Kirk and Sweeney Burning Mast Rum
Kirk and Sweeney Burning Mast Rum is an 80-proof (40% ABV), 750mL Dominican hot-pepper-infused rum — 81% Kirk and Sweeney Reserva blended with 19% Reserva finished in red pepper barrels for 11–19 days — smooth Caribbean sweetness up front with a rising wave of fiery chili heat — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
The name comes from St. Elmo's Fire — the rare maritime phenomenon when ship masts appeared to glow during storms — and the bottle pays homage to the Prohibition-era rum-running schooners the brand is named for. The Kirk and Sweeney schooner was best known for smuggling rum from the Caribbean to the Northeast in the early years of Prohibition before being seized off the coast of New York. The rum itself is handcrafted in the Dominican Republic from hand-harvested sugarcane processed into grade-three blackstrap molasses, aged in a variety of American and French oak barrels with years of dumping, blending, and re-barreling, then infused with hot peppers for its signature sweet-heat profile. It breaks from the brand's traditional bulb bottle in a squat, short-necked bottle sealed with a cork and a chili-pepper-emblem safety seal.
Tasting notes (brand + review consensus): aromas of caramel, vanilla, honeysuckle, and roasted coffee beans; a palate of sweet molasses, caramelized vanilla, baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom), and roasted almonds and cashews; a silky yet red-hot finish of chili heat, burnt sugar, and lingering spice.
Why buy: Pepper-infused rum is a tiny category and Burning Mast defines it — real barrel-aged Dominican rum with a genuine chili kick, not a liqueur-sweet novelty. Explore more Kirk and Sweeney and browse more rum and barrel-aged whiskey at Del Mesa Liquor.
FAQ — people also ask:
Q: Is Burning Mast a spiced rum?
A: Not exactly — it's a barrel-aged Dominican rum finished in red pepper barrels, giving it a real chili-pepper heat rather than the sweet spice blend of a typical spiced rum.
Q: What is the proof of Kirk and Sweeney Burning Mast?
A: 80 proof / 40% ABV (750mL), per the official 3Badge sell sheet.
Q: How spicy is it?
A: Noticeably hot — a rising wave of red-pepper heat builds through the finish — but the Reserva base keeps it smooth and balanced underneath.
Q: How should I drink it?
A: Neat or on the rocks for heat lovers, or in cocktails that take a fiery twist — spicy daiquiris, rum Old Fashioneds, rum mules, or a Piña Colada with a kick. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.