I’m all for experimentation in the world of rum, but I feel a need to simultaneously oppose experimentation without purpose, or fusion for the sake of sheer gimmickry. It was hard to know if that’s what I should expect, looking at a bottle of Equiano Rum Original, which is a blend of rum from Barbados and the tiny African island nation of Mauritius. Why bring together such seemingly disparate influences? Is the familiar Foursquare rum simply a salve to get the audience to try more exotic rum from Mauritius? I had to at least mull over those questions.
In truth, though, The Equiano Rum Co. is bringing both an interesting story and an engaging product to the table here. Marketed as “the world’s first Afro-Caribbean rum,” this is a lovely product that works both as a neat drinker and cocktail component, highlighting Mauritius’ diversity in rum production while also having a relevant story to tell.
Equiano, which I initially (and rather foolishly) assumed had something to do with being “equatorial,” is rather named for Olaudah Equiano, a crusading abolitionist born in modern day Nigeria in 1745, before being enslaved and sent to the Caribbean, where he toiled for several decades. He was eventually able to purchase his freedom in 1766, at least partially with profits from selling rum, before settling in the U.K. where he became a prominent abolitionist and author. There, he married an English woman and wrote an influential autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, which was republished in nine editions and helped push for the eventual passage of the British Slave Trade Act of 1807, which abolished the slave trade in the U.K. Suffice to say, a truly remarkable man, whose life was connected to both rum and the Caribbean.
So with that said, what’s in this bottle? Well, Equiano Rum Original consists of the following:
— 10 year old Mauritius rum from Grays & Co Ltd., presumably from the New Grove brand, which is matured in ex-cognac casks for 10 years.
— 8 year old Barbados rum from the venerable Foursquare, matured in ex-bourbon casks. The rums are then blended and bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof), with no added sugar, color, or flavorings. As it should be.