Spytail Black Ginger Rum

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Spytail Black Ginger Rum 

Spytail Black Ginger rum has been brought to the United States by the New York firm Biggar & Leith. For this product the company used a blend of Caribbean rums and transported them to a small family distillery located in Cognac, France. Claiming to use a 19th century French recipe the distillery oversees the aging, spicing and blending of this rum. The name and theme of the bottle are inspired by the French history of building and testing the first mechanical submarines. According to Biggar & Leith the “Spytail” submarine was tested in the Charente River that runs close to the distillery where the product is created. This made the name of the product and nautical theme of the bottle shape an easy choice for the company.

Appearance

The glass bulb of the bottle is inspired by the early 19th century Bathysphere style one man submarine that was used for deep sea exploration. Lowered by a cable the occupant would look through a large porthole to view what secrets the ocean might reveal. All of the details about the rum are provided on the substantial neck label. The label notes that the product is a “blend of rum, natural ginger flavor, and caramel”. The wide metal cap is secured to the bottle by a clear security strip. The color of the rum holds a dark mahogany color in the bottle and lightens to a cola color in the glass. Agitating the liquid creates a thin band, which thickens and slowly spins off slow moving thick legs that creep slowly down the side of the glass.

Nose

The initial nose provides an unsurprising strong note of ginger, followed and augmented by floral orange blossoms, dark vanilla bean, cloves, rounded out by cinnamon and caramel.

Palate

The ginger of the rum lights up the tongue and envelops delivering a wave of secondary spices, the bitterness of cloves, cinnamon bark, cola, sweet vanilla balanced by a hint of black pepper meld together into a well balanced flavor profile. The bitterness of the cloves, ginger, with the addition of orange peel manifest and linger in a medium finish.

Review

Blended to 42% ABV, this rum was a complete surprise. I admit I may be a bit jaded as I have tasted only a few “flavored” products that I think are worth having in my home bar. This one passes the test with a complex and enjoyable flavor profile. By design created for cocktail use I will have no problem using this and substituting the spirit in any cocktail that calls for a ginger liqueur. I look forward to experimenting with it and seeing what new cocktails I can create with this interesting rum.

-Rum review by Mr. Paul Senft- 

My name is Paul Senft - Rum Reviewer, Tasting host, Judge and Writer. My exploration of Rums began by learning to craft Tiki cocktails for friends. I quickly learned that not all rums are created equally and that the uniqueness of the spirit can be as varied as the locales they are from. This inspired me to travel with my wife around the Caribbean, Central America, and United States visiting distilleries and learning about how each one creates their rums. I have also had the pleasure of learning from bar tenders, brand ambassadors, and other enthusiasts from around the world; each one providing their own unique point of view, adding another chapter to the modern story of rum. The desire to share this information led me to create www.RumJourney.com where I share my experiences and reviews in the hopes that I would inspire others in their own explorations. It is my wish in the pages of “Got Rum?” to be your host and provide you with my impressions of rums available in the world market. Hopefully my tasting notes will inspire you to tr y the rums and make your own opinions. The world is full of good rums and the journey is always best experienced with others.