Mix this, but don’t expect too much. It’s not a million miles away from the other Old J products. If you want a decent flavoured rum then try Aluna Coconut, Cane & Bean Cacao Infused Spirit Drink or if you want fruity then Plantation’s Stiggins’ Fancy is hard to beat.

Since its launch, Admiral Vernon's Old J Rum has carved out a niche in the crowded spiced rum market. It has garnered a following among rum enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike, praised for its unique taste and quality. The brand's success is also indicative of a broader trend in the spirits industry towards flavoured and spiced rums. Instead they focus a little on Admiral Vernon or Old Grog as he is more widely known. Most famous for (in rum circles at least), in 1740 reducing the size of a sailors daily rum ration. Ensuring it was mixed with lime and spices to try to prevent scurvy and excessive drunkenness on board ship. An initial burst of vanilla, ginger and toffee is then followed by your lips turning inside out as the Lime comes from nowhere along with a massive hit of burning, rubbing alcohol. I won’t even call it boozy. It’s like pouring molten lava onto your lips. It burns like nothing else before and the spices and the sweet toffee just heap on the misery to your mouth and throat. Admiral’s Old J 151 Overproof Spiced Rum Tiki Fire. Sometime in the late noughties there was a brief craze for Sailor Jerry and Cola here in the UK. It was before I seriously drank rum in any shape of form. I confess I did take part. A little. Admiral Vernon's Old J Rum is best known for its spiced variant, which is a blend of Caribbean rum with a mix of spices, sweet vanilla, and Persian lime. This combination results in a distinctly smooth and well-balanced rum with a flavour profile that sets it apart from the typical spiced rums on the market.Only on this occasion someone did actually do something about it. A former employee of First Drinks (Sailor Jerry’s distributor at the time in the UK) Thomas G Hurst became brand manager for LWC Drinks and he helped launch Admiral Vernon’s Old J Spiced, which rather indiscreetly made it clear it was based as closely as it possibly could be on the old recipe Sailor Jerry. You can read a little more on the story here. In the glass it looks like a glass of rose wine – well a small glass anyway – I’m not that boozy. Nosed it is undoubtedly cherry. Cherry flavour though. The kind of cherry you will experience with the cherry on the stork shaped gummy sweets you get for your children and eat yourself. Further nosing reveals the burnt caramel and vanilla nose that seems to dominate the Old J offerings, their signature spices if you like or more like likely artificial essences. It’s a novelty, let’s be fair any bartender worth his salt will know this stuff isn’t good. Well, they should anyway. It’s a bit of an embarrassment to Tiki but sadly no surprise it is so popular here in the UK.

This is bad and not just in a stupidly over the top ABV way. The spices or rather flavourings used are just so synthetic and just so cloying and OTT. It’s just utter garbage. Admiral’s Old J is brought to us by Signature Brands who also have the likes of Birra Morena (never heard of it and no I haven’t mis-spelled Moretti), Cruzcampo and Agnes Arber Gin (not familiar with that one either). Admiral Vernon's Old J Rum actively engages with its community of fans and customers through social media and events. This approach has helped the brand build a loyal customer base and maintain its relevance in a competitive market. Admiral Vernon's Old J Rum pays homage to this historical figure and his impact on naval rum consumption. It adds a modern twist by infusing its recipe with a range of flavours, creating a product that bridges historical tradition with contemporary tastes. Poured in the glass the liquid is a nice golden brown colour. In terms of the nose I imagine if Robinsons were ever to release some kind of Toffee and Vanilla squash this is what it would smell like prior to you adding any water for dilution.

We think you might also be interested in these products

Old J are omnipresent at most of the Rum Festivals throughout the UK and they are hugely popular at such events.