First Impressions
This is one of the more conceptually interesting rums on the market. Spirited Union has taken the culinary principle that salt enhances flavour and applied it to spiced rum, using organic anana salt sourced from an ancient seabed. It's the kind of idea that could easily fail — gimmicky and unbalanced — but the execution here is genuinely impressive.
Tasting Notes
The nose reveals the sea salt immediately — a clean minerality that lifts the cinnamon and vanilla rather than competing with them. Allspice and black pepper sit in the background, adding warmth and complexity. It's an unusual aromatic profile that's immediately intriguing.
On the palate, the salt-sweet interplay is the star. The anana salt does exactly what the producers claim — it amplifies every other flavour. Cinnamon is warmer, vanilla is richer, and the allspice has more depth than it would in a conventional spiced rum. Black pepper adds a finishing heat. The balance is remarkably well-judged; at no point does it taste actually salty.
The finish is medium-length, with the salt-sweet contrast lingering alongside warming spice. It closes cleanly with a mineral note.
How to Drink It
Try this in a Rum Old Fashioned — the salt element means you need less sweetener, and the result is a more complex, layered cocktail. Also excellent with dark chocolate as a pairing.
The Bottom Line
Spirited Union Spice & Sea Salt earns a 7 for genuine innovation that actually delivers on its promise. The salt concept works, and the result is a spiced rum with real distinctiveness. At £30, it's worth the experiment.
