Banditti Club Spiced Rum & Smokey Rogues Rum
From the distillery website
The Banditti Club were a company of bold rogues who would meet in Glasgow’s local public houses; sharing music, food and laughter late into the night.
Amongst their favourite pastimes was paying a 'Club Compliment' to the local police, then known as 'Charleys'. A common 'Compliment' was the upturning of the police box within which the Charley sat, trapping the night watchperson inside, much to their mischievous joy and the annoyance of the occupant.
Matured and spiced in Glasgow, Banditti Club is made using rum distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane juice on the Island of Madeira. Aged for 12 months in oak casks, Banditti is spiced with a selection of fresh tropical fruit and exotic spices, including pineapple, orange, cacao and allspice.
Natural sweetness and warm spice on the nose, Banditti Club opens up to toasted pineapple and orange on the palate with notes of clove and anise that lead to a long spicy finish.
This is a truly handcrafted spirit of the highest order with no added sugar, no colouring or any artificial flavours. Banditti Club Spiced Rum is an all-natural product that is best mixed with ginger beer or cola with a wedge of fresh lime.
No added colouring, no added flavouring and no added sugar.
Tasting notes
Appearance: Tawny gold, forms a thin line which beads before falling as slow, thin legs.
Nose: Apple strudel with a hefty dose of cinnamon, pineapple and a hint of clove oil.
Palate: Cinnamon Danish, caramel sauce, cough medicine, cloves and black liquorice.
Finish: Cinnamon and cloves with a dash of oaky woodiness.
Overall: Great nose but falls a bit flat on the palate. As a long drink with ginger beer, Lockets, cinnamon and clove dominate.
From the distillery website
A single cask limited edition of our Glasgow Spiced Banditti Club Rum. Naturally aged in oak casks and spiced with a selection of fresh fruit and exotic spices, Smoky Rogues is then finished in casks that previously held Glasgow 1770 Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky to add a deep and complex layer of smoky richness.
Experience notes of spiced orange, dark chocolate and smoky tobacco, mulled spices and zesty marmalade combine before a long smoky finish.
Bottled at 52.2% ABV, made with authenticity and integrity without additional colouring, sugar, or artificial flavouring and limited to only 390 individually numbered bottles.
Tasting notes
Appearance: Tawny gold, forms a thin line which beads before falling as slow, thin legs.
Nose: Cinnamon Apple strudel, pineapple and a hint of clove oil. Similar to the spiced rum but the baking spices are toned down. The smoke isn’t immediately evident but comes through when a drop is rubbed into the back of the hand.
Palate: Very similar but more balanced than the spiced rum. Plenty of Christmas spice but tempered with a subtle layer of peat smoke. As a result the cough syrup note is less pronounced and somewhat replaced by a dark chocolate orange note, resulting in a more rounded spirit.
Finish: Lebkuchen with just a hint of smoke.
Overall: A softer, more refined version of the spiced rum. This one feels more balanced and rounded, the addition of ginger beer also produces a far more approachable and enjoyable long drink. For me, this is a rum that would make a great addition to the Christmas drinks cabinet.
If you would like more information on these rums, or the Glasgow Distillery, follow the link to the company website.
This sample was part of a 5 dram tasting selection as part of a TweetTasting session organised by @TheWhiskyWire and the Glasgow Distillery.
Transparency: this sample pack was received free of charge for independent review. The author has no affiliation with the distillery, all opinions are my own and remain completely impartial.
