Caithness Raiders Rum
Caithness Raiders Rum is made a stone’s throw away from the shores of the North Sea. Caithness is surrounded on two of its three sides by spectacular sea views, majestic cliffs and some of the world’s most ferocious tides.
The idea for Caithness Raiders Rum came from the long heritage and historic links with the Viking Raiders who settled in Caithness and whose influence can still be seen today, particularly in some of the place names.
The Viking longship label design comes from the Oslo Viking centre ……the sea scene on the label is Noss Head at Wick.
The rum is lighter in body and more delicate than traditional dark spiced rums, but packs in a lot of flavor, a solid punch of vanilla, and a lightly smoky banana flavour. The hint of coconut comes from golden whin (gorse) flowers handpicked from around the croft. Honey from our own bees provides a delicate base layer of sweetness.
This rum is a lighter, smoother interpretation of your traditional dark spiced rums. It is deliciously smooth over the rocks or mixes exceptionally well with Fevertree ginger ale, crushed ice and lime to give you a “Black and Wild” cocktail.
Whilst not traditionally associated with Scotland, rum is generally associated with the Caribbean, however Scotland has a long association with rum.
Rum was initially distilled by European Colonists and African slaves in the Caribbean as far back as the early 17th century and was then introduced to England by sailors and returning travellers from the West Indies.
This popularised the spirit across the UK to the point where several refineries emerged in Glasgow across the 17th and 18th centuries because of this sugar boom. By the 18th and 19th centuries, rum punches were sought-after in Glasgow. The traditional beverage, the “Glasgow Sherbet”, was made with water, sugar, lemons and limes from the West Indies and later became the famous “Glasgow Punch” by adding rum imported from Jamaica into the punch bowls.
The growing popularity of rum and rum punches eventually led to Glasgow’s “Golden Age” of sugar, as transatlantic merchants shifted their focus towards sugar in the West Indies after the decline of the city’s tobacco trade with Virginia. The main trade of Glasgow revolved around Caribbean products including rum, sugar and cotton.
Overall, the impact of these trades allowed Glasgow’s merchants to become extremely wealthy and the richest of their time. The merchants would regularly invest in property in the city centre area of Glasgow now known as Merchant City, with rum itself becoming the tipple of choice for the city’s upper class.
CAITHNESS RAIDERS DARK RUM
Caithness Raiders Dark Rum is a deeper, richer, caramelised rum with a stronger spiced flavour. Still using a base of honey, dark sugar, banana, coconut and spices, this rum has a deeper more intense flavour and colour, more in keeping with traditional dark spiced rums. It is deliciously smooth so it can be drunk over the rocks or mixed with ginger ale or elderflower tonic for a new twist on your traditional rum drink.
