Those who know Dark Matter know that it is far from your average spiced Cane Spirit. First of all, it is Scotland’s first and only example, made in a purpose-built distillery in Banchory (between the Cairngorms and Aberdeen). Then it is a craft spiced cane spirit made by three Rum nuts (brothers Jim and John Ewan, with Cory Mason—ex distiller at New York State’s Berkshire Mountain Distillers) from the finest possible ingredients. A produce-based spiced cane spirit if you like, rather than the syrup-based products that dominate the market.
It all starts with the highest purity level, refiner’s grade molasses—a standard of molasses almost unheard of these days in rum distillation. Following distillation, the all-important fresh spices are added for a week-long infusion. The recipe stands out not just for the freshness of the ingredients but also the notable absence of vanilla. Dark Matter’s infusion takes in a swathe of fresh ginger, green peppercorns, hand-crushed allspice berries and Indian long pepper (a close relative of black pepper yet with a spicier personality). Finally, to impart the ideal balance of sweet and spice, 60 g/l molasses is added back. No caramel colour is added! The quality and freshness of the ingredients creates a huge whack of intense ginger and spice, and the standard of the molasses creates a texture and class that is unique in this style, in our experience.