How About a Hellmann’s ‘Mayo-Nog’ this Christmas?

Hellmann's Mayo-Nog

Let’s be honest, eggnog is pretty polarising as it is so when Hellmann’s insist that their signature mayonnaise can be thrown into the mix instead of the egg, well, we don’t know what to make of it frankly.

In partnership with Muddling Memories’ Cody Goldstein, and New York restaurant Amy Fontaine’s, this experimental team is aiming to prove that it works, but how? They’ve created a Frozen Mayo-Nog as well as a Snickerdoodle Mayo Cookie with the aim of producing a Heston Blumenthal-esque milk and cookies revamp.

Unfortunately, if your mouth is watering reading this then, firstly each to their own, and secondly, you better get saving for a trip to the Big Apple, because the Mayo-Nog and the cookie are only officially available at Fontaine’s restaurant for a combined price of $24! But that includes a ‘mayo glaze’ so it’s got to be worth every cent...right?

Not willing to travel to New York to try these mayo creations? Where’s your commitment to the cause? At least you can try it yourself at home because the recipe is on the Muddling Memories Instagram. There is a hell of a lot of egg in America’s best-selling mayo, so it might not be as crazy a leap as you might initially think, as odd as that sounds. The rest of the recipe sounds very nice indeed, with dark rum, apple brandy, milk, cream, syrup, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon, all blended with a generous helping of Hellmann’s and voila, your first Mayo-Nog...

But will it be your last? We’re desperate to hear if mayonnaise can actually substitute the egg, and if so, is it worse, or maybe even better? We may just try and whip one up on the Bring a Bottle podcast very soon to put it to the test! If you give it a go send us a picture on Instagram/Facebook and let us know what you thought!

The Best Rum to Gift this Christmas

The Best Rum to Gift this Christmas

The world of dark spirits is ever expanding, and no more so than in the world of rum. Rum, unlike many other dark spirits, seems to be a little harder to navigate. Scotch whisky has hard and fast rules that need to be adhered to, as does Cognac and even most world whiskey in some form or other. It means you know what to expect and there is a quality assurance that comes within its category. Not so with Rum, which, for me makes it exciting. The rules in one country can be quite strict, whilst in another, they may be non-existent. Aging can mean nothing, and colour can be added to make a rum look well aged, when in fact it’s only just been made, sugar can also be added without restriction, giving overly sweet rums. It’s no secret that people in the south Americas like rum to be sweeter than most Europeans.

Rather than dismiss rum as being too difficult, I think one should experiment, just as one would at the beginning of the journey to finding out which whisky one likes. I’ve done a fair bit of experimentation over the last few years, and if you are thinking of rum for Christmas or gifting rum, here are a few of my suggestions, giving their style so you can hopefully find that perfect bottle for the festive season. I’ll start with white rum, getting steadily darker, and include a few spiced rums at the end. There’s something here for everyone at every price point, so let’s get to it!

The Best White Rum to Gift for Christmas

Ron Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca

Ron Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca

In the last few years, we are seeing rums other than Havana Club coming out of Cuba, and this is a great example. It has initially been aged for a short time in oak, but then filtered to take out the colour, but leaving in all the flavour. I think this is one of the best value to flavour ratio rums for making cocktails out there. At a slightly lower abv, it doesn’t overpower with alcohol, but still delivers all the flavour you need.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find it here: £20.94

 

Bougainville White Rum

Bougainville White Rum

This rum comes from the Oxenham distillery on Mauritius. Made with molasses which have been fermented at a low temperature for 14 to 20 days, which is a very long fermentation, it gives lots of fruity banana character with toffee, milk chocolate and a touch of spice. At 40% it is smooth too, and although good enough to drink over ice, it is fantastic to mix with anything from Cola to the fanciest cocktail - this rum will shine through.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: £24.37

 

Toti White Rum

Toti White Rum

Created by The Sustainable Spirit Company in conjunction with the conservation group Sea Shepherd, 15% of the profits from every bottle go to supporting marine conservation in the Caribbean. Not only that, the rum tastes delicious too! It is a blend of rums from Trinidad, Barbados, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. There are flavours of apricot, chocolate and coconut with a touch of peppery heat.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find it here: £27.44

 

St Nicholas Overproof

St NIcholas Overproof

Hailing from Barbados and produced by St Nicholas Abbey, this bottling has some punch to it being overproof at a robust 60% abv. This makes it a wonderful cocktail base, and although not the cheapest white rum in the world, it is worth every penny. The strength lets the rum come through with loads of flavour in a cocktail. With sweet honey, red fruit flavours and a nutty background with a little peppery heat, this is a great white rum.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 60%
Find it here: £74.95

 

The Best Rum to Gift for Christmas

Mount Gay Discovery Set

Mount Gay Rum Discovery Set

Here we have a great gifting set. Especially for those wanting to explore a wider range of rums. Mount Gay is a legendary distillery in Barbados. In the set are one each of Eclipse, Black Barrel Double Cask Blend and Mount Gay XO Triple Cask Blend. All quite different and all very tasty. My favourite is the Black Barrel which has been aged for seven years before being finished in heavily charred barrels giving toasted oak, ginger, oranges and a little baked tropical fruit.

