Description
The only rum remaining today with this famous name on its label is Wray & Nephew Overproof. Back in the middle of the 20th Century, Trader Vic used 17 year old Wray & Nephew rum to invent the Mai Tai. He later used other Wray & Nephew rums when the supply of 17 year became unstable.
Today, only Overproof remains, though the company owns the Appleton Estate and produces many other types of rum under the Appleton and Coruba names.
Wray & Nephew Overproof is famous for its strength -- over 120 proof. It is usually served with Coke and a lime in Jamaica. In some bars in Jamaica, if you don't specify your brand in a rum and Coke, there's a good chance it be an Overproof and Coke.
This rum has less heat than you would think, and more flavor. The flavor is hard to describe -- some people like it and some are repulsed by it. It is a raw, rustic, astringent flavor. Think of cachaca and you're in the ballpark.
Coke cuts this flavor rather well, if you use enough. I prefer a big squeeze of lime -- half a lime.
To the uninitiated, Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum is merely the top-selling high strength rum in the world. In its native Jamaica, however, this crystal-clear rum is legendary. In the country known for its rum, it is the rum of choice. In fact, it currently accounts for more than 90% of all rum sold in Jamaica.
From the manufacturer's website.