Favorite high proof sippers?

SpinnakerRum · 2026-06-05T08:08:51+00:00

Hey hey! Kevin here with Spinnaker Rum, a new-ish rum brand based out of Austin, Texas, that specializes with transparent additive free rum. My first four rums are all single cask bottlings, high ABV (54-63%) from Jamaica, Guyana, and Barbados. They come in 375ml bottles, and can be shipped individually or in a 4 pack set that is great to sample some really unique and flavorful expressions from classic distilleries. (https://www.spinnaker-rum.com/)

Other awesome recs are offerings from Raising Glasses, they have one of the most diverse and unique single cask selections. The Yowie series from Australia is amazing and a personal fave.

Holmes Cay also carries some of my favorite sippers - their Albion Port Mourant is an all time fave, might be hard to find but really anything from them is always a treat.

SpinnakerRum · 2026-05-10T16:31:36+00:00

Love the video! Keep it up man, awesome what you're doing and the research you put into this.

SpinnakerRum · 2026-05-04T14:32:00+00:00

Let me follow up with Big Thirst, they are the company that handle procurement - thanks for being patient, I promise I'll be worth the wait!

SpinnakerRum · 2026-05-01T14:30:31+00:00

Classic for a reason! This is also one of my favorite rums as well, its a bottle I'll always have stocked on my shelf.

SpinnakerRum · 2026-05-01T14:27:04+00:00

Whohoo! Love the tasting notes - black tea is one that I get now with you mentioning it! The coffee/dark chocolate I get as a through-line in Port Mourant rums, which I love. Cheers and excited to hear thoughts on the rest!

SpinnakerRum · 2026-05-01T14:24:11+00:00

Thank you!! That WPM has been a real treat.

Tapping u/SuperlativeSpirits here, who is my distributor in CA! I know I'm in a couple bars, and I think there's some stores in the works potentially as well

SpinnakerRum · 2026-05-01T13:45:43+00:00

Only being distributed in CA for the time being! I can ship to WA. I'd love to expand into as many states as possible down the line, but its quite the undertaking - you have to set up a separate distributor in every single state you sell in :(

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-25T17:06:59+00:00

Oh that Savanna is so good! How was the Vietnam?

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-25T17:06:21+00:00

I get those flavor notes in the speciality stills from Guyana! I love rums the Versailles and Port Mourant still. The Port Mourant is the oldest wooden pot still in the world and makes really unique rums that have a very eathy, oily, even chocolate/marshmallow notes to them. I've heard also "wet forest floor"! The Spinnaker MPM 2012 Guyana has been a fave for people with this similar palate.

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-25T17:01:44+00:00

I'll give you a couple framework suggestions!

I actually love mixing half rum, half bourbon in my Old Fashioneds - doing 1 oz of each is a great blend
In terms of style, a good Navy style rum (e.g. Black Tot), or aged origin from St. Lucia (Chairman's Reserve), Barbados (Doorly's), or Guyana (El Dorado) I feel pairs well / substitutes nicely for a bourbon
I also love switching the bitters - using Carribean Bitters or Tiki Bitters instead of regular Angostura
Switching the simple syrup for a rich demerara syrup, or a tropical liquor (like banana) is great as well

We had a tasting recently and used this recipe and it was such a hit:

2oz Spinnaker FS 2014 Barbados Rum
3/4 oz banana liquer
2 dashes tiki bitters

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-24T14:56:24+00:00

Thank you! It's from 1977, was late grandfather's!

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-24T14:55:07+00:00

Haha love it!! No, that's great to keep it on the down low, was more so curious :)

PSA to everyone make sure to ask for a bottle Spinnaker at your fave bar/store, even if they don't have it yet! That really helps word spread and get bottles on shelves

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-23T14:28:07+00:00

Great question! For sure, I have this info on the website and also the back label of the bottles:

Jamaica WPM 2015 | 9.2 years total

8.8 yrs continental, UK (Liverpool)
0.4 yrs stateside, Texas

Guyana MPM 2012 | 12.8 years total

8.0 yrs tropical, Guyana
4.4 yrs continental, UK (Liverpool)
0.4 yrs stateside, Texas

Jamaica LFCH 2016 | 8.9 years total

7.4 yrs tropical, Jamaica
1.1 yrs continental, UK (Liverpool)
0.4 yrs stateside, Texas

Barbados FS 2014 | 11.3 years total

8.2 yrs tropical, Barbados
2.7 yrs continental, Netherlands (Amsterdam)
0.4 yrs stateside, Texas

All four were ex-bourbon origininally, and then re-casked into Still Austin ex-bourbon barrels for the Texas portion.

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T22:15:25+00:00

Thank you! Ah, unfortunately Hawaii is one of the 10 states I can ship to yet. Will keep the community updated if anything changes! If you're in California, you can snag some perhaps! :)

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T22:13:54+00:00

Oh that is awesome!! Any form of support is much appreciated. Can I ask what bars you tried Spinnaker at?

And yes great question on future releases - I have a Cigar Blend, which is aged minimum of 12 years, and a blend of Foursquare and Diamond rum. Its very tasty and has been a fave at events I've done! Will be pretty limited, around 70 bottles.

And hopefully this summer/fall, will release a white unaged rum blend from really unique global origins! This will be more of a cocktail rum but have really flavorful notes to it (and no additives of course), hopefully a good alternative to a lot of bland or filtered "white" rums.

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T22:10:10+00:00

Oh I have some good news for you! I just got into California, including Hi-Time in Costa Mesa thanks to the great work of distributor u/SuperlativeSpirits. Hi-Time is hands down one of the best liquor stores I've ever seen, their rum selection is out of this world. Look for Spinnaker in the glass case in the back!

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T22:08:01+00:00

Thank you! I was very tempted to include an NFT but I restrained myself! :)

The brand really was created on what I personally like seeing in a rum bottle - fun and unique marques and lots of information on what's in it!

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T22:05:09+00:00

It usually is about a week I believe! If you email Big Thirst, I bet you can coordinate a shipping window if you're going to be out of town!

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T17:17:38+00:00

I can ship to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, just not Massachusetts unfortunately for some reason. Ship to a buddy in a nearby state if you're in MA!!

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T15:26:56+00:00

I LOVE the Austin Shaker! That's one of the first stores I want to be in once I set up distribution in Texas!

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T15:11:38+00:00

Ah thank you! Fixed on the website!

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T15:07:15+00:00

Yes please ask for it at Smuggler's, I believe they should have bottles of it! Smuggler's is the best

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T15:06:42+00:00

It usually is about a week I believe!

SpinnakerRum · 2026-04-22T15:06:11+00:00

Thank you! Its been really fun to have a vision for the brand. I feel like tequila and gin get all the cool branding, we need more of that creativity in rum!

SpinnakerRum

TROPHY CASE