IN ITS first foray into the craft rum market, multi award-winning Scottish distillery Dunnet Bay Distillers has launched Mapmaker’s Coastal Spiced Rum.
Described as a fusion of Caithness and the Caribbean, it features their twice distilled house rum, blended with Caribbean rum and Loch Calder water, then spiced with local botanicals – lemon verbena, scurvy grass, sea kelp and Scottish sea salt.
This process is said to deliver notes of banana, toffee and salted caramel, with a light peppery spice and delicious long lasting salinity.
Dunnet Bay Distillery is run by husband and wife team, Martin and Claire Murray, and specialises in producing premium, hand-crafted spirits that celebrate the heritage and provenance of Caithness.
Consistent with that theme, the Mapmaker’s Rum is a tribute to Timothy Pont, an excellent cartographer who spent his summers diligently surveying Scotland. In 1600 Pont was appointed minister of the local Dunnet Parish, a post he still held in December 1610. The only monument to Pont, other than his maps, is a commemorative plaque in Dunnet Parish Church which is located next door to Dunnet Bay Distillery.
Martin Murray commented: “Our Mapmaker’s Rum has been more than three years in the making, with many experiments with local and traditional botanicals to create the perfect recipe. We use lemon verbena grown in our own geo-desic dome located in the distillery garden; kelp foraged locally by Shore Seaweed, scurvy grass from the coastline and Scottish sea salt from Blackthorn Salt on the West Coast of Scotland.
“The result is a beautifully smooth Spiced Rum with a delicious oceanic, umami profile. We recommend it neat over ice, enjoyed as a longer drink with cola and as an excellent base for cocktails. A garnish of orange also complements the spices beautifully!”
Mapmaker’s Coastal Spiced Rum is available to independents and the on-trade via wholesalers including Master of Malt, Good Spirits Company Latitude Wine, Huffmans and Select Drams.
