Still Spirits Spiced Rum Essence, how to use it
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Spiced rum is the one people reach for when they want a drink with some warmth in it, and the honest truth is that most of the character is coming from what got added after the rum was made rather than from the rum itself. Which is good news if you're making it at home, because the part that carries the flavour is the part you've got full control over.
What the essence does
Still Spirits Spiced Rum Essence goes into a neutral base and brings the vanilla, the warm baking spice and the caramel depth that people recognise as spiced rum. It's a complete essence rather than a blending component, so it's not meant to be mixed with something else first. You put it into a clean base spirit, you give it time to settle and you've got rum.
It's worth saying, because somebody always asks. Flavouring a bought neutral base isn't distilling and there's no ATO excise licence in it at all. If you're distilling the base yourself that's a federal manufacturer licence through the ATO, and it's a separate question to this one.
How to make it
The ratio is printed on the bottle and it's worth following exactly the first time, because once you know what the standard mix tastes like you've got a reference point to adjust from, and without that reference point you're just guessing. Mix it into the base and seal it up, then leave the thing alone for a day or two. It's drinkable straight away and it's noticeably better once it has sat.
Taking it further
This is where it gets interesting, because a bought bottle is somebody else's recipe and yours doesn't have to be. A cinnamon stick and a strip of orange peel left in for a few days will lift the whole thing, and a little vanilla or a touch of oak will push it darker and rounder. Taste as you go and pull the solids out when it's where you want it, because they keep working whether you're paying attention or not.
What to do with it
- Neat or over ice. Spiced rum holds up on its own better than most flavoured spirits do.
- Rum and cola. The obvious one, and the spice is what stops it tasting flat.
- A spiced old fashioned. Swap the whisky out, keep the bitters and the orange twist.
- Hot buttered rum. Underrated on a cold night, and the spice does most of the work for you.
Shop related products
- Still Spirits Spiced Rum Essence. The essence this post is about.
- Still Spirits Jamaican Gold Essence. Lighter and more molasses driven if you want a gold rum instead.
- Still Spirits Aussie Red Rum Essence. An Australian style red rum, and a good one to compare against.
- Still Spirits Sweet Vanillin. For pushing the vanilla side up without adding more spice.
Did you know we also keep the 1125ml spirit bottles and a hydrometer with its test jar in the shop. They are not on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.
- Still Spirits Jamaican Dark Rum essence, how to use it
- How to flavour a spirit at home with essences
- How to host a tasting night with your own spirits
Not sure which one suits what you actually drink? Brewhilder will narrow it down, or have a look through the homebrew collection.
I'm very good at forgetting a cinnamon stick in a bottle for a fortnight, so I'd set yourself a timer.
Candeece
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