Wray & Nephew White Overproof

A good cocktail rum with funky notes, very suitable in drinks

I don't tend to be a fan of white rum, but this overproof version, direct from Jamaica (63%) is packed with rummy flavour. There is a slight hint of fruity sweetness to it, along with a well rounded rummy yummy flavour. If i drank it blind, I wouldn't have thought it was a white rum.

For those that don't like this rum, I did let the drink air for a few minutes (might have made the difference), and secondly, I'm a rum lover and will happily admit when a drink tastes bad, or like paint stripper, and this isn't either of those things.

Brilliant straight, great in a Cuba libre with lime.

I bought my first and last bottle of this crap a few weeks ago. I can't believe that this is the top selling rum in Jamaica and they drink it straight. All I can say is that life over there must have gotten much worse since I last visited 22 years ago.

It tastes like turpentine or cachaca. It is downright disgusting. Somehow, I managed to drink a half bottle over a one week period. What was I going to do with the rest? I tried using it for lighter fluid for my BBQ pit, but it would not even light. Then I thought about using it as toilet bowl cleaner, but was wary of it ruining my plumbing. Saving it to cure a stray mangy dog was another option.

So, if anyone knew what to do with this, it would be found in Beach Bum Berry's Potions Of The Caribbean book. Sure enough, there was one recipe to tame this "vile" liquid with Jasper's Rum Punch. It is basically the holy Caribbean trinity of rum, lime juice, and simple syrup, but Jasper's adds a much higher proportion of Angostura Bitters and West Indies spices like cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Instead of those ground seasonings, I happened to have a bottle of Peg Leg Pete's Pirate Sauce on hand, which did the trick. In other words, this beast needs to be drowned in seasonings to be made drinkable. And yes, I made a batch of this punch with the rest of the bottle and finished the whole thing off in one long day. Somehow, I was still walking, but was married to the toilet for the next few days. NEVER AGAIN!!!!

I also found out much later that the Jamaican sparkling grapefruit drink called Ting can be added to this to cut the awful taste. The drink is called Ting With A Sting. I finally found a bottle of Ting and added a couple of ounces of Hamilton Jamaican Gold to greatly improve the taste. It is still one disgusting drink, but after a few with Wray & Nephew, you will be too plastered to know how disgusting this combo really is.

It’s reputation is well deserved. 100% overburn hogo that will slap you hard.

N- Hmmm, unsweetened Aloe Vera, weird isn't it? Grassy plant extract with solvent floral. Pungently raw with spicy camphor, some exhaust. Get more waxy and drawn out more nutmeg with water, remains stiff and fiery. Would be great if it is less 'industrial'. (19/25)

P- Punchy lemon peel sourish burnt caramel, antiseptic, extra spicy mouthwash. Sulphur raw cocoa. Albeit burn like hell, the tantalizing solid citrus notes are addictive. Cut the zest down to 55%-ish with water or ice are recommended, just made it slightly buttery and rounder. (19/25)

F- Long, saving grace with juicy lemon and pomerol peel with leafy tobacco scents. Sweet orange come thru after dilution. (21/25)

Balanced:- A blazing 63% moonshine that need to drink with care. Rough with some hidden quality. (19/25)

Weighted Rate:- 78pt

— at The Rum Bar KL.

Use this with my Moose Milk (rums, egg nog, ice cream, spices mixture) for a Military Levee on Jan 1st every year.

This Rum is just an classic! Recommend everybody to have it even in your home bar. The best overproof rum i tried so far, at least that i remember! ahahah
Grassy, green bananas on the nose.
Uncle Wray is always there for you when you need a strong hug and when you need a punch to feel alive again!

People say it's crap. What do they know? Embrace the Dunder, I say!
Just water it down so you don't go blind, and experience the essence of Jamaica!

This Is the real thing all the whiners that complain about smell and taste need to go back to suckin on their mommies tit ....Rum is made from sugar cane hence the Molasses smell and taste ...There is a reason that the Jamaican Yardies drink this because its the real deal .....So STOP THE BLOOD CLOT CRYIN ....and enjoy Mon!

