Coming up in this video I'm gonna be talking about RedLeg's original Spiced Rum. The first one that they launched. I'm gonna do a little tasting a little review, I'm gonna tell you what mixes I think work very well with it and coming up, right at the end I've got a quality cocktail that works just perfectly with RedLeg Spiced Rum.
Hello Rum fans, Steve the Barman here and I'm hoping these videos will help you drink, serve and enjoy better quality, at the moment Spiced Rums I love my Spiced Rums. So, I'm really enjoying doing these review videos for you.
Buy RedLeg Spiced Rum online
Today, I'm going back to RedLeg's original Spiced Rum launched way back in 2012. Just recently, I have featured Redleg's brand new Pineapple I did a video of that a couple of months ago and that kind of got launched earlier this year 2019. But I wanted to go back and revisit this because this is an amazing Spiced Rum. For me, it goes in a completely different direction to a lot of the Spiced Rums that were out in the market. There's a lot of crazy Spiced Rums coming through now so it's not kind of polar opposite to a lot of these rums now but it's a little bit different to your traditional’s; your Captain Morgan Spiced, your Sailor Jerry's because it does go towards, for me, the drier end of this kind of sweet spectrum. You've got the Captain Morgan Spiced and the Sailor Jerry, and Old J... and things like that which are very limey, kind of sweet, coming forwards. This goes vanilla and ginger, the lime is kinda dialled right back so this essentially a vanilla and ginger Spiced Rum. It's available in the UK in most, if not all supermarkets less than £20 quid a bottle.
2012, we're talking seven years now it’s been out, Redleg, It's basically named after, I mentioned this in the pineapple video that I did, basically named after the hermit crab, the Red Legged Hermit Crab that's where it gets it's name from. So, that's what the brand is all about. But one of the big reasons why this gets a lot of love from the Rum community, because the Rum community they don't really go a bundle on their Spiced Rums. They kind of wanna keep it as a separate category. I completely understand why but when you've got products like this, and I'll explain why, they kind of they actually do secretly enjoy it and love it... and I'll tell you why. Because RedLeg is all about, for me, the Providence of where those based Rums come from.
How is RedLeg Spiced Rum Made?
Yes, as most Spiced Rums are it's a blend of different Rums, but they all come from the Caribbean and I think I'm right in saying this the vast majority of the 3yo Rums in this are actually from the Appleton Estate in Jamaica. The other big plus for this as well for me is the fact that its got one big word on here that really kinda rings true, for me for what I love and that word is infused.
Now, the way I understand it they do not use any kind of chemical compounds or flavouring or essences or anything like that the way I understand it is these 3yo Rums are shipped over to the UK, blended together and then actual Vanilla and actual Ginger is used to infuse into this Rum.
What does RedLeg Smell Like?
On the nose, what we get are the two things two obvious things from there, actually three the big two, you get a very healthy dose of vanilla that's the first thing that hits you the ginger comes up behind. But the one thing that I get of that as well is the sweetness. I kind of get a big sweet, I don't know how to describe it I don't know what sweet actually smells of it sounds really stupid but if you know what I mean it smells sweet.
What does RedLeg Taste Like?
However, on the tasting it is polar opposite it's not sweet, it's a massive surprise. The ginger is the big thing that you get the kind of vanilla is the subtle thing in the background yes you do get lots of spices but as I say, I do call this a drier Spiced Rum. Yes, it's sweet but it's at the drier end of that sweet scale. Drinking it neat, it is super smooth it doesn't give you any alcohol burn at all comparing that to something like Sailor Jerry, there is absolutely no comparison. you would...and I would say most Rum fans would quite happily drink that neat. Whereas, Sailor Jerry it's just that kinda ethanol alcohol thing going on. that is absolutely lovely, neat.
How to Drink RedLeg Spiced Rum?
What does RedLeg Mix well with?
But of course you're not gonna drink it neat, well some of you are. but a vast majority are not gonna drink that neat. you're gonna wanna know what works well with it. So, here we go. First one, Rum and Coke, now I absolutely love that as a Rum and Coke, it is absolutely amazing. I have tried it recently with these two as well these are the spicy ones. Lamb & Watt's, Coca Cola signature, I'll dropped links in the show notes of where you can get those from they work very, very well but getting away with the Coca Cola. I actually think that the biggest and best served with this is using apple juice, now you can go a couple of different ways with this I've actually tried with Appletiser and what's the other one, Cawston Press. For me it's kinda nice but I just don't think it works as well as proper, pressed apple juice. doesn't really matter what brand yes just go for your favourite pressed apple juice. there's quite a lot, but as I say I think that with apple juice is amazing. But to take it to another level, use half apple juice, half ginger beer with that and I think you've got an amazing highball there. One last mixer to shout out and this Fentimans Tropical Soda. Again, I've only just recently in the last couple of weeks tried that, I think that works very, very well simply because, same way apple juice and ginger works very well pineapple and ginger works very well and the big pineapple notes forward in that works, very, very well with RedLeg.
Cocktail o'Clock
Now, as I mentioned at the top I've also got a cocktail recipe for this there were so many things you can do with this because I say those ginger notes in there those vanilla notes just works very well. But I've got something, kind of verging on Tiki. it has been a staple in my cocktail armoury, if you want to call it that, for a good few years now. This is my Lychee and Ginger yes I said it, Lychee and Ginger Caipirissima.
RECIPE;
How to make a Ginger & Lychee Caipirissima
Use an Old Fashioned Glass
Make in a Cocktail Shaker
4 Wedges Lime cut in half to make 8 Cubes
15ml Sugar Syrup
5ml Velvet Falernum
50ml RedLeg Spiced Rum
15ml Kwai Feh Lychee Liqueur