The Rum Cooperative would be a great name for a reggae jam band, but it’s also the title of a new blended rum created by Dave and Will Willis of Boston’s Bully Boy Distillery.
It’s not labeled as a Bully Boy spirit, which may have something to do with its blended nature. The front label is proudly transparent, listing the national origin and age of each rum in the blend, as well as the total percentage each constitutes of the whole. To recap, that would be: 45 percent Panamanian 12-Year, 36 percent Dominican 12-Year, 10 percent Boston 8-Year (a previously unreleased Bully Boy rum), 8.1 percent Trinidad 12-Year and 0.9 percent Jamaican 12-Year. All of the rums were blended together at Bully Boy’s Boston distillery.
The spirit pours a reddish-bronze in the glass, and the honeysuckle on its nose can be picked out from a foot away. Get a little closer and aromas of caramel, peanut butter, and butterscotch emerge.
It’s heavy and viscous on the tongue from the get-go, and cool in temperature. The first prominent note is of honeysuckle, both sweet and floral. Creamy butterscotch rolls into the center, followed up by unripe banana with a subtle, vegetal touch. Sweet caramel guides you through a finish that’s noticeably absent of spice, but a cream-like texture almost makes it feel like a smoothie going down.
There’s a dark, fruity character running through the whole experience that gives it a brandy-like quality. That, combined with its heavy texture and the complexity provided by slight floral and vegetal flavors, make it a satisfying sipping rum, particularly for those just making their first foray into drinking rum outside of cocktails.
The Rum Cooperative is currently available at Bully Boy’s Boston tasting room and locations across Massachusetts, with plans to release it in Maine and Rhode Island.
★★★
Stats:
— 40% ABV
— $34.99
