Arthur Beale Sea Salted Spiced Rum: tested by Practical Boat Owner

Sailing has been something of a wet, and sometimes cold affair for me this summer and a tot of something warming to keep the chill out once the boat was safely alongside was certainly on the cards at the end of most trips.

Arthur Beale has launched its new sea salted spiced rum.

It has taken over a year to blend to get the perfect flavour and uses three rums; the main one is made by the Demerara Distillers in Guyana, with small amounts from the West Indian Rum Distillers in Barbados and Jamaica’s Worthy Park.

I am not one for drinking neat rum and usually mix it with either grapefruit juice or ginger beer to make it more to my taste.

But this spiced rum was different. On pulling out the cork, I took my first smell…memories of Christmas and eating figgy pudding came flooding back.

There was no shudder when I took my first sip; instead it was smooth and caramelly, with a note of sea salt and warming spices of nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper, with a hint of vanilla.

The flavour was strong, sweet, rich…and incredibly moreish.

As loathed as I was, I decided to add grapefruit juice to see how well the rum worked in a longer drink. The sweetness of the rum cut through the bitterness of the grapefruit juice, and was refreshing.

Next, I used the dark rum to make a Dark ‘N’ Stormy cocktail. The spices worked well with the fiery flavours of the ginger beer.

From now on, Arthur Beale’s Sea Salted Spiced Rum will be part of the drinks cabinet onboard and at home.