English Harbour 5 Year Old Antigua Rum
English Harbour 5 Year Old Antigua Rum is the foundation of the house's aged range — and the base of all three cask finishes: a minimum of five years in ex-bourbon barrels in Antigua's un-climate-controlled warehouses, bottled at 40% ABV in a 750mL bottle. Rich and amber, smooth and light-bodied, with banana nut bread, toffee and brown spice, it is the versatile premium pour the distillery calls ideal neat or in cocktails. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40%
- Size: 750mL
- Age: Minimum 5 years in ex-bourbon barrels
- Style: Core age-stated range; base of the Port/Sherry/Madeira finishes
- Distillery: Antigua Distillery Ltd., St. John's, Antigua (est. 1932)
- Origin: Antigua, West Indies
The Foundation of the Range
Launched in 2001 as the focus of Antigua Distillery's aged-rum program, the 5 Year Old is where every English Harbour expression starts — the Port, Sherry and Madeira cask finishes all begin life as this rum. It is distilled on the house's unique five-column copper continuous still, a hybrid of an English John Dore column and a French Savalle column, from molasses sourced from Guyana and the Dominican Republic, fermented 24–36 hours in open fermenters with commercial and wild yeasts. On Antigua the line is known as Cavalier; English Harbour is the export name. Browse the English Harbour collection, the rum shelf, and more whisky-adjacent pours at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
The official notes describe a rich amber rum with aromas of mild spices and banana nut bread; an off-dry to medium palate of robust toffee, roasted nuts, sugared butter and brown spice; and a clean, elegant finish with lingering dark tropical fruit. Retailer tastings corroborate the pastry-shop profile: brown sugar, sautéed banana, maple, chocolate fudge, nougat and honey.
How to Enjoy
The distillery's verdict: versatile, ideal neat or in cocktails. It is smooth enough to sip and structured enough to carry a daiquiri or a rum old fashioned — the banana-bread and toffee notes do the heavy lifting in both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the base of the English Harbour cask finishes? This rum — the 5 Year Old, aged five years in ex-bourbon barrels, is the starting point for the Port, Sherry and Madeira finishes.
What makes the distillery's still special? It is a five-column copper continuous still combining an English John Dore column and a French Savalle column — the only all-copper column of its kind in the Caribbean, per the brand.
Where does the molasses come from? Guyana and the Dominican Republic, per the distributor.
Is it sweetened? No — the toffee and brown-sugar notes come from five years in ex-bourbon oak, not additives.
The Antiguan all-rounder — add English Harbour 5 Year Old to your cart from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.