Angel's Share Title
In late 2023 it was announced that The Rolling Stones along with Universal Music Group and Socio Ventures had formed a partnership to produce Crossfire Hurricane Rum. As more details were released, we learned that it is a blend of rums that are in part aged up to five years in used oak bourbon barrels sourced from Barbados, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. The rums for the blend are transported to New Port Richey Florida where they are blended and bottled to 40% ABV at The Point distillery. Fun trivia: The name of the rum is from the first line of their song Jumpin’ Jack Flash- “I was born in a crossfire hurricane”.
Appearance
The 700-ml bottle is a squat, short-necked bottle with Crossfire Hurricane embossed across the front. The neck has a green wrap with the Rolling Stones logo, a clear security wrap, and a white security strip securing the wooden-capped cork to the bottle. Two labels wrap the base and provide all the basic information about the rum, along with a statement from the band concerning the inspiration behind the product. The color is a medium-golden amber in the bottle that lightens slightly in the glass. Swirling the liquid creates a thin band that thickens and drops a single wave of tears before evaporating, leaving a ring of beads in their wake.
Nose
The aroma of the rum leads with caramelized vanilla and alcohol, which is followed by notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and toasted oak.
Palate
Sipping the rum delivers a full-bodied swirl of flavors leading with light toffee notes and a kick of alcohol, that is followed by grilled pineapple, stewed bananas, and papaya, which together form the high notes. The spice notes from the aroma pop mid-palate, and oak tannins manifest, creating the foundation of the flavor profile. The oak tannins balance the sweetness of the fruit notes and lead to a long, lightly acidic finish.
Review
When The Rolling Stones announced they were producing this rum blend, I was curious how it would compare to other celebrity-backed rums I had experienced in the past. I also found it interesting that of the spirit brands tied to the band, this is the first one that is owned by them and not licensed. During the evaluation process, I discovered the rum to be surprisingly well balanced between the fruit, spices, and wood tannins and not overly sweet. So many other celebrity brands are overly contrived sugar bombs, and this one is most certainly not one of them. While fine as a sipper, the rum functions quite well as the alcohol base of cocktails. The website recommends several cocktails, but I found it maintained its identity in a Jet Pilot and simple Daiquiri. Moderately priced, Crossfire Hurricane Rum is a worthy pick up the next time you are looking for a new flavor experience.
