Outlaw rum is a Scottish rum brand which starts its journey from Trinidad and Tobago. The Caribbean rum is made from sugar cane molasses and distilled using continuous column stills. The spirit is stored in bourbon barrels, which then make their way to the foothills of the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland, where carefully selected single malt scotch whisky casks await for further maturation.
The brand has released several expressions using a range of ex-scotch whisky casks from Speyside, Highlands and Islay. One of my favourite releases started off as Pinot Noir. The wine cask was then used to age peated Islay whisky before it was filled with the Caribbean rum to create the special Outlaw rum release.
It definitely helps to have so many great whisky distilleries and a cooperage close by! Outlaw special edition rums have gone through a secondary maturation of around 18 months before being bottled.
Interested in trying other Scottish rums finished in various casks from Port to Madeira? See Banditti Club Rum Review
Jim from Outlaw Rum Company kindly sent me some samples to try. Below you can find my thoughts on them. I’ve always struggled with sweeter-style rums, especially if sipped neat, so I was very pleased to discover that Outlaw rums aren’t like that at all. There may be some lovely sweetness imparted from the bourbon barrels, but they are in no way sugary or sickly.
The ‘Flagship’ Outlaw Rum, 40% ABV
The award-winning flagship Outlaw release is a blend of three-, five-, seven-, ten- and eleven-year-old Caribbean rums. It is then aged in Speyside and Highland scotch whisky casks for a further nine to twelve months before bottling.
Nose: Scottish tablet, coffee icing, vanilla, brown sugar, dried fruit & nuts, floral honey
Palate: Honey, toffee, pink grapefruit peel, lemon peel, oaky spices, nutmeg, cloves
Outlaw Rum Bourbon Single Cask # 3, 43% ABV
As you’d expect, there is a lot of bourbon influence in this one. It’s a deliciously creamy special edition release. It may sound sickly sweet, but it really isn’t. Very tasty sipped neat, but I think this would also be delicious in a cocktail such as an Espresso Martini or even a rum Negroni.
Nose: Custard pudding, vanilla, milky coffee, jasmine, creamy maltiness
Palate: Vanilla custard, real vanilla lingering throughout without being sweet, mascarpone creaminess, cinnamon, orange peel, white chocolate
Rachael’s Sherry Cask Rum, 46% ABV
This special rum release, named after the owner Jim’s wife, went through a secondary maturation in Oloroso sherry butts. It’s a proper sherry bomb!
Nose: Cranberries, berry picking in the forest kind of vibe, juicy sherry notes, wine gums
Palate: Cranberry, lingonberry jam, blackberry, liquorice, autumnal, tobacco leaves, something a bit fresh in there too
Outlaw Rum Islay Single Cask # 5, 43% ABV
This Caribbean rum was finished in ex-Islay scotch whisky casks so there is a nice smokiness coming through on both the nose and the palate. It is not overpowering, but more light, gentle smokiness.
Nose: Charred oak, vanilla, caramel, smoked mackerel without being fishy
Palate: Smoke sauna, cumin, bay leaf (in a stew), subtle bonfire embers, sweet citrus
Outlaw Islay Pinot Noir, 50.5% ABV
Great balance of rum, smoke and red wine influence. It does not feel like 50% ABV so don’t be put off by the higher percentage. Very enjoyable and easy sipping.
Nose: McDonald’s toffee sauce, balsamic undertones, sweetness mellows with air and becomes more berried, red fruits
Palate: Juicy, red berries, touch of smoke in the distance, juniper, subtle spice kick, oaky
Have you tried Outlaw rum yet? Which one of these would you go for?
