Scratch

Founded by Doug Miller and Ellie Taverner in 2016 in a small village in Hertfordshire named Benington - only 20 minutes from Wheathampstead where I grew up a kid - Scratch is a British rum brand that does exactly what it says on the tin... erm, bottle. There are lots of 'British' rums out there that source rums from the Caribbean and elsewhere, tweak them slightly, and then proudly proclaim they're 'British'. But they're not. Scratch is one of very few companies in the UK making rum from... well, scratch - using molasses in the main with loooong fermentation periods to draw out as much flavour as possible. In some instances Doug, Ellie and the small team source ingredients to make botanical rums for something different but still jolly tasty, and the emphasis is on everything being as high quality as possible.

The Golden Rum enjoyed a brief aging in medium-char virgin oak barrel to pull out some colour and rich vanilla flavour, before a time was spent 'resting in glass', according to their blurb. This interested me, as it kinda gives the indication this is some kind of aging process which glass wouldn't be able to achieve. So I had a phone call with Doug and asked him what this meant. His thinking behind this is to let barrel batches marry together gently in a neutral environment, rather than just throwing everything together just before it's bottled. It's a fascinating theory, and one I'm keen to look more deeply into, but if it does have an effect it's certainly worth continuing with, as this rum is delicious. There's a nice fudge-y feel on both the nose and palate, but it's cut through with a soft white pepper note and a subtle spiciness - a bit cinnamon, a bit chilli flakes, it's a wonderful combination of sweet and spice. Whilst I'm fairly certain this is molasses based, there is a sprightly feel to it that hints at an agricole (sugar-cane juice) rum but that only makes things even more interesting. As with the Faithful white rum, this is an incredibly versatile spirit, with the depth and complexity to enjoy on its own but with enough character to work like a dream in a rum-forward cocktail!