Cant believe they drink this straight and neat in Jamaica but thry do! Slip it into punch if you want everyone to pass out otherwise Im pretty sure its good for a Molotov cocktail. PS dont drink this and smoke

Ok...that's rum...overproof...white...but still rum...not my style....but almost 70%! And you can easily dring that! mix with water, sprite or something you like....thats killer machine. But still 70%!!! And easily to drink...that's means thats really good made...even you don't like taste.

I'll never recommend drinking this on it's own. But, if you need to light something on fire...

Il s'agit du blanc overproof de la maison Appleton. C'est un blanc typique jamaïcain avec cette note métallique typique de la maison (probablement trop de rhum de colonne). Pas un mauvais produit mais pas assez riche en esters pour vraiment mettre le coup de pied au fesse que peut mettre un rum bar ou encore un fire velvet.

Original review 4/17:

You should know what you're getting into if you ask/reach for this rum. This ain't no Bacardi. You're going to get lots of funk, rotten bananas, rubber, and ethanol on the nose. Loads of fruit. The flavor... I can't really describe. There's so much going on! I love the concentrated flavor.

If this is an example of raw Jamaican distillate, it's easy to see why Jamaican rums (of any age) are so popular among rum aficionados. Like IPAs, they're a bit of an acquired taste, but they are almost unfailingly interesting, and more often than not, delicious.

I only had it neat, but I look forward to trying it in a Wray & Ting and other cocktails someday soon.

7+

Update 11/17: Screw it. This rum is so straightforward, tasty, and versatile, I'm giving it an 8. Not only does a little bit jazz up any cocktail, it does wonders when added to any 80-proof sleeper rums you have lying around gathering dust. I also vastly prefer the flavor profile (not the strength—the profile) of this to Rum Fire, though I'm still looking forward to trying Hampden Rum Bar Overproof sometime. (Update, I prefer this to RBO, but only just.)

8-

This is an utterly unique rum. Came across it on the Turtle Bay cocktail list. A Ting Ray perhaps isn't for everyone, but the strength of the rum means that its character doesn't get lost or seem diluted in combination with the other ingredients. Great way to start an evening.

The dunder pit was working in overdrive when they got this one going... botanicals and flavor for days... but heavy duty. This is the estranged crazy Uncle of rum that has lots of good stories! Only good if you are ready for it.

It is rare to find something that hasn't been tinkered with these days. In my opinion this is what rum is supposed to be. It doesn't necessarily lend itself to drinking neat, although personally I like it like that. Clearly not for everyone. I appreciate the smoother more sugary rums as well, but this one is special.

This could go with anything and more or you could rub it on you the best rum ever

It is not normal i guess to give a kind of cheap rum such a high rating, but i think it is truly delicious! It has a very unique taste, you can tell the moment you open the bottle, a fantastic smell is released that makes you want to drink the entire bottle, but beware at 63 % , that most likely is not the best idea :)

... but not bad to mix with. Another review mentioned 'green bananas'. I agree.

This was my staple rum for a long time, being a rum from my mother's country of birth. I would use this in any baking that called for rum. Not having much of a flavour to it, it is quite versatile in that regard. However, it is VERY harsh to drink on its own and I would only mix with it if I didn't have anything more palatable to drink. It will always be my white rum, but for now, I will continue to flirt about other rums to experience what is out there.

I had this on spring break in Jamaica a number of years ago. This was practically all they mixed in our drinks along with Cruzan and it did its duty well. It has a distinct island perfume and taste that is distinct and different from anything you will have in the states. "Respect Maan!"

It's no wonder Jamaicans love it so much. The fruity scent and strong finish are enough to keep me making more mai tai's. Not to drink on its own, but in a fruity mix it earns the throne. If any cocktail calls for an overproof white ru, then this is the one. Two to thumbs up.

This stuff really kicks and burns a incredible sensation when straight up... Not great stuff but certainly amazing for knocking you out