White rum-the next tequila?

It's long been regarded in some quarters as an uninteresting, even low-quality mixer spirit. But could white rum finally now capture the attention of flavour-loving white spirits drinkers? 

- ALICIA MILLER

Grassy and citrussy. Clean and fresh. Floral and fruity. They're words you might associate with a characterful blanco tequila, the white spirit made with blue agave. But they're also qualities often found in white rum - a category long underappreciated by spirits connoisseurs due to widespread preconceptions about its quality and profile.

'Rum is the most diverse spirit category there is,' says Lewis Hayes (pictured, p114), owner of Black Parrot, a London specialist rum bar listing more than 700 bottles. Yet inevitably in the UK, if someone is asking for a white rum, they have one expectation: a light alcohol that may as well be vodka in terms of flavour. It's often just something to mix with cola.

Yet despite white rum's uninspiring image, premiumisation is slowly underway. Thanks to new producers focused on flavour and transparency, increased availability of global bottlings and wider consumer interest in traceability, there is more to draw white spirits lovers to the category than ever before. As the prices of coveted blanco tequilas soar, could quality white rum provide an affordable yet interesting alternative?

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