Review: Myers’s Original Dark Rum

Myers’s is one of a relatively few rums in which some of the molasses from which it is produced is added back into the final product after distillation. Although most rums are in fact distilled from molasses, this post-distillation addition is uncommon and adds a very distinctive colour, aroma, and taste to the rum. Myers’s is a blend of up to 9 different rums, some of which I am led to believe can be very old indeed, although no age statement is claimed on the bottle. It is produced using pot-stills that are typical of the production method used in it’s home country of Jamaica. These pot-stills are less ‘efficient’ than column stills and so more of the congeners are carried over to the final product, contributing to the heavier flavours associated with dark rums.

Nose: It’s pretty intense, with the molasses immediately evident. Along with it come aromas of stewed prunes, manure, apples, plump raisins, butter toffee, and Christmas cake. The treacle-esque notes are full-on and once you’ve smelt it one, you’ll not miss it again.

Neat: Not all the intensity of the nose comes through on the palate, something which is both a relief and a touch disappointing at the same time. The taste is however pleasingly ‘heavy’, with woody molasses the dominant flavour. Unsurprisingly, its very sweet but finishes much cleaner than I might have expected. There is a touch of alcohol heat which fits with the slightly ‘rough and ready’ style of this rum. It’s not a sipper that’s for sure but its mixing possibilities are immediately evident.

It is indeed not until you start mixing this rum that you truly discover its real purpose in life . When used as the main component of cocktails containing other aromatic ingredients such as sweet vermouth in a Palmetto, the result is often just a tad too ‘heavy’ and sticky. If you like that kind of thing (and I do) then it’s worth a look, but the real enjoyment of this rum comes when it is partnered with ingredients that open up the flavours and offer some lightness to the palate. The modern classic ‘Treacle’ cocktail is an excellent example of such a drink, where the apple juice tames the rum just enough to freshen things up whilst allowing its character to shine through. The molasses/treacle taste of this rum is pretty tricky to hide, but that makes for some great twists on all sorts of drinks, even when it is not the primary spirit. Long, fruity tiki-style drinks in particular often benefit from the added character this rums brings.

Signature Cocktail – Treacle

1oz Myers’s Original Dark Rum
0.25oz sugar syrup
0.5oz pressed apple juice
2 dash bitters
Stir ingredients except apple juice with ice and float apple juice on top.

Myer’s Original Dark Rum is a characterful and distinctive rum that offers excellent value. The signature molasses flavour means it works much better in cocktails than when sipped neat, but this is certainly one rum everyone should try.

Rating: ★★★

Myers’s Original Dark 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.