Review: 8Track Spiced Rum  (82/100)
Review by Chip Dykstra
Published on June 05,  2023

Upbeat Spirits is a company that tries to live up to its name. It was founded by two friends, Matt and Jem, who champion and support unsigned musicians, the independent music scene and of course their 8Track Spiced Rum. The name of this rum pays homage to their love of music by a moniker that was inspired by the iconic recording kit from the 60s, 70s and 80s.

8Track is sold as a premium Spiced Rum which, according to their website, begins with a Caribbean rum  distilled from sugar cane molasses which is then blended with an 8-year old vintage rum from Barbados. The blended rums are infused with natural ingredients and spices, namely Seville oranges, vanilla, cloves, ginger and cinnamon.

It is bottled at 37.5 % alcohol by volume and is sold primarily in the UK. however Upbeat Spirits has indicated to me that they are exploring the Canadian market.

In The Bottle 4/5

8track Spiced Rum is sold in the colourful squat bottle shown to the left. This style of bottle adheres to the bartender’s creed of being easy to grab from the shelf as it fits into one hand; it is easy to open, and most importantly it is easy to pour. (The bottle neck is long enough to allow the bulk of the bottle to avoid your glass and the wide mouth allows for an even pour.)

The label stirs up memories of late 60s/early 70s pop music records. I can almost hear Eric Burdon and War singing Spill The Wine in the background when I look at it. Some people will like this homage to the music scene of the past (it really was a great time for music). But some, and I include myself in this mix, will find the bottle tacky. It sort of sticks out on the barshelf and doesn’t project an image of a premium quality rum. Instead it sort of implies that it is a lower shelf offering. (Just my take.)

In The Glass 8.5/10

When I poured my sample into the glencairn glass, what drifted up into the air was a melded aroma of butterscotch, vanilla, spice with hints of almond. The spices are comfortable and seem to grow as the glass sits. Vanilla, Ginger and Orange Peel seem to be dominant, but cloves and cinnamon leave a positive impression as well. My thought at this point is that we have a comfortable spiced rum which is perhaps a little more aggressive than the Captain, but not so aggressive that it loses its way.

In The Mouth 49.5/60

That comfortable feeling on the nose falters just a little as we sip. The rum has a youthful side and this combined with the zesty orange peel and other spices make the rum just a little too lively for sipping. Fortunately the butterscotch sweetness and a touch of menthol help to ease the heat. I would prefer to notice the vanilla a little more and the heated spices a little less, although in the back of my mind I realize that those spices which are difficult to sip would be very welcome in fancy spiced rum cocktails.

In The Throat 12/15

8Track Spiced rums gives the tonsils a little bit of a swat as it goes down. Orange peel, cloves, ginger and cinnamon all like to leave their hot little trails down my throat. As stated above, butterscotch and menthol provide a little relief and again those aspects of the rum that make sipping difficult are going to make cocktails all that much better.

The Afterburn  8/10

8Track is on the right path with their new spiced rum. By giving us something a little more aggressive than the Captain they hopefully can carve a little niche out for themselves.  The rum, despite its elevated spiciness (when compared to the standard), nonetheless remains approachable for cocktail mixing.

If you are interested in comparing more scores, here is a link to my other published Rum Reviews.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Suggested Recipe

The Flying Machine

1 1/2 oz 8Track Spiced Rum
1/2 oz Bols Triple Sec
1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Ice
2 oz Ginger Ale

Add a slice of Lime to the bottom of your favourite tall drinking glass
Fill with Ice
Pour the first three ingredients into the glass over the ice
Add two dashes of Bitters and complete with Ginger Beer
Stir to mix thoroughly
Enjoy Responsibly!

If you are interested in more of my original cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My Final Score is out of 100 and you may (loosely) interpret the score as follows:

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing rum or whisky.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84    We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89    Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94    Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)