Smith and Cross Traditional Jamaica Navy Strength

Tasted at Laka Lono on 12/26/18. How can you not love this rum? Another foundational rum for your home bar. Love it! Burnt caramel and J-funk aroma. Golden amber color. Mild honey sweetness. Notes of agricole in this.

Loved the colorful reviews here and decided to try it... and initially this was some real nasty stuff.
Kind of sweet, but not in a good way. Smelled like gasoline, tasted like rotten fruits mixed up with your local bar's toilet water.
Not even that good for drinks, as it overpowered everything.
But since it wasn't my favourite, it lasted a month in my fridge... and then, a miracle! Taste of raisins overpowered my pallet, hints of banana, cheesecake and maybe even some vanilla. Had to raise the rating from 3 to 6.
Disclaimer: For mixing ONLY.

I find it to be a pleasant addition to my collection. The taste travels well on your palate making it enjoyable to either sip or mix. I prefer to mix with it though. It’s a must have if you are thinking of building your own home tiki bar

Not my thing. It's almost chemical-tasting, but that's prolly just me.

($38 CAD) Well here we go. One rum I have looked forward to for a long time.
It’s got a healthy amount of funk on the nose, as well as some obvious heat from the 57%.
The funk comes in with a punch behind it on the tongue. The alcohol is strong and not for the faint of heart. But it rests into some smokey flavours that are quite new to my usual. Bit of over ripe fruit, banana and pineapple. It explodes into something new and intriguing. Lots going on and lots of power. Lots to ponder on.
For me, this is a tough one. I appreciate the complexity but still have more of an affinity towards sweeter rums. That being said, for $38 this is a steal. Definitely worth it!

This is a must have bottle for any tiki or rum cocktail that calls for a jamacian rum!

I've always been on the hunt for the perfect funk. I believe I've found it in this bottle. Works perfectly on its own or to spice up rum cocktails. This one has a permanent place on my shelf.

This probably has a love it or hate it type of thing going on with the funky hogo, but I am definitely a fan. Leathery banana nose and spicy tobacco in the finish, what isn't to love? Surely a myriad of ways to mix and elevate the experience of drinking it (tiki champion), but if you're into funky, bretty beers or funky, aged meats, you'll enjoy sipping it too!

As you can see from the community consensus, this is a highly regarded rum. However, as some reviewers have noted Jamaican Pot stilled rum is it's own thing. For some the taste is exactly what they are looking for, for others it can be a bit much. I am of the latter camp. I have seen some people remark those that dislike this rum have a weak palette. I cannot comment on that as my rum adventure is relatively young. What I can say is that some milder Jamaican rums like Appleton Estate are not so off putting to me.

I will also add that most of my rum consumption is centered around the Tiki hobby, and the "leather" note I get from this spirit just beats the tar out of anything you put it with so you notice nothing else. I find that harder to incorporate into mixed drinks and am less a fan of it straight up. I do note lots of people who are fans of "Jamaican funk" think this works amazing in a Mai Tai etc. I am just not one of those people mostly because it screams so loudly.

So up my alley. Smokey on the nose. Hits like a truck full of pepper and vanilla.