The appeal of rum and cheese pairings lies in the combination of rum’s diverse flavour profiles, ranging from rich and sweet to spicy and robust, with the creamy, savoury, and sometimes tangy characteristics of various cheeses, creating a delightful balance of taste and texture. Here’s are eight rum & cheese pairings to try.
1. Tanduay Asian Gold Rum x Manchego
ABOUT THE RUM:
Tanduay holds the top position in volume sales for all rums around the world currently. Since 1854, Tanduay Asian Rum has been creating a spirit as intriguing in its silky smoothness and elegant flavour as the essence of the mysterious East.
- Origin: Phillippines
- ABV: 40%
- Raw Materials: Grade A Molasses
- Distillation: Column Still
- Maturation: Up to 7 Years (Ex-Bourbon)
- Additives: No added sugar
- Retail Price: $30-35/750 ml bottle
ABOUT THE CHEESE:
Manchego is a Spanish cheese made from sheep’s milk, known for its firm texture and nutty, slightly tangy flavor with a sweet undertone.
The nutty sweetness & slightly tangy undertones of Manchego cheese heighten the rum’s caramel and nutty notes.
2. Zaya Gran Reserva x Port Salut
ABOUT THE RUM:
“Zaya,” a name that spans multiple cultures & languages, commonly translates to “a triumphant woman.” As Zaya interprets it, she is one who approaches her life with confidence & a deep sense of self.
- Origin: Trinidad
- ABV: 40%
- Raw Materials: Blackstrap Molasses
- Distillation: Small Copper Pot Stills
- Maturation: Up to 16 Years (Blend of Rums)
- Additives: Not disclosed
- Retail Price: $65-$75/750 ml bottle
ABOUT THE CHEESE:
Port Salut is a semi-soft, creamy French cheese with a mild, buttery, and slightly tangy taste, known for its orange rind. Because it is quite rich, savoury, and velvety, the fattiness and slight tang contrasts the slight sweetness and complex notes of the rum to create a unique flavour combination that’s enticing to the palate.
3. Appleton Estate 8 Year x Fontina
ABOUT THE RUM:
Joy Spence (born 1951) is a Jamaican chemist and master blender at Appleton Estate. She was the first female master blender in the spirits industry.
- Origin: Jamaica
- ABV: 40%
- Raw Materials: Molasses
- Distillation: Combination – Pot & Column
- Maturation: 8 years+ (Ex-Bourbon)
- Additives: No additives or sugar added
- Retail Price: $35-42/750 ml bottle
ABOUT THE CHEESE:
Fontina, an Italian cheese, boasts a semi-soft, creamy texture and a mild, earthy flavour that becomes more robust with age.
The earthiness of this cheese heightens the earthy/funky notes in the rum.
4. Flor de Cana 12 Year x Jarlsburg
ABOUT THE RUM:
Flor de Caña is the world’s first spirit to be carbon neutral & fair trade certified. In addition, all of the rums are sugar-free, gluten-free & kosher.
- Origin: Nicaragua
- ABV: 40%
- Raw Materials: Molasses
- Distillation: Column Still
- Maturation: 12 yrs minimum (Ex-Bourbon)
- Additives: No additives or sugar added
- Retail Price: $41-47/750 ml bottle
ABOUT THE CHEESE:
Jarlsberg, a Norwegian cheese that’s essentially a cross between Gouda & Emmental (Swiss cheese), is semi-soft with a sweet, nutty, and buttery flavour.
It pairs particularly well with this rum to heighten the nutty & buttery nougat notes.
5. Goslings Black Seal Rum x Combozola
ABOUT THE RUM:
Goslings actually owns the trademark for the Dark ’n Stormy Cocktail! In addition, Black Seal rum is an essential additive to Bermuda fish chowder.
- Origin: Sourced from the Caribbean; blended in Bermuda
- ABV: 40%
- Raw Materials: Molasses
- Distillation: Pot & Continuous Stills
- Maturation: 3-6 years
- Additives: Not disclosed
- Retail Price: $30-$35/750 ml bottle
ABOUT THE CHEESE:
Cambozola is a German cheese that combines the creamy richness of Camembert with the blue veins of Gorgonzola, resulting in a smooth, mildly tangy, and is a great introduction to blue cheeses.
In particular the soft buttercream melt-in-your-mouth texture contrasts the rich, spiced, slightly sweet rum perfectly.
6. Coconut Cartel Rum x Coco Brie
ABOUT THE RUM:
This rum is a single-origin, Spanish style rum diluted to bottling strength with coconut water! All of the coconuts are harvested within 48 hours of use to ensure the water is fresh & packed with minerals.
- Origin: Guatemala
- ABV: 40%
- Raw Materials: Fresh Pressed Cane Juice
- Distillation: Copper Column Still
- Maturation: Aged up to 12 years (new charred American oak barrels)
- Additives: Coconut Water
- Retail Price: $65-85/750 ml bottle
ABOUT THE CHEESE:
Coco Brie is a soft, creamy cheese that has a mild, buttery base characteristic of Brie, coupled with subtle hints of coconut, offering a delicate & slightly sweet tropical twist to the traditional Brie taste.
The hint of coconut mirrors the subtle coconut notes in the rum, bringing it to the forefron.
7. Bumbu Rum x Danish Blue
ABOUT THE RUM:
“Bumbu” is an Indonesian word for a blend of spices.
- Origin: Barbados
- ABV: 35%
- Raw Materials: Sugarcane
- Distillation: Column Still
- Maturation: Up to 15 yrs (1st Fill Ex-Bourbon)
- Additives: Dosage & Spices added
- Retail Price: $46-57/750 ml bottle
ABOUT THE CHEESE:
Danish Blue cheese, also known as Danablu, is a creamy blue cheese with a strong, pungent aroma and a tangy, salty, and sharp flavour.
This intense cheese perfectly contrasts the intensely rich, sweet, and spiced rum bringing an exceptional pairing experience.
8. Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum x Smoked Havarti
ABOUT THE RUM:
This rum is a single-origin, Spanish style rum diluted to bottling strength with coconut water! All of the coconuts are harvested within 48 hours of use to ensure the water is fresh & packed with minerals.
- Origin: Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica
- ABV: 41.2%
- Raw Materials: Molasses
- Distillation: Combination – Pot & Column
- Maturation: Not Disclosed
- Additives: Dosage (20 g/L) + Pineapple
- Retail Price: $35-60/750 ml bottle
ABOUT THE CHEESE:
Pineapple and smoke are a flavour match made in heaven. In particular, smoked Havarti cheese is semi-soft and offers creamy, buttery, and slightly tangy characteristics which are complemented by a smoky undertone.
The smokiness adds depth and a savory, slightly sweet note which contrasts the slight sweetness from the rum.
