The Tides Are Changing - Tidal Rum

I was casually browsing Instagram when I stumbled across a rather sleek looking bottle, but as you do, thought nothing of it really.

But then it popped up for a second time and I thought, "there it is... Again!". Now, this kept happening over the course of a couple of days and it puzzled me as to why it kept showing up on my newsfeed.

So I tried to find out about this mysterious product.

Nothing. Zilch. Nada. There was nothing online, I couldn't find out where to buy it, I couldn't even find out who made the stuff. Then, there it was, the key word to this conundrum: Jersey.

It was a blended rum infused with Jersey Pepper Dulse seaweed. So I managed to find a contact address and dropped the boys a message find out about it.

Lo and behold, Ben and Harry, a couple of Jersey boys were creating a blended rum infused with a special Jersey seaweed, Pepper Dulse, something they call the truffle of the sea.

They have carefully and meticulously selected four rums to make this blend (I know, hard work right?). All are aged in ex-Bourbon American white oak casks, but here is the interesting bit - what each rum brings to the blend:

From Trinidad, there is a three year column distilled rum adding high intensity herbal notes.

The Jamaican pot still rum is aged for two years and brings a fiery herbal marine taste with earthy depth.

A Bajan (Barbados) blend of pot and column distilled rums aged for three years add raisined fruit with that classic oak finish.

And finally, the longevity of a Dominican Republic column still rum distilled from cane juice and aged for two years provides a long lasting salt toffee finish.

Now normally, when you are offered a Jersey home brew there is a good chance that it is going to be rather... 'Potent' shall we say... And although this rum sits at a modest 40% ABV, it is far from 'potent'.

It is soft and fresh whilst still maintaining depth from those older aged rums - in fact, here at Love Wine thought we were sipping on a whisky rather than rum! It's serious, without being pretentious.

Ben and Harry of Shorts Boy Distillery recommended we first try it neat and then over the rocks, and what can we say? It is like no other rum that we have tried!

The smoked Pepper Dulse really does add another layer to this rum, giving it an almost earthy, truffle character that balances out the caramel and toffee hues. Pepper Dulse can only be harvested seasonally (December-May) on Spring tides, i.e. biggest tides of the month.

This rum is therefore a drink for the end of a long week, the start of a night of adventure, to share with friends or to warm the soul. Ben and Harry say that Tidal is best served on the rocks. The smooth, oak finished, wholesome flavour warms, replenishes and evokes memories of the seaboard - reminding you of what life is all about.