I actually have a long history with probitas. I tried it about half a year ago at a friend’s housewarming party. So, probitas would have been one of my earlier reviews. So, why didn’t I post my review? Well, because it’s crap. I wrote that probitas basically has no flavor. How could I think that? Well, that friend also had Smith & Cross at his housewarming, and we had been drinking that bottle until it ran out, so when we switched to probitas, being lower ester, I just thought it was kinda flavorless.

Ok, so where is the Smith & Cross review!? Well, it’s also pretty low quality. I didn’t quite know how to describe what I was tasting other than “funky” and “very good”. I just genuinely want to leave that one for another day. For now, I have my own bottle of probitas… so here goes.

Review

Smell

I love the aroma of Jamaican funk. It has a very distinct Hampden smell to it, though the aroma is not very strong. I am just getting the banana and pineapple notes typical of Jamaican rum, but specifically, it has a smell that I recognize as Hampden.

Taste

Very bold and fruity; it’s actually so delicious. Light, crisp, and has a nice Jamaican funk to it. Not super high ester, but very enjoyable. The rums that it most reminds me of are Planteray 3 Stars and Hvítserkur. I tried all 3 side by side, and honestly, I can nitpick the differences, but if I wasn’t literally trying them side by side, I might struggle to tell the difference. I made daiquiris with all 3 as well, and they were fantastic. This rum is made for daiquiris.

Verdict 6.5/10

(Edited from 7/10 on 12/18/25)

I thought about whether this rum deserves a 7/10, and maybe I am being a bit harsh, but it’s a bit of a weird one. It’s a bit rough drinking for being so sweet and merely 40%, and it doesn’t have a very good body to it, or any real depth and complexity. But, the flavors are very interesting. It actually tastes like an apple pie cocktail. It’s an enjoyable sip, to just turn your brain off and enjoy something sweet and fun. I might even try making a hot buttered rum from this because it’s just so holidays-flavored. If you’re one of those people who wishes that your Starbucks pumpkin-spiced venti frappa-crappa-macchiato crunch were 40% ABV, this is the rum for you.

If my hot buttered rum turns out fantastic with this rum, I’ll edit the score to a 7/10.

June 11, 2026 Update:

I went through and demoted Breezeway Blend, San Zanj, and Planteray 3 stars to 6.5/10, and honestly, Probitas also feels like it’s in the same category. I tried all 4 today and they just don’t stack up to some of the other 7/10 rums I have.