Rums in the UK

[mikef]

Whenever I travel, I look for new rums, and since I have a trip to London soon, I am seeking suggestions for what to look for. The last time I was in the UK, I picked up a bottle of Lambs Navy Rum, which I didn't like at first. but it grew on me as I finished the bottle.

[dwarnier]

Hi Mike. If you can find it you may like to try Bundaberg Black, an Australian rum. It's one of the rums I cannot find in the US, but I know a few stores in London have it. I think Soho wines is one of them? It's pretty expensive but I liked it

[mikef]

Thanks for the tip. I did a search and found their website, which is kind of

neat.

http://www.bundabergrum.aust.com/

[John von Pey]

Hello Mike

from my last trip to London, I remember an adress. Unfortunately I wasn't able to check it out, but that gives me a reason to go back

If you go to underground stop "chalk farm" (I believe on the Northern Line, it is the black one) and go above ground, go left at the exit. You reach a T-junction, and go right. On the left side of the street I saw a shop called "rum world". It looked promising, but as I mentioned, no time

Please let me know how this one turned out!

John

[Kikujiro]

Mike, you might also want to try Gerry's Wines and Spirits on Old Compton Street in Soho. It's where I buy my Zacapa and I think they have a fairly wide range (although vodka is where they really go to town).

[Dom Costa]

I suggest paying a visit to the Brixtonian Havana Club, 11 Beehive Place, Brixton, London SW9. A bar with an impressive amount of rums from all over the world, over 300 labels are on the shelves of the long bar.

Really worth a visit, a must for all rum lovers

Cheers

Dom

[JOHN REEKIE]

Mikef.. Have a Good trip to London..... And spend some time rum searching.

I have said before, when one goes to a different country and wants to buy rum, why buy only the rums from yet another country. If traveling to Canada I would never buy rum as we dont produce rum in Canada. Only neautral spirits, that get blended with caribbean rums, then to be named 'Canadian rum'. This is not RUM!. When in England why buy Australian Rum?.or Cuban Rum etc?

In my opinion one should be buying rums distilled in the 'Tropics' ( from sugar cane producing latitudes), then shipped to GB in cask. These unadultreated rums are then matured in the cellers of Great Britain or Europe.(if the had not matured in country of origin). Followed by bottling in GB. There is a great tradition of Rum in England & Scotland & Europe.

If in London go to Covent Garden Market area where you will find Cadenhead Whisky & Rum Merchants. They have aprox ten different rums originated in the Caribbean of many different ages, that have been matured in the West of Scotland at Cambleford.

Gordon & Mcphail another Scotish Distiller/blender of whisky has a couple of old rums the one I have was 27 years in barrel before bottling. Through their store a Lambs 1939 from Dunbarton, Scotland was sold to one of our EGullet members.

In the West of England there is Bristol Spirits that follow the tradition of importing single still batch rums. then ageing and bottling their rums.

So Mikef ask around , dont just buy standad brand names. There is a lot of 'British Rum' to find in London. There is also Plantation & Kanich Rums from France. and some coming out of Switzerland.

Goog luck Keep Rumsearching

[Rapping Bartender]

Hey Mike good luck on your travel to London. I've set up a rum bar in the north side of London (Stoke Newington N16). We've got about 105 different rums from around the world. So if want to check London's hottest rum bar then drop me an e-mail.

[Gavin Jones]

Good to see you Rapping Bartender. Though I'm rarely North of the River I can be found sometimes in Stokie looking for the grilled offal - do you have more details on your bar?

(if you've got a website it would be helpful if that was part of your signature - in any event it would be great to know where your bar was).

[Rapping Bartender]

Hi gavin . My personal web page is being constructed at the moment.The bar is at 18 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16. I'm actually leaving there soon to set up another Rum Bar/restaurant in Camden Town. I'll keep you posted.

[ctgm]

Mikef,

I am based in London and am a wholesaler/exporter of wines & spirits. If you want some exceptional rums why not try Bristol Spirit's Classic Rum range. They have got some fantastic old rums - Monymusk 25yo, Port Morant 20yo, Versailles 18yo, Long Pond 16yo etc etc. I know that they are sold in Harrods but they are a bit expensive there. If you are interested I could talk to the owner (who I get on very well with and I can try and find out where he sells cheaper).

[mikef]

I would like to thank everyone for their helpful replies. Still a couple of weeks before we go, I will provide a report after my return.

[mikef]

I found quite a variety of Rum during my London visit, although what I was interested in was a bit expensive for my tastes (approx $50/bottle!) I did visit Gerry's (thanks to Kikijuro), where they probably had 30 different rums as did another shop just a short distance down Old Compton St. I also visited Cadenhead's in Covent Garden. I did see Havana Club and Matusalem from Cuba at a number of locations, when I mentioned to one of the store owners that I couldn't legally bring back to the USA, he suggested soaking the label off! I guess I will have to wait for my trip to Aruba this summer for my next search.

[jackal10]

Lemon Hart Rum

Lemon Hart was a distant ancestor of mine

[Jason Perlow]

I found quite a variety of Rum during my London visit, although what I was interested in was a bit expensive for my tastes (approx $50/bottle!)  I did visit Gerry's (thanks to Kikijuro), where they probably had 30 different rums as did another shop just a short distance down Old Compton St.  I also visited Cadenhead's in Covent Garden.  I did see Havana Club and Matusalem from Cuba at a number of locations, when I mentioned to one of the store owners that I couldn't legally bring back to the USA, he suggested soaking the label off!  I guess I will have to wait for my trip to Aruba this summer for my next search.

I seriously doubt that on a flight back from London the customs are looking for Cuban rum or would even know what it was if they saw it. I brought back several bottles from Canada and from St. Maarten last year and they didn't even bat an eye or open the boxes.

Frankly, Customs is more preoccupied with other things these days...

[Mika J]

Hello all,

I just wanted to add that as far as I know from last year's visit to Milroys of Soho, this fantastic establishment better known for whiskies was going to start selling also some fine rums - they said that by the beginning of this year they should have some good rums for sale (initially talk was of Bristol Spirits' rums).

Sincerely,

Mika