Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum
Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum is a 750mL Jamaican rum bottled at 57% ABV (114 proof) — true navy strength — blended only from Wedderburn and Plummer pot-still distillates, with no added sugar and no chill filtration. It is old-school Jamaica rum from an English merchant house whose roots reach back to 1788: big, funky, and unapologetic. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 57% (114 proof) — navy strength
- Size: 750mL
- Distillates: Wedderburn and Plummer pot-still rums only
- Production: No added sugar; no chill filtration; no influence of other wines or spirits
- Character: High-ester, traditional Jamaican pot-still funk
- Origin: Jamaica (Smith & Cross, an English rum merchant house founded 1788; US importer Haus Alpenz)
Navy Strength, Pot-Still Funk, Nothing Added
Smith & Cross began as a sugar refinery by the London Docks in 1788 and became one of the great handlers of Jamaica rum, with cellars along the Thames. The modern bottling honors that trade: only the two heavy pot-still styles — Wedderburn and Plummer — widely reported as Hampden Estate production in Jamaica, bottled at the 57% strength the British Royal Navy once demanded, without the added sugar, chill filtration, or excess dilution that soften most modern rums. See the house on the Smith & Cross vendor page, or browse our rum collection.
Tasting Notes
Per the importer: caramelized banana, exotic tropical fruit, and spice over an earthy finish — the high-ester pot-still signature that made Jamaican rum famous.
How to Enjoy
Built for tiki and classic rum cocktails — a Mai Tai, a Jungle Bird, or a Planter's Punch that tastes like rum again. A small pour neat is a masterclass in pot-still funk. More Jamaican rums are in our rum collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Smith & Cross 57% ABV?
57% is navy strength — the traditional British Royal Navy proof (100° English proof) at which rum was once issued and tested aboard ship.
Does Smith & Cross have added sugar?
No — the US importer, Haus Alpenz, states it is bottled without added sugar and without chill filtration.
What are Wedderburn and Plummer?
They are the two traditional heavy pot-still marks of Jamaican rum — high-ester styles prized for their banana, tropical fruit, and spice character. Smith & Cross is blended from those two distillates only.
Navy-strength Jamaican funk, bottled the old way — order Smith & Cross online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
