The island of Islay is the smallest of the official regions of scotch whisky. It may be small but it is internationally renowned for its distinctive whiskies. So when I discovered that one of the newest distilleries on the island was actually producing rum, I was intrigued to say the least.
The First Islay Rum Distillery
On first glance the small batch distillery in an old lemonade factory looked like any other distillery on Islay. It was only on second glance at the traditional whitewashed facade that I realized the proud black name on the side declared it was distilling rum.
The Islay Rum distillery was dwarfed by its neighbors; the reborn Port Ellen distillery and the four-story Port Ellen Maltings. But as I emerged from a tour of the latter into a traditional British downpour the distillery manager emerged and ushered me and the rest of the group out of the rain and into the shelter of his small but perfectly formed distillery.
Well-timed or a lucky coincidence I shall probably never know, but it quickly became clear that Ben Inglis, Distillery Manager of Islay’s first—and currently only—rum distillery, is truly passionate about his venture. His enthusiasm was infectious, and the brief introduction to his project piqued my interest. So I reached out to find out more about the curious venture of creating rum in a place internally renowned for its scotch.
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Why Distill Rum Where Everyone Loves Whisky?
Since the 1920s Islay has been renowned for its smoky whisky. The iconic character even allowed Islay distilleries to convince some prohibition officials that the whisky had to be medicinal. The implication being why would you drink it for pleasure—those officials were clearly not Islay fans. While the flavor may be divisive, the reality is that those iconic characteristics have made Islay whisky an international brand in its own right. So when I contacted Inglis for an interview I started with the obvious questions: why on earth would you choose to make rum in Islay?
Of course, the world would be a boring place if we all liked the same thing. So it’s unsurprising to hear Islay local Ben explain that while he was intrigued by the idea of whisky, it was rum that won his pallet.
“I started out my drinking career with rum, drawn like many others at an adolescent age to the sweet mixers. But I grew up in Port Charlotte and Bruichladdich and when I was young we would scramble over the old whisky casks and peek in windows to see what was going on,” Ben explained to me over email. “Distilleries are noisy, smelly and generally intriguing places so I think my interest in the industry started from a young age. Even if I didn’t want to drink the whisky itself, the way it was made was fascinating to me.
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“Fast forward to my early 20s and I was getting more into different aged and unaged pure rums, I couldn’t get enough of how vast the category was and how much location, still type, raw materials and personal preference played a part in the end spirit. This paired with a natural curiosity of how distilleries worked led me to wonder what a rum from Islay would be like. It was then I decided to really put effort into opening Islay’s first rum distillery.”
Fast forward to today and Inglis has created something that is uniquely Islay and rum. Their small batch white and dark rum as well as the recent addition of aged rum have all been well awarded at various international awards. Their edition that stood out to me the most was the Peat Spiced Rum; a smoky dark rum aged in cask previously used for peated whisky, which is designed to be a “true reflection of its Islay roots.”
What Makes Rum, Rum?
As well as the size difference between the Islay Rum distillery and the other whisky distilleries on the small Scottish island, there are some fundamental differences between whisky and rum.
The base process is the same; you ferment something sugary then distill the result to produce a higher proof spirit. With whiskies it’s usually a type of malted grain that is fermented; barley, rye, etc. that is dependent on the type of whisky or whiskey that is being produced. For rum the source has to be sugar cane.
Inglis explains their choice of sugar is dictated by their location: “by legislation it has to be either fresh cane juice, cane syrup or molasses. As we can’t grow our own cane in Scotland (yet!) we opt to use molasses as it travels the best coming from its respective countries.”
Inglis’s team creates variation in the eventual product through changes in wash, fermentation period and yeast. They are also experimenting with cask aged rums.
Aged Rum And Fermentation
Aged rum isn’t new but it takes time and so Inglis is still working on a selection of age statements. Their first release is just one year old, but it’s going down well and Inglis is rightly excited.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the evolution of our aged rums,” Inglis explains when I ask which of his projects he is most excited about. “We have just released our first aged rum, which is only one year old and it’s been received very well, so I’m excited to see how our other, even older rums will turn out.”
Like any passionate innovator there is always something else. “I also love playing around with yeast and long ferments too, so I’m keen to get our second batch of our Uine Mhor out.” Sadly the ultra small batch Ùine Mhòr is out of stock at the moment, but is created using longer fermentation and different yeast and bacteria for an especially complex result.
Discovering Rum
For drinkers it can be daunting to experiment with new drinks, especially with the cost of going out already high. So I asked Inglis whether he had any tips for new rum drinkers, but actually he explained that a bar with knowledgeable staff can be the key.
“Being able to sit and try different rums without having to commit to buying a whole bottle is a fantastic way to figure out what style you like.”
Full strength straight spirit can be intimidating for drinkers too, and sometimes you just want something a bit different. My personal favorite is an Old Fashioned, which can be made with rum too, but I asked Inglis what he would recommend.
“One of the first cocktails I make with a new rum is the daquiri. It’s simple, short and strong. I feel it’s one of the best cocktails to really showcase the rum going into it.”
The Larger Rum Market
For a few years now rum has been whispered as the next big thing. As a market analyst, amongst other things, I couldn’t help but ask Inglis about his opinion on the rum market as a whole.
“I think the rise of rum has been years in the making. It’s not been the overnight boom the same way gin seemed to take off, and that is absolutely fine by me,” Ingis said, his response feeling quietly confident in the industry, and in turn his product. “To quote Lao Tzu ‘the flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.’”
Then we get to the secondary market, which is always a double edged sword for small producers, and drinkers alike. “As for the secondary market—I have mixed feelings about that myself.”
His response is by no means a surprise. The secondary rum market is not the behemoth that single malt whisky has become, but there are still enthusiastic collectors and multiple specialist auctions.
“On one hand it can help people to get interested in a spirit and become excited about rum as a category. At the same time, in my mind rum is for drinking and enjoying, not sitting in a drawer never to be opened. It can also really inflate the prices of bottles.”
Within the larger whisky industry there are producers who benefit from the secondary market as it can help drive premiumisation within the primary market. That whole market shift and growth can create the space for new producers to set up and to improve margins. I can also see that for those same small producers where margins are tight and they’ve worked hard to keep costs down for drinkers, it can be incredibly frustrating to see other people profiting from a product you worked so hard over.
Love it or hate it, the secondary market is unlikely to disappear. The best thing new producers can do is continue producing the best products they can and getting them in front of the right people.
The Islay Rum company produces white, dark and barrel aged rums with a distinctive Islay twist. If you’re a fan of Islay whisky definitely check out the barrel aged option. If you’re more of a mojito fan then make sure you explore the more traditional options for an Islay twist on your classic favorite.
This article is adapted from one originally written by me for Forbes.com
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