Down in Flames

It’s been a while since I’ve done a rum review, but this in no way implies sobriety. There have been another couple of rums that I’ve tried since the last time, all of them better than my latest, the watermelon flavoured rum from Cyclone. Now, after positive experiences with other infusions like vanilla, coffee and even a spiced rum, I was expecting no less than the usual high standard to which I have become accustomed.

Expect away Simon, this one would not deliver. In my usual haste, I had neglected to note that this rum was not infused with watermelon, rather it had a watermelon flavour added to it. There was a fair amount of sugar in the mix too – so much sugar that I wasn't sure if they had simply forgotten to ferment the cane juice! But of course they had, or we wouldn’t have been able to light it on fire.

Faced with a bottle of rum which tasted too artificial and too sweet, we did the only thing we could do – we cooked it. Armed with a variety of seasonal tropical fruits (mangoes, pawpaw, banana and lychees) we headed to the frypan for a much needed flambé. After caramelising the fruits, and warming the rum, we set it alight and almost took the house with it*! The best bit? We got to play with fire and Mum didn’t say anything, it was her idea after all. Though she did express concern during the flaming shots which followed…


*Due to a severe cyclone eons ago, all houses in Mauritius are made from indestructible reinforced concrete. Don't think we didn't try! The rum simply didn’t burn hot enough