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Hamilton Beachbum Berry’s Zombie Rum
2021 has been an interesting year for rum products with supply chain issues and intermittent releases. In July Ed Hamilton announced that he was releasing a new product that he had created in partnership with author/historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry of Latitude 29. The story goes that Ed was visiting Latitude 29 in 2019 and asked the question “what kind of rum should he make next?” This led to a discussion about classic Tiki cocktails, extinct rums, and the limitations of products currently available in the market. One particular recipe near and dear to Jeff Berry’s heart is the Zombie cocktail which he successfully deciphered in 2005. The problem the original 1934 Zombie recipe called for 1 1/2 oz. Puerto Rican rum, 1 1/2 oz. Jamaican rum and 1 oz. Demerara 151 and nothing currently coming out of either Jamaica or Puerto Rico were a match for the rums used in the original cocktail. “What if they created a rum blend that did not involve a bartender using three different bottles?” This led Ed and Jeff on a two year research and development odyssey to get as close to the original flavor profile as possible. Finally, they hit upon the right combination of rums to create the flavor profile. Using a three-year-old rum from Trinidad as a replacement for the “Puerto Rican” component, overproof Demerara rum from Guyana, and rum from Jamaica to create a 118 proof product that is only sold in 1 liter bottles.
Hamilton Beachbum Berry’s Zombie Rum
Appearance
The rum has a dark amber color in the bottle and lightens slightly in the glass taking on a copper hue. Agitating the liquid causes a thick band to form that drops a wave of fast moving legs and then a secondary wave of much slower thicker legs. The band itself dissipates as the slower legs meander down the glass leaving a ring of beads around the glass.
Nose
Pouring the rum in the glass, the Demerara rum perfumes the air with its smoky charred oak, sweet molasses and caramel aroma. As the rum settles, I detect orange zest, acidic lime, raisins, an interesting array of stone fruit- fresh peaches, cherry, plum, and nectarine giving way to slightly spicy bread pudding punctuating the experience.
Palate
The first sip truly fires up the palate with a swirl of alcohol, crème brulé, and charred wood. Subsequent sips reveal that the stone fruits from the aroma take the high notes, as citrus lime and orange zest ride the midline, while the earthy char and funky wood, copper, and spice notes -cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, cooked banana notes form the low notes. These flavors dance and merge in a long lightly acidic cherry sweet finish.
Review
When hunting down a bottle of this rum blend, I had the predisposition that it was going to be good in a cocktail. My confidence was driven by the fact Ed Hamilton and Jeff Berry would not work so long on a rum blend and put out a disappointing product. By design it was created for cocktails, but would it be good to sip neat? While I enjoy the intricacies of the flavor profile discovered over a few tasting sessions, the 118-proof rum can and will easily overwhelm the palate. So, if you are so inclined to enjoy a dram, handle it with care and enjoy the rum while taking small sips. However, as I mentioned this rum was created specifically for the Zombie Cocktail and after trying it in three different drinks, I can say it is quite versatile and exactly what I hoped for as an ingredient rum. The way it interacts with fruit juices it elevates a simple rum punch in surprising good ways. On the Beachbumberry.com website they recommend a few cocktails beyond the Zombie for imbibers. What I am curious to see is what new concoctions bartenders dream up with this rum. This will be a staple in the Hamilton rum line and overtime will be available at any store that offers Hamilton’s products. It was nice to have a product live up to the hype and meet the expectations I had for it. This is a true rarity.
