English Spiced Rum: English Spirit Distillery's Cherry and Hibiscus Spiced Rum
Praised by the Great British Food Awards judging panel | Scratch distilled | Cherry, hibiscus & vanilla infusion | 42% Alc. | 50cl
Key Information
Distillery: English Spirit Distillery
Base spirit: Scratch-distilled rum
Infusion: Red cherries, hibiscus, vanilla
Strength: 42% Alc.
Volume: 50cl
Recognition: Great British Food Awards 2020
Tasting Notes
Nose: Sweet stone-fruit cherry with a floral hibiscus lift.
Palate: Rounded vanilla warmth with cherry fruit running through the middle; noticeably fuller-bodied than a Caribbean-style spiced rum.
Finish: Gentle ginger-like warmth with the cherry character lingering to the end of the glass.
What Makes This Spiced Rum Distinctive
- Built around red cherries and hibiscus rather than the cinnamon-and-clove spicing most Caribbean-style spiced rums use, which gives it a genuinely different flavour direction.
- Scratch distilled rather than bought in as bulk rum and flavoured, so the base spirit carries real character before the fruit infusion is added.
- Praised by the judging panel at the Great British Food Awards 2020, who noted its distinctive use of British-associated fruit rather than the usual tropical spicing.
- At 42% Alc., it holds its own neat or in a cocktail, rather than disappearing under other ingredients.
Perfect For
Suits:
Rum drinkers who find Caribbean spiced rum too one-note; cocktail enthusiasts looking for an unusual base spirit; anyone who enjoys cherry and vanilla flavours.
Occasions:
Sipped neat or over ice; as the base for a rum cocktail; alongside dark chocolate or a cherry-based dessert.
About English Spirit Distillery
English Spirit Distillery is run by Master Distiller Dr John Walters, who set out to prove that British rum could stand alongside the Caribbean tradition rather than imitate it. This spiced rum reflects that approach directly: rather than reaching for the standard spice cabinet, it's built around red cherries and hibiscus, ingredients with a genuinely British sensibility.
Understanding English Spiced Rum
English spiced rum is a growing category, and one where producers increasingly diverge from the Caribbean template of cinnamon, clove and dark sugar. Some English distillers stay close to that tradition; others, like English Spirit Distillery here, use the freedom of not being bound to a single regional style to build something with its own identity. The result is a spiced rum category in England that's genuinely varied rather than a single house style repeated across different labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does English Spiced Rum taste like?
A: Sweet cherry and floral hibiscus on the nose, with rounded vanilla warmth and cherry fruit running through the palate. It's fuller-bodied than a typical Caribbean spiced rum, with a gentle ginger-like warmth on the finish.
Q: How is this different from a Caribbean spiced rum?
A: Most Caribbean-style spiced rums lean on cinnamon, clove and dark sugar. This one is built around red cherries, hibiscus and vanilla instead, giving it a noticeably different, fruit-led flavour direction rather than a classic warming-spice profile.
Q: Has English Spiced Rum been recognised by any awards?
A: It was singled out and praised by the judging panel at the Great British Food Awards 2020, who highlighted its use of British-associated fruit over the more familiar tropical spicing.
Q: How should I drink English Spiced Rum?
A: It's good neat or over ice if you want to taste the cherry and vanilla character in full. It also works well as the base for rum cocktails, where its fuller body means it doesn't get lost among other ingredients.
Q: Who is English Spiced Rum suited to?
A: Rum drinkers who find standard Caribbean spiced rum a little one-note, and anyone who enjoys cherry, vanilla or hibiscus flavours, will find this a genuinely different take on the category.
