Created in 1884 by Valdemar Hanschell, a Danish seaman who settled in Barbados to start a business – selling food and drinks (and rum of course) to other sea travelers stopping by. Nowadays Cockspur rum is made at the West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD), Barbados.
Saw this bottle on the shelf of a liquor store and it reminded me of my time in Barbados so I got one. It’s widely enjoyed on the island, although normally at 40% ABV and, weirdly enough, my bottle is 37.5% ABV – maybe it’s an export thing?
The label features a fairly colourful rooster as their icon and their 3 international gold awards from 1981, 1984 and 1989. Other than that I have no more information.
Cockspur Original Fine is molasses based, blend of pot and column still distillates and aged for an unspecified amount of time (although it will be very young) in ex-Bourbon barrels in Barbados. Bottled at just 37.5% ABV and with no sweeteners.
On the nose is pretty clean. Charred oak, smoked bacon, honey and Fanta Orange. Vanilla, butterscotch, ginger and pink grapefruit. Nothing much going on, feels pretty young.
On the palate is quite thin and watery. Charred oak again with some smokiness. Vanilla, single cream, agave syrup and coconut. Low in ABV but I can still feel the ethanol pinching my tongue. Some white pepper and nutmeg. The finish is short with vanilla a slight alcohol heat.
As I said, very thin, and at the £17.50 price point I’d rather have Mount Gay Eclipse which has more body and clocks in at 40% ABV. All in all not a bad mixing rum, I just have high expectations from Barbadian rums as they’re one of my favourites, and this one could’ve been better.
Cockspur Original Fine Rum score:
Flavour/taste: 40/70
Value for money: 14/15
Transparency/purity: 14/15
Overall: 68/100
Cheers!
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