Scottish spiced rum: This new dark spirit takes the flavours and history of Fife – now available online

A new Scottish rum is on the market, which is steeped not just in the flavours of the local landscape but also in Fife’s mysterious dark history
Ad Feature by East Neuk Spirit Co
Published 9th Jun 2023, 07:00 BST
Updated 21st Jun 2023, 16:18 BST
“We were fed up with the lack of options for a genuine spiced rum which is not over-sweetened.”“We were fed up with the lack of options for a genuine spiced rum which is not over-sweetened.”
“We were fed up with the lack of options for a genuine spiced rum which is not over-sweetened.”

If you like a dark rum, with just the right amount of sweetness to complement the bold, lingering flavours of carefully chosen spices then this new offering will be one to savour.

Dorchadas (pronounced Durr-uh-kuh-dus) is Gaelic for dark, curious, mysterious and arcane – it’s also the name of the first spirit to come from a brand new company, East Neuk Spirit.

Heritage

Find out how Fife’s dark history inspired the birth of a new rum, infused with a unique locally-sourced ingredient to give it a Scottish twistFind out how Fife’s dark history inspired the birth of a new rum, infused with a unique locally-sourced ingredient to give it a Scottish twist
Find out how Fife’s dark history inspired the birth of a new rum, infused with a unique locally-sourced ingredient to give it a Scottish twist

It’s been two years in the making – but the ethos of this dark and delicate drink takes on centuries of history. Tales of smugglers hiding spirits and tobacco from the excise men, in the many caves along this coast are legendary in this part of Fife – part of that legend was Dorchadas, a prized rum which folklore has it was smuggled here from the West Indies.

“It all began in the pub,” Rory Hunter picks up the story, when two years ago he and a long-time friend David Taylor met to catch up. “We’d had a few drinks and he pitched this idea to me that we could make our own rum.”

With a new baby son at home Rory’s life offshore working on the rigs was looking less appealing and he was ready for a new challenge. Quality, small-batch spiced rum was an emerging market and David had experience of spirit production as he works as a distillery engineer.

Authenticity

“The Seabuckthorn gives it a sweet and marmaladish flavour, and that rum colour – so it’s all naturally flavoured and coloured,” – Dorchadas Rum“The Seabuckthorn gives it a sweet and marmaladish flavour, and that rum colour – so it’s all naturally flavoured and coloured,” – Dorchadas Rum
“The Seabuckthorn gives it a sweet and marmaladish flavour, and that rum colour – so it’s all naturally flavoured and coloured,” – Dorchadas Rum

The raw ingredient – a 75% strength spirit – comes from Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. “We wanted a quality base ingredient so went for a high-end authentic single pot still white rum,” Rory explained. This is then macerated with various spices – but the thing that gives it both its unique flavour and glorious colour is very much a Scottish ingredient – locally-sourced Seabuckthorn.

Flavours

The road to the perfect flavour wasn’t smooth; like the smugglers before them, these modern-day buccaneers had some choppy waters to navigate. They turned to a head distiller to help curate a recipe for their rum – but months of testing and tasting at David’s kitchen table were needed before the pair were happy with the flavour balance.

“The Seabuckthron gives it a sweet and marmaladish flavour, and that rum colour – so it’s all naturally flavoured and coloured,” says Rory. “We like to drink our spirits neat sometimes and were fed up with the lack of options for a genuine spiced rum which is not over-sweetened.”

The perfect balance: two friends came together to make a new spiced rum reflecting Fife’s dark and mysterious historyThe perfect balance: two friends came together to make a new spiced rum reflecting Fife’s dark and mysterious history
The perfect balance: two friends came together to make a new spiced rum reflecting Fife’s dark and mysterious history

The raw spirit has a vanilla tang to it, added to the carefully chosen spices and just the right amount of sweetness, Dorchadas is a drink which lingers on the palate giving up its flavours one by one as the drink matures on the tongue – it’s definitely one to be savoured.

Buy online

Visit the website to find out more about the Dorchadas story, to order your rum, get inspirational cocktail ideas and to find out what’s next for East Neuk Spirits.

It is illegal to purchase alcohol unless you are over 18. Please drink responsibly.

For support with alcohol visit www.drinkaware.co.uk

Pictures by Sinéad Firman

Related topics:Fifeheritage