Review: Lamb’s Spiced Rum

Spiced rum is enjoying somewhat of a revival of late, following the release of several new products into the category over the last few years. Lamb’s spiced is one of those hoping to join in on the party, and it certainly has a more funky, ‘young’ vibe to its rather austere daddy, Lamb’s Navy. Made from a blend of Caribbean golden rum’s and spiced with cinnamon, lime essence and vanilla this is a fun-loving rum designed to appeal to a younger generation.

On the nose it smells strongly like cinnamon-spiced baked apple, with the vanilla and lime playing a supporting role. You have to try really quite hard to identify an ‘rumminess’ on the nose at all, which I suspect is very much a deliberate attempt to appeal to a whole new “I don’t like rum” market. Tasted neat, the cinnamon-apple theme continues, with the vanilla coming through a little more to help soften things out. Whilst it won’t be making it’s way into my sipping glass any time soon, it is much smoother than I expected, and surprisingly moreish. The rum base is unfortunately too well hidden to comment on properly and it does lack a little complexity but nonetheless I find myself quite liking it.

When mixing, it is definitely best to stick with the ‘long’ drinks; this isn’t a rum that will rock your world in a daiquiri or rum old fashioned. The signature Chilled gecko (50ml Lamb’s spiced, 75ml apple juice, 2 lemon wedges) does however make for a refreshing and easy-drinking libation. For those that enjoy a tot of rum, you’ll be hard pushed to find a drink that satisfies your rum cravings, but when thought of simply as a flavoured spirit, the possibilities become larger. It seems a shame that to create a product that introduces a new generation to rum, it is necessary to create something that doesn’t taste of rum, but that’s not to say I won’t be enjoying it in a punch or two over the coming months.

Lamb’s Spiced Rum is a disappointing example of the category that, whilst not intolerable, is not something worthy of purchase. It’s simple flavour profile is at least approachable but it just doesn’t stack up to the rigours of mixing.
Rating: ★★>/blockquote>

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Lamb’s Spiced Rum is available to buy from Master of Malt.

★: Terrible, only drink for a dare.
★★: Meh, not undrinkable but best left alone.
★★★: Reasonable, middle of the road.
★★★★: Tasty stuff, well worth seeking out.
★★★★★: Incredible, booze doesn’t get better than this. You need a bottle in your life.