Doctor Bird Pot Still

I didn't always like Jamaican rums, but as I've come to understand the process I've also come to appreciate the funky taste. I found this on a visit to Detroit. Two James is a local distillery there, who brought in barrels of rum from Jamaica, and bottled it in Detroit (basically using their distillery/bottling license to get around Michigan's outdated alcohol import laws).

I poured it neat, and could smell the rum as soon as I started to pour. It has a strong aroma of over-ripe apricots with a slight tickle of the nose. The first sip has an interesting blend of sweet and tart with just a little burn on the back of the tongue. It leaves behind a fruity aftertaste like dried apricots and raisins.

I added an ice cube, and it brought out even more of the fruitiness.

This is a great sipper, especially if you enjoy the funk. Cheers!

Robustly full of flavor, and yes, funky as all get-go. But all in a good way. A fine, fine mixer to bring out some Jamaican spin. I drink it neat, as well. Not for everyone, but that's the whole point.

Update: The more I drink this stuff, the more I like it. Try it in light cocktails, like a funky daiquiri, to bring out its flavors and let it shine. Again, it's not for everyone.

Flavorful pot stilled rum with plenty o' funk. At 100 proof, its a little too strong for me to drink neat (despite loving the flavor), but it holds it own very well in a cocktail.

sad that Two James put their name to this rum. Tried it need and had a hard time getting it down. Used in a tiki drink some of the flavors came alive.

This one is just too funky for me. No way I can drink it neat. Trying it with ice now but it is still overpowering.

If you like a super funky Jamaican rum this one is all for you. I will come back and raise my rating if I can find a nice way to enjoy this rum. Not very expensive, sub $30 for me in Chicago.

This is the Laphroaig 10 year of Jamaican Rum if you know what I mean.

Cool bottle with a type of hummingbird as a logo. It's a blend of high ester Jamaican rums and bottled in Detroit. Very fruity. 100 proof. It may be ok in a mixed tiki drink, but too funky for me to drink neat.

I love Jamaican rums. This one has become one of my favorite to bring in a little extra funk in my tiki drink.

I also enjoy sipping on this even though it's 100 proof.

An absolute funk bomb on the nose, huuuuuge aromas of overripe/rotting fruit, especially banana, with some subtle notes of sun-dried raisins and apricots. Pungent in a way that smacks you in the face and demands you take notice. Initial taste is a little bit of ethanol sharpness followed immediately by some woody tannin laced with dried fruits and a dry bitterness like a black tea almost? Quite complex and interesting to pull flavors out of over a couple of sips. The finish is fairly short, but leaves the lingering black tea notes and banana esters sticking around a good bit longer. Weird and wonderful, quite unlike most things I've had before.

Who would have thought you'd get a nice funky Jamaican rum from a bottler based in Detroit?

It has a bit of Worthy Park funk going on (Rum-Bar, Hamilton Pot Still Black) but its not over the top funky and has a lot of other flavors going on to make it interesting. And the price around $30 makes it a great value. The ratings are all over the place, probably because the WP funk isn't for everyone, but if you like that style this is a must try.

100-proof high-ester rum from Jamaica for just $25.99. I will probably always have a bottle of this on my shelf, as the price to quality is quite high. I don't know if it will replace Probitas (aka Veritas) as my go-to cocktail rum, but it is in the discussion.

Solid 7/10 rum on its own. Bonus point for the price.