This was for me, for many years, one of the top five commercially available rums in the world. Not to be missed, even for the price. Four stars, triple A, I don’t care what you call it, this thing is simply awesome. Editor’s Note: Uncommon Caribbean has long been a fixture at the annual Miami Rum Renaissance Festival, for obvious reasons, but this year we missed all the rum fun in favor of a return visit home to St. Croix. Thankfully, though, our rum-loving friend Jesse Serwer, editor of LargeUp.com, was more than happy to fill in for us. In the coming weeks, Jesse will share his observations and critiques on a bunch of fine blends that caught his attention during the show. First up, Antigua’s English Harbour Rum… To go a bit deeper into ADL’s production, English Harbour is their premium line. The brand was first released in 1994. The five year is the most accessible of the range. It’s followed by a 10 year and the 1981 (25 year old), but I think the 1981 was a limited production. These are all ex-bourbon cask-aged, but bottled only at 40%. There are new variations of the 10 year, which are either port- or sherry-finished. Fermentation for English Harbour is said to be only 36 hours long. They also have a lower-end product called Cavalier Rum which first came out in 1947. I’m told that Cavalier is only sold in Antigua and is loved by the locals. Update March 2013: This rum has, of course, been superceded in my affections and appreciation of quality, which was inevitable given how many rums I’ve tried and written about. I still think, though, that if one was to make any list of the top five rums in the world, this one should be somewhere on that list. When finally poured the English Harbour is a deep mahogany. It looks warm and inviting. The nose is quite subtle, despite being a relatively young rum their isn’t much of an alcohol smell in a sense it doesn’t smell “boozy” or harsh like some young rums can. The nose is sweet molasses, a little orange its smell is almost as sweet as some of the South and Central American premium sipping rums.

Their original still was a Four-Column Savalle when they started in 1933. This Savalle Still is speculated to be similar to the one still being used in Guyana’s Diamond Distillery. Roger also said that part of the Savalle still was integrated into the current John Dore still, and that the Savalle was replaced for economic reasons. English Harbour rum is, safe to say, one of the well-liked rum brands that seems to fly under the radar. Despite the recent rum boom, Antigua is often forgotten when it comes to rum destinations and/or rum producers. Even the rum geeks I’m well acquainted with can be guilty of this. The molasses-based rums (named for the body of water and village at Antigua’s southernmost extremity) are produced by Antigua Distillery, the same company that also makes Antigua and Barbuda’s most popular dark rum, Cavalier, as well as Nut Power—a peanut-flavored rum cream made with the tree bark (and reputed sexual stimulant) known as bois bande. Unlike those products, the reserves and 1981 Vintage are exported to the US, UK, and elsewhere. English Harbour Rum at the 2013 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival | Credit: Erik Ebright, LargeUp.com I would say this has less coconut and vanilla than that rum and is every so slightly heavier on the Port on the nose. This is more “old” Port where Foursquare’s Port Cask Finish seemed a little “younger”. This is just a touch or two less vibrant. Less well defined.Which is where I kind of fall out of love with English Harbour 1981. Despite 25 years ageing I can’t help feeling I should be getting a little more rum for my money. A little more “oomph” to really excite me. This is a tasty, reasonably complex rum but overall its just a little bit too soft for my liking. It doesn’t have that extra bit of “oomph” that I so enjoy. When I’m sipping a 40% spirit I really don’t expect it go down almost like a liqueur. English Harbour rums are produced by Antigua Distillers on the Caribbean Island of the same name. English Harbour is a port on the island. Its name was given by the Royal British Navy when they set up a naval base there in the 18th century.

In the glass English Harbour 1981 presents itself as a good golden to dark brown colour which confirms many years ageing (or if you’re a conspiracist the addition of caramel). Highly, highly recommended if you can afford it (it runs into the El Dorado Problem, unfortunately, but in a pinch, the English Harbour 5-year isn’t half bad either at one-eighth the cost – I’ve got the review here as well). If only to apprise one’s palate of what rums can be at the top of the scale, buying this 25 year old is something a rum-lover should do at least once in his life. Sipping English Harbour Antigua Rum Port Cask Finish is as easy as falling asleep (apologies out there to any Insomniacs). The 46% ABV is a really good point to appreciate this rum at I feel. I can’t say its the best because I can only really dilute it down not up but it works very well. The Antiguan climate, together with its exceptionally low rainfall, is another key influence on the character of English Harbour rum.This rum must be the best you can get to this ridiculous low price. I haven’t found anyone that can compete so far. So what do we have here then? Well a lot of information is provided on the bottle and box the rum is housed in. This is a small batch, non chill filtered rum. It is a limited release of 5 Year Old rum finished in Port Cask. Having said that, I feel like Foursquare is getting too much attention, and that other brands and similar styles aren’t getting due recognition. English Harbour is one brand I can think of that has a similar profile to low proof and ex-bourbon aged Foursquare rum like Doorly’s 5. So if you’re looking for something similar to Doorly’s 5, try English Harbour. Being a lesser-known brand, you’re less likely to have competition in hunting for this bottle. A bit hot, and the finish is short. This is a simple rum with an acceptable complexity that won’t get the drinker excited. I’d sip this on some days and mix with it on others. Regardless, this isn’t a rum at which to scoff. If you didn’t know any better when nosing the rum you would assume this was something from Barbados. It has all the classic hallmarks of the lighter Bajan style. Vanilla, caramel and a some very nice well aged oaky notes. It’s all very well balanced and very inviting. I might be detecting an extra sweetness level but this may be just because I know its there. It’s still very good nonetheless.

