Raising Glasses Dhahabu Rum

Raising Glasses Dhahabu Rum is the US debut bottling from American independent bottler Raising Glasses — a custom overproof version of Matugga's Golden Rum, bottled at cask strength, 58.8% ABV (117.6 proof), in a 375mL bottle. Matugga is the Scottish rum distillery founded by Paul and Jacine Rutasikwa, drawing on the couple's Ugandan and Jamaican roots; the rum is distilled from molasses on a pot still with dunder — the leftover stillage from previous runs that Jamaican distillers use to build esters — then aged in an ex-bourbon cask and bottled in 2025 with no sugar, coloring or other additives, in a run of 257 bottles. Dhahabu is Swahili for gold. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• Proof / ABV: 117.6 proof (58.8% ABV), cask strength
• Size: 375mL
• Distillery: Matugga, Scotland — molasses pot still with dunder
• Cask: Ex-bourbon cask
• Outturn: 257 bottles (bottled 2025)
• Origin: Scotland, with Ugandan and Jamaican roots

A Vanguard of the UK Rum Scene, Bottled for America

Raising Glasses is run by Lorri and John, a husband-and-wife team of longtime Scotch collectors who select their own casks and bottle them under their own label. They describe Matugga as a vanguard of the burgeoning UK rum scene — an inspired fusion of distillation and flavor traditions from Scotland, the Caribbean and East Africa — and its dunder-powered Golden Rum made such an impression that they bottled this custom overproof version for Matugga's first American release. Find more independent bottlings in our rum collection and across the spirits range.

Tasting Notes

Tropical fruit and steely esters over a gently oaky backbone — a profile that owes more to Jamaica than to the Highlands, with the overproof strength holding its shape beautifully.

How to Enjoy

Sip it with a little water to open the esters, or put the 58.8% strength to work in a Daiquiri built from our cocktail ingredients — it holds up where standard-proof rum disappears. For more small-outturn bottles, see the rare and top shelf shelves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Dhahabu mean?
Dhahabu is Swahili for gold — the name Raising Glasses gave this custom overproof bottling of Matugga's Golden Rum for its US debut.

What is dunder?
Dunder is the leftover stillage from previous distillation runs, returned to the ferment — a traditional Jamaican technique that builds the esters behind this rum's tropical, funky character.

How strong is it and what size is the bottle?
Cask strength at 58.8% ABV (117.6 proof), in a 375mL bottle, with no sugar, coloring or other additives — 257 bottles in total.

Try Raising Glasses Dhahabu at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — Scottish rum with a Jamaican heartbeat.