West Midlands Distillery Honeycomb Rum is exactly the sort of spirit that makes you smile before you have even finished the first sip. A blend of Caribbean rum and spirit distilled here in the West Midlands is infused with honeycomb to create a rich, indulgent style packed with caramelised sugar, vanilla, warming spice and golden confectionery notes. The distillery rather appropriately describes it as being like “liquid Crunchie”, and that captures the personality perfectly – sweet and nostalgic, but at 40% ABV it still has enough strength and rum character to avoid feeling like a simple liqueur. There is a soft richness through the palate, with honeycomb and toffee upfront before warmer spice and deeper molasses-like flavours begin to appear. It is incredibly easy to drink neat or over ice, but its combination of sweetness and full-strength rum also makes it particularly useful in cocktails. Whether you turn it into an indulgent Old Fashioned, pair it with ginger beer or simply pour a small glass after dinner, this is fun, locally made rum with plenty of personality.
West Midlands Distillery Honeycomb Rum, Producer
West Midlands Distillery is an independent family distillery based in the Black Country, with production in Rowley Regis and its Distillery HQ and Visitor Centre at Brierley Hill.
The business was founded in 2017 by a family of distillers building on three generations of distilling heritage. It initially concentrated on gin, rum and vodka, alongside bespoke spirits produced for other businesses, while working towards a much bigger ambition: producing the first single malt whisky made in the county of West Midlands.
That ambition eventually became reality. Whisky spirit was laid down from 2021, and the distillery bottled its first qualifying whisky in August 2024 before releasing its first commercial West Midlands single malt in 2025. Alongside whisky, however, rum has remained an important part of the range.
Production is deliberately small-scale. The distillery works with copper pot stills rather than industrial-scale continuous production and is particularly fond of giving its equipment some personality: its four copper pot stills are named Doris, Lenny, Patricia and Sharon after members of the family.
There is also a strong local identity running through everything the distillery does. Rather than simply placing a regional name on the label, West Midlands Distillery actively celebrates the industrial and family heritage of Birmingham and the Black Country throughout its spirits, whisky releases and visitor experience.
West Midlands Distillery Honeycomb Rum, Production & Style
Honeycomb Rum brings together two different sources of spirit. It is made from a blend of Caribbean rum and rum distillate produced by West Midlands Distillery itself, combining the established richness of Caribbean rum with a genuinely local component.
The finished blend is then flavoured with honeycomb, producing the distinctive golden confectionery character that defines the spirit. The producer’s own retail site describes it as one of its firm favourites and compares the flavour to a liquid Crunchie bar.
Unlike many confectionery-inspired spirits, however, Honeycomb Rum is bottled at a full 40% ABV rather than at liqueur strength. That distinction matters. There is plenty of sweetness, but underneath it remains a warming, full-flavoured spirit capable of standing up to ice, ginger beer, citrus and bitters in mixed drinks.
The producer does not currently publish detailed information about the precise Caribbean origins of the base rum, maturation regime, distillation recipe or the exact composition of the honeycomb flavouring. It is therefore better to treat Honeycomb as a flavour-led blended rum rather than attribute specific cask types or Caribbean countries to it without confirmation.
West Midlands Distillery Honeycomb Rum, Tasting Notes
Golden amber in appearance, with an immediately indulgent nose of honeycomb, caramelised sugar and vanilla. Toffee and butterscotch sit alongside hints of brown sugar and warming rum spice, with a subtle darker molasses character underneath.
The palate is smooth, rich and generously sweet, opening with honeycomb and caramel before moving towards vanilla, burnt sugar and gentle spice. There is enough alcoholic warmth at 40% ABV to keep the sweetness in check, while the underlying rum gives considerably more body than you would find in a simple flavoured liqueur.
The finish is warming and lingering, with caramel, honeycomb and spice gradually fading into a slightly darker toasted-sugar note.
It is deliberately uncomplicated and indulgent – a rum designed to deliver immediate flavour and enjoyment rather than ask you to analyse every sip.
Try It With: Honeycomb Old Fashioned
This is probably the serve that makes the most sense for Honeycomb Rum. An Old Fashioned normally combines spirit, sugar and bitters, but the rum already brings plenty of caramelised honeycomb sweetness of its own. Keeping the additional sugar very restrained allows the rum to remain the star, while aromatic bitters introduce enough spice to balance the sweetness. Orange oil brightens everything and works beautifully with the caramel and vanilla flavours.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet