Hot Buttered Rum, or Rum Toddy* as it's referred to in some regions, is a delicious heated spiced rum cocktail that's widely popular during the chilly winter months (it's also the Ted Perez Cocktail of the Week). The roots of Hot Buttered Rum date back to when a similar variation called Battered Rum was popular in Colonial America. When Jamaica started exporting molasses to New England in the 1650's, colonists began adding distilled spirits to create Battered Rum and eggnog, among others. Hot Buttered Rum even made it's way into early American politics. According to the American Heritage Cookbook, political candidates would provide generous amounts of the drink to constituents in order to influence their vote. While the recipe traditionally calls for dark rum (for a richer, more caramelized flavor), Ted Perez tested this holiday favorite with both medium and dark rums including The Kraken, British Navy Pusser's, Cockspur, Goslings and Juan De La Cruz.
* "Toddy" is the term given to a hot cocktail that's made with boiling water, sugar and spices.
Ted Perez's Variation:
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3 oz rum
1 1/2 oz hot water with sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Finished off with hot water
Cockspur Rum
Cockspur Rum was founded by Valdemar Hanschell in 1884. He settled in Barbados where he founded a ship chandlery that supplied vessels with rope, sails, fish, fresh fruit and, of course, rum. As his business thrived, so did the popularity of Cockspur Rum.
Taste: Variation was very smooth and strong. The rum flavor was pronounced and consistent during the first few sips. Approximately a third of the way in, the rum flavor weakened (although the butter was still very rich on the palette). Good flavor overall, but on the stronger side.
Overall:B+
The Kraken Black Spiced Rum
Kraken is an imported black rum from the Caribbean that's blended with over 11 secret spices. According to the maker, it is said that a ship carrying a significant quantity of black spiced rum from the Caribbean never made it to it's destination. Although it was never confirmed, an attack from a Kraken was suspected, thus the rum inherited its name. The bottle, with its two distinctive round handles, is modeled on the shape of a Victorian style rum bottle.
Taste: One thing to note about The Kraken Rum is its alcohol content (94 proof). Because of this, the variation had a decidedly strong rum flavor and 'kick' up front. Spiciness of the cloves and allspice weren't detected up front (they were more pronounced in the aftertaste). Flavor of the rum component was rich with notes of chocolate and molasses. This complimented the butter flavor well.
Overall: A-
Pusser's Rum
British Navy Pusser's Rum is based on a tradition started by Great Britain's Royal Navy in the 17th century. From 1655 to the 19th century, seamen were issued a daily "tot" of rum by the ship's Purser (corrupted by the sailors to Pusser's). Before battle, the allotment was doubled and it was always distributed after a victory. On July 31st, 1970, the Admiralty board abolished the practice. It stayed this way until 1979 when Charles Tobias obtained rights and blending information from the Admiralty and formed Pusser's Ltd on Tortola in the British Islands. British Navy Pusser's Rum is the same blend of five West Indian rums that were issued on British warships over 400 years ago.
Taste: Flavor was sweet and slightly 'watered down' when compared to the other rums tested. The body was smooth and very light with woody notes. Since the rum flavor was weaker, the spiciness from the added spices was much stronger than the other variations. Good, however, the rum flavor was a bit lacking.
Overall: B+
Goslings Bermuda Black Rum
Gosling's Black Seal rum is the flagship product of Gosling Brother's, Ltd. This particular rum is also the largest export of the island nation of Bermuda. Black Seal is bottled in three variations. The most popular version, which is the one used in the taste testing, is 80 proof while 140 and 151 proof renditions are also available, although they are a rarity outside the islands.
Taste: Slightly boozy with good, strong rum flavor. This variation was sweet like the Pusser's Rum and also had the strong pronounced spiciness from beginning to end. It also felt less heavy than the other variations, which increased drinkability.
Overall: A
Juan De La Cruz Rum
Juan De La Cruz is a Columbian rum developed with the secrets of the Caribbean and the traditions of Spain. The special process of aging in oak casks, used by the aristocratic lineage produces smooth taste, body and flavor.
Taste: This combination was also sweet, light and smooth, but had an added richness to the rum flavor that added more depth to the drink . The spices were detected throughout and it ended with a clean, smooth finish. Flavor notes included sweet caramel and oak.
Overall: A
Verdict
All the variants of the Hot Buttered Rum tested were fairly well balanced although some were more so than others. The two main dimensions that varied the most in this drink were the booziness or 'kick' and the richness/balance of the flavor. In general, stronger rums tended to mask out the rest of the flavors (cloves, allspice and the butter). For example, labels like Cockspur and Kraken had great flavor, but their stronger alcoholic 'kick' tended to muffle the rest of the flavors. Other labels, like Pusser's, were lighter, but they lacked the full, rich flavor that would be expected in the cocktail. Out of the five labels tested, Goslings Rum and Juan De La Cruz Rum maintained the richest flavor, while not being overpowering on the palette.