DropWorks debuts barrel-aged rum - The Spirits Business

Independent English rum producer DropWorks has released its first barrel-aged rum only a year after starting production.

DropWorks is a modern British rum brand and home to ‘Europe’s largest rum distillery’.

The brand has furthered its mission to ‘redefine the British rum category’ by launching its latest small-batch creation and first barrel-matured product to join the core range: Barrel Drop Rum.

Produced on-site at DropWorks’ British Rum Distillery in Nottinghamshire, England, Barrel Drop Rum begins with molasses fermented with the brand’s own ‘world-first’ Wild Trinity Yeast and water from an ancient aquifer beneath the distillery.

The new small-batch product is a blend of the distillery’s column (80%), double retort (10%), and pot still (10%) distilled liquids, matured in specially selected casks to produce a full-bodied and complex 40% ABV dark rum.

The 100% British rum was aged for 10 to 12 months in a variety of casks, including hybrid casks that combine American oak and Portuguese oak, both of which have been scraped, toasted and re-charred, as well as 10% in virgin American oak.

The unique combination of barrels allows the rum to absorb complex flavours and colours, resulting in a ‘rich and layered flavour profile’ despite the shorter maturation process.

Barrel Drop Rum offers notes of rum and raisin ice cream, jammy dates, and warm winter spices.

The rum contains no additives, flavourings, colourings or sugar, and is the seventh new product drop from the brand since opening its distillery in May 2023.

Lewis Hayes, founder of Dropworks, commented: “You can’t cheat time when it comes to ageing rum, which is why Barrel Drop isn’t an aged rum but a matured one. However, due to its complexity, we still sit in that aged rum category despite our liquid only being in barrels for months as opposed to years.

“As with all of our Drops, we have challenged the production process and created a liquid that redefines British rum, and I can’t wait to see where we can push this next.”

Having launched in the on-trade across the UK from September, Barrel Drop Rum was made available direct to consumer on 11 October, before being unveiled to the public at Rum Fest 2024.

The expression is bottled at 40% ABV and retails for £34.99 (US$45).

Brand update

Following the release of Barrel Drop Rum, DropWorks is rolling out new designs across its entire range.

In line with the brand’s commitment to full transparency, the updated packaging provides more detailed product information to better communicate the quality of the liquid inside, while the designs continue to reflect DropWorks’ ‘disruptive spirit through a modern aesthetic and vibrant use of colour’.

With the brand’s commitment to becoming a B Corp, the new bottle is made in the UK and features higher recycled content (70%) and a reduced carbon footprint.

Since opening its distillery, DropWorks has filled more than 200 barrels and produced 184,000 bottles of British rum.

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