sipping i prefer rums like El Dorado 15 yo and the ICBU single barrel and St Nicholas Abbey 12 yo..to name just a few:-) i need to stop because there´s so many good rums..
Yes dear Tiare you are right – most rum drinkers don’t sip Smith & Cross. But this is really a matter of conditioning. Unlike fine single malt whiskies, most of what passes for “rum” is actually a rather thin and tasteless, mass-produced column product that is then altered with flavorings and additives, maybe even a bit of pot-stilled product so as to taste “rum-like”.
The problem: each distiller uses his own unlabeled recipe so you end up with all manner of different profiles. Rum drinkers never know what real and pure (pot-stilled) rum tastes like. And this is why there are no rum wheels. Compare to relatively pure single malts, bourbons, or tequila – all of which share common elements, because they are not altered.
If more rum drinkers would learn to appreciate real and pure rums like S&C, many of the Cadenheads, Seale’s products and a few others, rum would grow in stature and quality to the benefit of all.
Smith and Cross is a true Jamaican style rum, displaying a huge number of esters and flavors sadly missing (or poorly imitated) in column stilled offerings. Kudo’s to the previous poster, who got it, including the addition of a bit of water to release even more flavors (or a good mixed drink)..
Cheers!
rumiGo – Smith and Cross is perfect for tiki and exotic/tropical drinks and is best mixed together with another rum because of it´s strength and funkiness which when mixed with another rum really adds a new dimension to these drinks,(like 1 oz of each) but is also good in some drinks as the only rum, i like to make Mai Tais with it for example.
Also you could try it in a daiquiri! if you write Smith & Cross in the search box on top right you`ll get all the posts where i have made drinks with this rum.
Most people don´t usually drink it straight, it´s more a mixing rum, but as always taste is personal so if you like to sip it it´s fine!
Hmmm ? As a bourbon and scotch drinker, I find S & C an interesting rum. Main flavor that comes to mind is an acrid smoke of a New York ghetto fire after it is put out by the fire-fighting crews, somewhat mellowed by a nice buttery background.
Taste reveals some sourish and remote rum molasses notes. An acquired taste but very enjoyable once you form a relationship with it. I would compare it to some better Islay scotches and than some. I drink it straight or with bit of ice. Have no idea what to mix it with since its signature is very strong. A rum for a seasoned drinker !
I start to believe there`s many “the perfect Mai Tai”…i`ve had many..as long as you have a very good rum or rum combo and the right recipe with the right mixers you get it right!
In any case, the spirit in the bottle is surely rum..
It seems like my last comment got lost in the ether, so I’ll try again.
It’s either called Mt. Gay Sugar Cane Rum or Sugar Cane Brandy, depending on where it’s sold. It can’t be called brandy here in the U.S. due to the liquor laws, but that may work out better so that people don’t get confused.
For a more in-depth discussion, I’ll turn it over to Captain Jimbo
Great post Tiare. I’m an unqualified fan of Smith & Cross. I hope that we see an aged version of this rum in the years to come, which might just make the perfect Mai Tai!
Sunny, that sounds like those brown sugar “cakes” you can find in indian and asian shops. I like the syrup you get from those but in small quantities and with the right rum, i think the flavor goes towards dark rums there.
Jimbo, thank you for the ester and Plummer and Wedderburn info! i didn`t know all that;-)
Hi Tiare, hope you remain well…
Things are great at The Rum Project (link at my name). I just had to jump in on Smith – a lovely rum.
Smith & Cross is a rum anyone who is truly interested in the Jamaican style (there are 4 or 5 styles).
However, one important note. You stated “Smith & Cross contains only pot still distillates by Wedderbaum and Plummer”.
This implies that there are producers named “Plummer” or “Wedderburn”. There are not.
These are actually two of the four classifications (by # of esters) of rum and which apply to all producers.
Common Clear is usually produced by continuous stills, 80 to 150 esters, lightly floras).
Plummers are ususally pot stilled, 150-200 esters, light fruity.
Wedderburns are 200+ esters, deep fruity, good body, very pungent.
And last Continentals have from 200 to 1700 esters, are very heavy, full of acetones (banana like when diluted). Used by the Germans to make fake rum.
In comparison most Demerarans are 80 or fewer esters. A BIG difference!
S&C is quite sippable with just a very little water (which will release even more flavors).
Highly recommended.
Yeah, I like playing around with the unrefined/barely refined sugars in syrups. Turbinado is usually what is available here. It’s drier than muscovado and has been somewhat refined, but it’s still a lot more flavorful than standard brown sugar.
Rapadura/raspadura is the form of dried cane juice more available here, and I also like using it. It’s comes in brick-hard clocks and cones but it is unrefined dried cane juice that makes a nice rich syrup.
Good idea with pecan syrup in the morning coffee, i need to make more..
