Go ahead and call us “All But Tots” because we’ve been to a rum show. The Whisky Exchange Rum Show is the sugarcane sister to London’s biggest malt & grain event. If you subscribe to the Whisky Exchange events emails you will have seen this one pop up on occasion to tempt you over. So should you try it out?

Why whisky drinkers should try rum is a topic worth its own article but whatever your interest level there’s one thing you need to know – the Rum Show will welcome you and exhibitors will happily convert you through rums aged in bourbon casks, sherry casks and other familiar avenues. Everyone we met went to great lengths to educate and accommodate, especially as the group of us attending had very different tastes and knowledge levels. This is unfortunately not always a given at a whisky show.

The setting of The Rum Show is Glaziers Hall by Borough Market and London Bridge. This guild hall is perhaps a perfect location for a drinks show. The wide hallways and stairs make it easy to get about and the spacious event rooms the show is spread across are all airy and well lit. Being a multi day show also means the exhibitors are able to add creativity to stand design too. The various branding touches bring the show together into a cohesive celebration of the spirit. None of the spaces got too hot, or noisy and stands were positioned well so large groups can gather for tastings.

The advertised selection is 350 rums which is far more than any normal drinker can get through and even diligent spittoon users would wreck their palates with the many high proof products on display. Rums from many global regions are represented and the focus is on both white and aged rums with plenty to satisfy those who strongly prefer one over the other.

The “Dream Tot” aka “Dream Dram” token system is here matching the sister show. One of these tokens is given in the ticket price and allows you to try a pour of a rum priced between £150-£250. More tokens give access to even pricier products at £5 each. However, ultimately it all felt a bit unnecessary. Very few rums on offer are actually within that price range and Premium offerings are rarely hidden. In fact, there were quite a few products that were close to or more than “Dream Tot” pricing set up as free to taste. As someone who leans towards well aged sherry barrel rum it was great to have access to such pours without needing to pay extra.

There was one odd problem with the show that cast a shadow over it for one our group who is a spiced rum fan. When we asked an exhibitor why their spiced rums weren’t on offer we were told there was a ban on spiced rums unless they were aged which rules out most of that category. Do spirits shows ban things? Not generally. At whisky shows you’ll often find liqueurs and other non-spirit products if makers have them and want to show them off. So we looked into this and got an official response from The Rum Show:

When asked to clarify if there was a hard ban or just a recommendation the Rum Show has not responded. Spiced rum dominates the category in the UK  and it is not clear from the show website that they are intentionally excludes to promote the smaller category of “pure rum”. Shows are welcome to set their priorities, however, it was disappointing to see this stance not clearly communicated as for many people out there “rum” means “spiced rum”. There’s an education piece here that can draw people into the craft of the space in the same way a whisky show draws in a casual drinker who has only tried supermarket blends before.

With all our reviews we like to call out some of the exhibitors who wowed us with knowledge they shared and the experience they gave. We spent a lot of time chatting with Douglas and Ellie from Scratch, an award winning rum distillery based in Hertfordshire. They discussed with us in detail their ageing process and casks. From the influence of the microclimate in the valley their distillery sits in through to how they select their casks and what they’re trying to get out of each project. The range of barrels on display was fascinating too. Muscat, charred English oak and even Laphroaig. The creative standout was the “frankencask” which sees several different casks taken apart and then reassembled into hybrids, similar to Kinehan’s KASC project in the whisky space. On top of all this serious knowledge and sampling Douglas also took us through great tales around setting up the distillery and his run-ins with UK regulators which you can read more about here. 

We’d also call out the Whisky Exchange stand team who, with their broad selection of store bottlings, were able to provide on-the-fly masterclasses in rum. They even answered the age old “If I like X, what would you recommend?” with ease. Not only did they challenge our expectations of certain products but were also happy to recommend which exhibitors we should check out to try more similar things. Should you be a complete newbie this is absolutely a stand to consider starting at for an ultra-fast rum education.

The Rum Show cost £46.13 per person (early bird, incl fees) for the shorter Friday session. A ticket on the day for the longer Saturday session would have cost £66.63. Overall the price range is narrow so there’s little incentive to commit early if you’re uncertain. The show hasn’t sold out in previous years and The Whisky Exchange are the most diligent exhibitor and bottle listers in the space so you can comfortably make your decision with a full tot list to hand in the weeks before the show. 

If it isn’t clear yet – All But Drams recommends The Rum Show. This is an event whisky enthusiasts should take note of and put in their diaries if they’re even slightly curious. As a value proposition it makes for a delightful day out and a brilliant way to get a fast education on such a diverse spirit. There is the spiced rum elephant in the room though. So, if you’re reading this as a spiced rum fan then take the leap and try what’s on offer here, you may be out of your comfort zone but you’ll absolutely be welcomed.