I have a number of rums in my collection and have tried many more. Very few I have found to have the ACR (Authentic Caribbean Rum) mark. From memory I can only really think of Chairmans Reserve displaying this. I’m pretty sure though that a few more of my Bajan, St Lucian and Jamaican rums probably do satisfy the criteria for ACR. For those who are not in the know the ACR mark means the rum has been produced in a traditional manner. The only additives permitted are caramel but this must only be for colouring it must not impart flavour to the rum. NB I have since writing this review conducted Hydrometer Tests on this rum which reveals added sugar – which makes me wonder quite what the ACR is achieiving. In addition to its outstanding quality and flavor, English Harbour Rum is also known for its commitment to sustainability. The distillery uses renewable energy sources, such as solar power, to reduce its carbon footprint. It also supports local farmers by sourcing its sugar cane from the island's farmers, which helps to support the local economy. Antigua Distillery Limited was formed in 1932 when a number of rum shop owners on the island joined forces. In those early days the company sold two kinds of rum - un-aged and aged rums under the brand name Caballero. Later, in the 1950s, Cavalier Rum was introduced and remains a successful brand on the island today. The English Harbour brand was introduced in the 1990s.Every Caribbean island’s rum is different in character, and Francis is a convincing salesman when it comes to pushing his own. English Harbour Antigua Rum Port Cask Finish is English Harbour’s standard 5 Year Old aged in ex-bourbon casks, bottled at 46% ABV and finished for six months in a Port Cask.

Until a vintage 25 year old “ 1981” bottling was released in 2006, the only way to try some output from the Antigua Distillery in the UK, was to get a bottle of English Harbour Aged 5 Years. To be honest I didn’t think either bottling was great. Solid, but nothing spectacular. In all honesty I felt some of the fanfare English Harbour were getting was a little outdated compared to some of the more recent rums I had tried. My bottle as you can see from the photos is from Batch Number 002. Although there is a space noting the bottle number it has not been completed. Other information on the bottle notes that this is a Small Batch rum. Which doesn’t tell us much to be fair! That said I think I have given you as much detail on this rum as I can find. So lets move on and see how I find this. If you’re surprised that Antigua has Portuguese immigrants, you’re not alone. Having never been to the Caribbean, I was surprised, too. This Taste Trinbago article was really informative, as it shed a light on how Portuguese immigrants moved to the Caribbean from Madeira starting from the mid-1800s. The presence of Portuguese culture and ancestry in the Caribbean, plus ADL’s use of only column stills, adds as well to the argument that the Colonial Classification should be forgotten. This classification disregards the presence and history of other cultures and ethnicities in the Caribbean. English Harbour is actually the name of a port/town on Antigua, West Indies. Rum is as closely associated with England as it is the Caribbean so this is also quite a good marketing ploy. I’m sure many a proud Englishman has bought this rum on name alone. The rear of the bottle gives some details on the legend and heritage of this rum.

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Forgetting about Antigua is an understandable fault, though. This is largely due to the makers of English Harbour, Antigua Distillery Limited (ADL), being the only rum distillery left in Antigua. Plus, other Caribbean islands or countries like Barbados, Martinique, Guyana, Cuba and Jamaica seem to get most of the attention. In addition to being the only rum distillery left in Antigua, their production isn’t large. They currently only have one still, which they bought in 1991. It’s an all-copper column still from John Dore. According to the UK Importer and respected rum enthusiast, Roger Barnes, “Two of the columns were cut in half so it could fit under the roof. This technically makes their John Dore a three-column still.” This leads me to think that the John Dore originally had five columns. English Harbour rum is made at Antigua Distillery, which is located on the island of Antigua. This distillery is the only one on the island and has been in operation sine 1932. It was formed by a group of rum shop owners who decided to join forces and create a more efficient and effective production process. Antigua Distillery Limited is the official name of this company, and it is responsible for the production of English Harbour rum. The distillery is located in the southern part of the island and is open to visitors who are interested in learning more about the rum-making process. Who is the Owner of English Harbour Rum? Red Wine and some slight traces of ginger complete the nose. English Harbour Antigua Rum Port Cask Finish has a pleasant, gentle/easy going approach. Similar (I know people are going to want to know this) in many ways to Foursquare Port Cask Finish.