A Pirate’s Life delves into the rum drinking habits of infamous pirates and the kind of bottles they’d stash away if they were alive today. This edition focuses on the Irishman Edward England, a pirate who was considered to be one of the more humane of his kind during The Golden Age of Piracy
Read on to find out about what kind of rum England would keep in his rum cabinet.
Symphonia Irish Apple rum
Having grown up in Ireland, as Edward Seegar, England would want a bottle to remind him of his homeland and simpler times while he was out to sea. This Irish apple rum from the Woodlab Distillery in Benburb would fulfill that role for him.
It’s a Caribbean white rum that has been infused with Jonagold apples grown in orchards sitting on the border between County Armagh and Tyrone. This has created a spicy spirit with notes of apple pie and nutmeg.
Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve rum
During his early years, England served as a privateer in the War of Spanish Succession and he spent time in Jamaica. Of course he would have developed a taste for rum that is considered by many to be the best in the world and a worthy addition to his collection is Worthy Park single estate reserve.
Weighing in at a heady 45% AV, this pot-still rum has notes of vanilla, orange, lemon, banana and toffee.
Copeland rum
At the height of his power as a pirate captain, England spent his time roving the African coast and a rum to remind him of those years is Copeland rum. The brainchild of James Copeland, his white rum comes from blackstrap molasses and is infused with tropical aromas.
Flavours that come to mind are dark cacao, pineapple and toasted coconut.
Tapanga Premium rum
Africa was also the place where England met his match. One day he was plundering a town in South Africa when he came across a woman called Amy Brionso.
After kidnapping her, England kept Brionso in the captain’s quarters and they slowly fell in love with each other and eventually married. Their son, John Edward England, was given his name after Captain England asked his wife to do so. He feared for their safety and left them behind in South Africa.
Tapanga premium rum would surely remind England of the love he had for his wife. The bottle is decorated with the label of a leopard, one of the world’s deadliest big cats and its ferocity could be reminiscent of Brionso.
An agricole style of rum, Tapanga is aged for five-years and has strong notes of vanilla, cherry and dried fruits to create an excellent sipping spirit.
Green Island Superior Light rum
Towards the end of his pirate career, England was marooned in Mauritius along with three other crew members. While this would have likely been a hellish experience, England persevered and eventually built a boat with the others and sailed to St Augustine’s Bay in Madagascar.
A Mauritian rum to remind him of what he’d overcome is Green Island Superior Light. A blend of three and five year oak aged rum, the drink is smooth and complex. Grass, herbs, aniseed, chocolate and fennel are all prominent.
Discover the rum of Black Sam Bellamy, another pirate with a penchant for compassion and dashing antics.
The Rum Ration 