In March of 2025, Next Century Spirits acquired the Blue Chair Bay Rum brand and made Kenny Chesney one of its largest stakeholders. The Blue Chair Bay rum line began with a release of three flavors and expanded to include different flavors, rum creams, and a spiced rum blend.
The base rum for the line is produced at the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados using molasses and aged for up to 15 months in used bourbon barrels before being blended to 40% ABV and bottled for distribution.
Blue Chair Bay White Rum
Appearance
The rums in the Blue Chair Bay line are all packaged in the same tall 750 ml bottles with wooden-capped synthetic corks. The wraps on the bottle and security wrap around the cap are color coordinated to match the different products in the line. In the case of their white rum, it is a frosted white color with blue and white lettering sharing the basic details about the rum along with basic marketing information.
In the glass, the rum is crystal clear. Swirling the rum creates a thick band that quickly releases several waves of legs before evaporating, leaving pebbles of liquid all over the tasting glass.
Nose
The aroma leads with a crisp vanilla note followed by topical fruit and ethanol.
Palate
Much like the aroma, the first sip leads with vanilla with a punch of alcohol tingling the mouth and tongue. Additional sips provide a hit of banana and tangy lime, creating high notes, while a mineral rich baseline forms. The wood influence drifts in and helps form the finish with a light pepper note transmuting the flavors into a smoky butterscotch finish.
Review
This brand has grown over the years to become one of the most successful independently owned rum brands in the United States. It is certainly one of the most successful rum brands owned by a music artist. The flavor profile hits quickly and functions well in fruit-based cocktails and explains why I have seen its growing presence in the wells of bars and restaurants I have visited. If you are looking for something different to use as a base rum in your cocktails, this one is worth exploring to see if it meets your needs.