Also, have you tried to make muscovado sugar syrup using 1/4 dark and 3/4 light muscovado? you get a deep flavored syrup with it.
Jordan, i never even heard of Mt. Gay Sugar Cane Brandy – don´t you mean Mt Gay rum? rum is a sugar cane spirit not the brandy.
As another small note, the best Mai Tai I’ve ever had was a combination of Smith & Cross and Mt. Gay Sugar Cane Brandy. Delightfully funky, but it sure packed a punch as well.
I look high and low looking for the Depaz cane syrup which I love. When there’s none to be had I’ll use Lyle’s Golden Syrup as a decent substitute. I do have some nice homemade orgeat that just may end up in the mix though.
The pecan syrup will probably find it’s way into drinks that include Frangelico or a coffee liqueur as ingredients. I think it will be a nice flavor complement. There’s a beter than average chance it will make it into the morning coffee today too (sans butter).
Thanks for the great drink.
Woohoo! happy to hear that sunny! well..its not every time you got pecan butter syrup available and maybe not feeling like making it either..so i believe a rich sugar cane syrup also would be nice. A syrup like Petit Canne Sugar Cane syrup from Martinique for example – which is a syrup i find to be VERY deep and flavorful.Also orgeat could be nice in this drink i believe.
WOW, Thanks! The Elysian Punch is a seriously good drink! I’m going to have a hard time conserving my precious ONO Cajun Spice now that you’ve turned me on to this one.
The pecan butter syrup is a perfect complement to the rich buttery tastes of the Smith and Cross — I might up the amount of syrup just a bit the next time around, but I don’t want it to overpower the rum. I had to sub Peychaud’s for the BT Creole bitters, but it works well enough. Quite happy with this one.
Rowen, i actually got “addicted” to the magic chartreuse swizzle during those days in the mixohouse and i totally blame Rick and Gabe for that;-)
Take it easy with it Tony! it may take long before you can get a new one..- difficult though as its such an awesome rum.If you create some original nice drinks with it please share!
Nice! Two great drinks and a very interesting rum! My bottle is going pretty fast here.
I have no access to over proofed rum here in Brasil so this has been my to go when I need a little kick.
Yes! Smith & Cross is very, very wonderful. And your recipes truly exhale New Orleans. I’m gonna make a Chartreuse Swizzle immediately. (Well, OK–tomorrow. Maybe immediately wouldn’t be the best idea after 3 drinks when I have to go to bed to get up at 5:30.)
It has a very subtle flavor from the nuts, not strong but i guess it could be made more or less strong depending on how long you let it sit and how many nuts you use.Please let me know how you like the drink!
I also REALLY like the addition of butter in tiki drinks! and the tiki mug is such a perfect thing to use if you wanna hide some butter solids haha..
The Smith and Cross, St. Elizabeth, and Taylor Falernum end up in the same drinks with some regularity, yes.
The St. Elizabeth is significantly smoother than my homemade pimento dram, but as far as the falernum goes I find I like my homemade in some things and the Taylor’s in others. And at the moment I’m out of homemade, so it’s time for a kitchen day.
Speaking of. . . your pecan butter syrup sounds wonderful. I love all the Sippin’ Safari drinks that call for butter, so I’ll certainly be making some pecan butter syruo to try your Elysian punch.
Sunny, have you tried to mix them?
Guess what? i could never have guessed that! with the selection they carry i thought they were big..well then maybe that`s why the int shipping was so high.
I was a bit surprised when I visited the DUNY store during a recent trip to NYC. It’s a seriously tiny liquor store. The shelves are only a couple of feet apart from each other, so letting people by was a bit tricky. Really nice people though.
Well was THAT an inconvenience..really not good. Hope they get it to work again. But really..i would like to see lower shipping prices as well.
I love the Smith & Cross, and was only able to get it a couple of months ago along with other equally elusive Haus Alpens products like Taylor Velvet Falernum, St. Elizabeth Pimento Dram, and Hayman’s Old Tom. It was like Christmas in springtime!
As to just how much I’m enjoying this rum — I haven’t used Appleton Extra in a mai tai in months. And as the Smith & Cross is basically at the same price point as Extra here, I think that just might be a permanent switch.
That’s what they said to me:
Hi Oliver,
We regret to inform you that due to stricter shipping policies with DHL, we are now unable to ship internationally. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and hope to be able to ship to you again in the future. Currently, we owe you five bottles of Sazerac, and will issue a refund for the bottles. Please confirm that this is the email you use for PayPal: [email protected]
Thank you, and once again, we apologize for the inconvenience.
Are you sure? i just went to their website and added a bottle of rum to the cart and went to checkout to see what happened – USD 135 to ship to me..for one bottle that cost USD 27..
Well,the shipping price is astronomical so its impossible for me anyway..
A pity they can`t ship worldwide to reasonal shipping prices because their selection is excellent.
Unfortunately DrinkUpNY don’t ship to Europe anymore…