Here it is. The myth, the legend. Smith & Cross. I first had this at a friend’s housewarming party, and I am genuinely curious if it would have kicked off my rum journey had Myers’s not come first. At the time, it was the best rum that I have ever had by a country mile. But, after all the rum that I had since then… could it still be the best rum that I have ever had? I’m going to have to compare it to so many rums!

Also, a bit of a funny story. It calls itself navy strength, and it’s sitting across from Pusser’s Gunpowder proof in my rum cabinet. And yet Pusser’s is not gunpowder proof, as that is the same as full proof, or 57% ABV. It is watered down to 5° below proof (54.5% ABV), which is navy strength. And so, Smith & Cross is not navy strength, as it is 57% ABV, which is full proof strength.

Note: “Wedderburn” component is aged for less than a year, and “Plummer” component is aged for 18-36 months.

Review

Smell

Incredible jamaican funk. Overripe bananas, caramel, and just very fruity and very banana forward. Xaymaca smells more light, fruity, and sweet, while Smith & Cross smells more rich and caramelly, although both are very fruity on the nose.

Taste

Very funky, banana, and surprisingly noticable vanilla and oak notes. It’s very smooth, not bitter at all, maybe even slightly sweet, which is a significant jump in smoothness and depth compared to Xaymaca. Despite being 57%, I can easily sip it, and I never noticed the bitterness in Xaymaca until I tried it next to Smith & Cross, and it just becomes clear, despite how good I think Xaymaca is (and it does still hold up well), Smith & Cross is just superior.

So now Smith & Cross is in the running to be my favorite rum. I need to try it against the ones currently tied for first place in my ratings.

First up, sipping Doorly’s 14 and Smith & Cross side by side. Doorly’s is excellent, but I just prefer the Jamaican fruity funk of Smith & Cross a little more.

Next, I made daiquiris with Hvitserkur and Smith & Cross. These two rums taste surprisingly similar. I wouldn’t be surprised if they shared the same marks. And, maybe it’s just the slight bit of age, or maybe it’s the higher proof, but Smith & Cross pulls ahead here as well. It just tastes like Hvitserkur, but bolder.

Finally, I made Jungle Bird cocktails with Smith & Cross vs Planteray OFTD. This one was a bit more difficult, as the cocktail really disguises the rum itself. That’s not a bad thing, and that was something that gave me pause to think. Smith & Cross has the punchier flavor, such that it shines through even the larger amount of other juices and bitters added, while OFTD does disappear, but just makes an overall more well-rounded cocktail, though maybe a very strong one. I thought that maybe I prefer Smith & Cross by a hair here.

Verdict 8.5/10

We used to have a 4 way tie for my favorite rums: one from Barbados (Doorly’s 14), one from Haiti (Clairin Sajous), one from… Iceland of all places (Hvitserkur), and one black overproof blend (OFTD). It would be so nice to have a Jamaican rum be an equal among them, but Smith & Cross is just too good. This was the rum that I feared when I gave OFTD a 10/10 with my previous rating scale, because I knew of the existence of Smith & Cross, and it was only a matter of time before I bought a bottle. Congrats to the new king! Let me set you down in the rum cabinet. Here are your two neighbors, Hampden Great House and Papalin 5Yr Jamaican High Ester. I am sure that you have nothing to worry about!