MATURED IN AMERICAN OAK, FINISHED IN SCOTCH WHISKY OCTAVES.
Distiller’s Drop #003 – American Oak Smoked Cask is our latest exploration in cask-aged rum: 29 months of maturation, with a third of the rum finished in Scotch whisky octave casks.
Expect notes of golden toffee popcorn, warming spiced gingerbread and a smoky finish.
Just 550 limited-edition bottles have been produced.
Once they’re gone, they’re gone!
Hear Founder & Master Distiller Lewis Hayes share more about how Distiller’s Drop #003 was created:
BUILDING THE FLAVOUR
The American oak STR cask (shaved, toasted and re-charred) gave us the rich, sweet foundation we were looking for: notes of honey, caramel and vanilla fudge.
Lewis wanted to take these flavours and build upon them.
Inspired by some of the exciting experimentation happening across the world of rum and whisky, he began exploring how we could introduce a natural smoky character to our own rum. The answer came in the form of Scotch whisky octave casks.
These smaller casks have a higher ratio of wood to liquid than a standard-sized barrel, making them ideal for finishing. Rather than using them to speed up maturation, we used them to layer new flavours onto a rum that had already spent two years maturing in American oak.
The octaves brought woodfire smoke, rich raisin notes and a gentle dryness from the Oloroso influence, adding another layer of depth to the rich rum underneath.
“This is a rum for whisky lovers. Rich and round, I really enjoyed the medjool dates, toffee, warming spice, and whisper of smoke and dark cocoa, all complemented by a tropical, rum character. A genuinely delicious pour – and the second serve is even better.”
Melita Kiely, Editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business
HOW DID WE MAKE DISTILLER’S DROP #003?
We started with our column distillate, matured in American oak STR casks for two years.
Around a third of the liquid was then transferred into Scotch whisky octave casks for a further six months. Once the finishing was complete, Lewis blended this back with the American oak-matured rum.
After testing different blends to find the right balance, Lewis found the blend that brought together the sweet richness of American oak with the darker, smoky character of the whisky casks.
29 months in the making and bottled at 50.1% ABV, Distiller’s Drop #003 is rich and warming, with notes of golden toffee popcorn, spiced gingerbread and woodfire smoke.
Drink neat, over ice or use it to put a twist on your favourite serve!
Presale 02.10.26
Launch 05.10.26
FULL TRANSPARENCY
| Raw material | Molasses |
| Fermentation | 4-7 days |
| Distillation | Column Distillate |
| Maturation | 29 months |
| Additives | None |
| Distilled by | Shaun “Yeast Beast” Smith |
| Blended | 29 months total, including a 6-month Scotch whisky octave finish for 1/3 of the rum, before blending back with the American oak-matured rum. |