December 2023 - January 2024 edition, Kevin Rozario
There is a new player in the rum market with ambitions to put rum on the after-dinner sipping lists of high-end hotels, bars and restaurants across the UK. House of Rum is a Manchester-based boutique bottler launched by founder David Howarth. His vision is very specific: to create a business specialised in exclusive single-cask, high-value regional rums, each cask yielding no more than 300 bottles, all individually numbered. The global launch at the swanky Nipperkin Bar in London's Mayfair in November set the tone for what House of Rum's owner sees as a good moment to elevate the category. By cutting through the noise of myriad launches and taking a stripped-back approach, Howarth believes the unadulterated character of the launch collection will pique the interest of collectors, retailers and the on-trade.
Speaking exclusively to Global Drinks Intel, he says: "There is something missing in the marketplace and that's a curated list for premium rum. The category is larger than whisky, but there aren't many that are single-cask, single-vintage and cask-strength.
"Moreover, our rums have nothing added. They are slightly filtered as they come out of the cask, but we don't add water, sugar, cara-mel or other additives or flavours, so you can really taste their personality and origins." The House of Rum project may only be three years old, but the backstory is a 30-year tale tracing Howarth's adventures in the Caribbean, where he lived for many years and "fell in love" with the spirit. "Over that time, I experienced rum in different ways and it is sipping rums where the opportunity is," he says.
The first collection of nine liquids has just been announced, with four released to the market from Barbados, Dominican Re-public, Trinidad and Venezuela.
They are: Dominican Republic 2000 (70c1, 55.5% ABV), one of 292 bottles, GBP249 (US$314), from Oliver & Oliver Distillery. Venezuela 2005 (pictured below, 70c1, 57% ABV), twice aged, one of 140 decanters in a presentation pack with two 24% lead Cumbria Crystal glasses, GBP449, from Corporation Alcooles del Caribe Distillery. Barbados 2010 (70c1, 60.5% ABV), one of 232 bottles, GBP225, from the Foursquare Distillery. Trinidad 2012 (70c1, 64.3% ABV), one of 264 bottles, GBP210, from Trinidad Distillers Limited.
The collection is available from house-of-rum.com and soon from a major UK retailer (the deal is currently being finalised). A meeting with a travel retailer, mostly likely Avolta though this was not confirmed, was set up at the time of writing, and Howarth said that selected hotels, bars and restaurants were also on his wish list.
The remaining five single-cask expression will be available from March 2024. The selection process is simple but exacting. As a bottler, House of Rum reviews requested cask samples from preferred distilleries and takes its pick based on their maturation journey, aromatic complexity, terroir and a taste reflecting their geographical origin. Provenance is also important. The brand hopes to become the go-to place for gifting and for rum connoisseurs and collectors seeking reliably selected, high-value spirits.
At the same time, House of Rum wants to infiltrate the high-end on-premise, for example the American Bar in The Savoy Hotel and similar top-notch venues in London and the UK. "If you go to a really nice bar in Mayfair after a meal, the spirits list may contain great Cognacs and single malts, but the rum list will not have single-cask, single-vintage liquids," says Howarth. "There is no rum equivalent of the fine Cognacs and whiskies. It's time to educate the marketplace." Howarth believes there is a market for rum rarities and limited editions among discerning on-premise consumers. "The great thing about rum is that it is made on many different islands in the Caribbean — and around the world — with lots of complex flavour profiles," he says. "We'll be one of the first, if not the first, to offer a curated rum listing." House of Rum's ultimate aim is to develop a loyal consumer following and build a pre-sales business for new launches, while also establishing a retail presence in the on-premise where it can offer a limited edition rum list with age statements.