Size: 600ml 3 x 200ml
ABV: 43%
Find it here: £45

Bottle: Mount Gay Eclipse
Size: 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: $26.99

Bottle: Mount Gay Black Barrel
Size: 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find it here: $29.99

Bottle: Mount Gay XO
Size: 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find it here: $66.99

Hattiers Resolute Navy

Hattiers Resolute Navy Rum

A Navy Strength bottling from English rum makers Hattiers, and it’s a brilliant blend of aged rums from Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados and Australia, it’s got lots of baked tropical fruit and buttery caramel and is a little smoky. A brilliant rum for making classic cocktails. I recently tried it in an Old Fashioned and have found a new friend. Warming and delicious, a fabulous rum.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 54.5%
Find it here: £50.94

 

Doorly 14 Year Old

Doorly's 14 Year Old Rum

Yesterday I was at a rum lunch and chatted to rum aficionado Peter Holland, who is now representing Foursquare distillery which also produces the Doorly range of rums. I asked him, which his favourite was, and low and behold, we both like the same one! The 14 Year old is a blend of pot still and column rum, mostly aged in ex bourbon casks. There are a few aged in Madeira giving a touch of sweetness amongst loads of spice including a good dollop of ginger spice, there is also dark chocolate and red berry fruit. A little soft spice on the finish and char, make this a great sipping and mixing rum. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find it here: £61.44

 

Abuelo XV Finish Collection 

Abeulo XV Finish Collection Rum

The Abuelo fifteen year old comes in three forms, all finished in different casks. There is an Oloroso Sherry cask finish, a Napoleon Cognac finish and a Tawny Port cask finish. All delicious. Very difficult to choose a favourite, as they are all very good and the choice is subjective. I like the Tawny Port finish as it is a little drier, but that might not be yours, so why not try them all! A great gift for any rum lover.

Size: 600ml 3 x 200ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: £73

Bottle: Ron Abuelo XV Napoleon Cognac Cask
Size:
750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: $75

Hampden Estate Overproof Rum

Hampden Estate Overproof Rum

I can’t write a rum list without including my namesake! And it’s not just because of the name. I last wrote about the eight year old Hampden, and this rum is just as incredible, especially if you like very fruity, slightly funky rum, which is typical of the Trelawny area in Jamaica. Lots of fruity esters, mix with a little vegetal bitterness, and at 60%, this is a very punchy rum. One to try if you’ve been drinking rum for a while and want to try something a little different.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 60%
Find it here: £80

 

Foursquare Elysium 12 Year Old

Foursquare Elysium 12 Year Old rum

Dan Davies MW says if you like sherry aged whiskies or rich style of Cognac, you should try this rum. It is a rich blend of pot still and column-distilled rum and matured in both ex-bourbon and ex sherry casks for 12 years in the tropics. There are deep flavours of brown sugar, baked orchard fruits with lifted flavours on the finish of furniture polish, dried tobacco leaves and leather. Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, they have chosen a cracker of a rum here.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 60%
Find it here: £86.95

 

Caroni 22 year old 1997 Master of Malt

Caroni 22 Year Old 1997 Mast of Malt

Here we have a very special rum. From the closed Caroni distillery, these rums are becoming very rare and new bottlings don’t come around very often. Bottled by Master of Malt, this is a very good example. Distilled on a traditional column still in 1997, only 284 bottles were filled in 2020 and only recently released. If you’d like to try a very special rum or need a very special gift for a rum lover, then this will do the trick. With aromas of baked pineapple, confected other fruits and a dry oak the flavours are gentle at first, expanding into dark rich earthy notes and treacle and raisins. Baking spice and cloves come through with stewed fruit on the finish which is very long and complex.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 61.6%
Find it here: £249.95

 

The Best Spiced Rum to Gift for Christmas

Cassario Black Spiced Flavour with Rum

Cassario Black Spiced Flavour with Rum

Here we have a rum that gives true value for money. Beating other much more expensive rums in competitions, like the Spirits Business awards in 2021 where it received a gold medal, this rum doesn’t compromise flavour for price. If you like Kraken or other dark spiced rums, then this should be a rum for you. With caramel and dark chocolate, allspice and manuka honey, it’s a complex and sweet rum punching well above its price tag. Well done, Aldi.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: £14.99


Bumbu Original

Bumbu Original Rum

This rum now comes in a slightly higher strength than when first released and it makes all the difference. Inspired by recipes from the 16th and 17th centuries used by West Indian sailors this spiced rum has plenty of tropical fruit and spice with quite a bit of sweetness but is very well balanced with the higher abv. Think Banoffee pie, caramel, and allspice with a little chocolate. Yum.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find it here: UK £34.99 // US $34.99

Decorrum

Decorrum rum

We now enter into the world of spiced rum. With its Art Deco design this rum has a complex flavour profile with lots of spice, including ginger and cinnamon, but there is also sweetness from honey and vanilla flavours. Oranges and rhubarb bring in plenty of fruit. It’s real treat for those who like spiced rum.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find it here: £40

If you’re still looking for that perfect gift, why not have a look at our vodka, gin or tequila gift guides too?

Words by Colin Hampden-White