Review: Rum Sixty Six English White Rum   76/100
A review by Chip Dykstra
Posted on May 29, 2023

I encountered Rum Sixty Six (English White Rum) this past Christmas when it was included as a small sample in my Christmas Advent Calendar. As this is a white rum, I set it aside to visit when the weather was warmer. For myself, white rum is generally a spring and summertime indulgence, and I wanted to try the spirit when I would enjoy it the most.

I have tried to research Rum Sixty Six. However, their website is sparse on information (see here)  They appear to be a company which sources interesting rums, and then bottles them under their company name. Unfortunately, the English White Rum does not have a presence on their website, and so I had to content myself with the information from the back label of the bottle which I found recounted quite well on a website called The Rum Diaries Blog (click on the link to read their review).

According to that information, Rum Sixty Six English White Rum was originally distilled in the Caribbean where it was matured for two years. At this point the rum made its way to the Sovereign Distillery in Liverpool, England where it was apparently rectified (in other words re-distilled).  After this re-distillation, the spirit was according to that back label rested and matured in copper tanks.

This is a product meant for the European market as evidenced by its bottling proof of 37.5% alcohol by volume.

In The Bottle 3.5/5

As indicated my sample was from an advent calendar and I could not snap an adequate picture of the bottle and label. I was able to source an image of the larger retail bottle, and it is shown to the left.

My substandard presentation score is not due to what I see as a poor bottle design (it actually looks quite nice); it is instead a reflection of the information provided on the back label which would cause me concern if I was using that information to make a purchase decision. When I read that a spirit was re-distilled after it had already aged for two years, that is tantamount to telling me that there was something wrong with the spirit such that it could not be bottled as it was. The drastic action of re-distillation is normally a last re-course to salvage a bad spirit.

Then telling me that the spirit was ‘matured’ in copper tanks is either taking liberties with the English language or a demonstration that the spirit company does not understand the aging process. Spirits can indeed be rested, but they never ‘mature’ in copper tanks. Maturation requires air exchange caused by a gradient in air pressure between the inside of the resting vessel, and the outside environment. Spirits mature in wooden vessels (almost always oak) where such air exchange is possible; but in copper tanks this is impossible.

If this was the only information I had to go on to make a purchase decision, I would probably pass.

In the Glass 7.5/10

In the glass, the spirit is clear and the nose is sort of mellow or perhaps muted is a better description. Glimpses of mushy plantain, hints of menthol and wisps of orange and banana peel rise into the air, but there is little else. Nothing strikes me as aggressive, but their is very little indication of character either. It’s as if this is a white rum that has taken a journey three quarters of the way to vodka.

That sort of makes sense as the re-distillation of an already distilled and partially matured spirit would strip away some of the the heavier flavours and aromas leaving only part of what was behind. That sort of what I am sensing in the breezes here, a spirit that has been buffed and polished leaving us only a muted version of what was.

In The Glass 46/60

I am getting more of the same as I sip. There is a pleasant light sweetness, and a very lightly sweet taste of vanilla and butterscotch. There are also muted plantain and banana flavours with hints of menthol. But that is about all. The lack of character is disconcerting. I think my impression on the nose that this was a rum that has travelled three quarters of the way to vodka is an apt description.

In The Throat 11.5/15

Surprisingly, there is a little burn across the palate and in the throat when the rum is swallowed. A light menthol sweetness remains helping to temper that light burn, but there is not much else.

I can just see Darth Vader taking a swallow of this rum and saying, “I find your lack of flavour and character disturbing!”

The Afterburn 7.5/10

Rum Sixty Six English White Rum is, I guess, a rum that a Vodka drinker would enjoy. I see the appeal, especially as I do enjoy vodka and rum mixed cocktails on occasion. And when I make that style of cocktail, I do it because I am in the mood for a more mellow indulgence.

However I think the majority of persons who buy a product called rum will want more flavour and character than this spirit delivers.

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

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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)