First Impressions
Wild Oxen is part of the growing British rum movement — distilleries making rum on home soil from imported or locally processed cane sugar. Based in Oxfordshire, they ferment cane sugar for seven days and distil in a hybrid pot and column still affectionately named Big Phil. It's a craft operation with ambition.
Tasting Notes
The nose is fresh and clean. Cane sugar and green apple lead, with citrus zest and light grassiness adding interest. Floral hints round things out. It's an honest, unfussy nose.
The palate is clean and fresh. Cane sugar sweetness is the foundation, with green apple crispness and citrus brightness providing lift. The light grassy character hints at the cane origins. At 41.5%, it has decent body for a white rum.
The finish is short-medium, with clean cane sugar fading to gentle citrus.
How to Drink It
Cocktails — Daiquiris, Mojitos, and any recipe calling for white rum. The slightly higher ABV means it carries in mixed drinks. Supporting British distilling has its own appeal.
The Bottom Line
Wild Oxen earns a 6 — a clean, well-made British white rum that supports local distilling. At £33, it's premium-priced for a white rum, which is the trade-off for small-batch British production. Interesting rather than essential, but worth trying.
