Once only offered as a house rum, Afrohead is quickly making its mark in Miami. Inspired by a former Miss Bahamas, each bottle is labeled with an exotic woman featuring a big, natural hair. 

We owe the success of Afrohead Rum to Toby Tyler, a native of Sydney, Australia turned “rum savant” when he moved to Harbour Island, Bahamas in 1997. When asked, “Which rum is your favorite?” Toby replied, “It hasn’t been made yet.” And in 2008, after 18 months of blending, Toby tasted his favorite rum when he made Afrohead.

When a rum is accepted by Bourbon aficionados all the way in Nashville, Tennessee, you can be sure that this spirit is the real deal. Aged rum is on the growing trend in the spirit market. Toby, although originally a cognac fan, wanted to create something that can be drunk neat on a hot day in the Bahamas.

What makes this rum so easy to drink in the Caribbean or in the ever-blazing South Florida sun, is the subtlety of sugar content. There are hints of sweetness, but never the overbearing sugary aftertaste found in other rums. It has a delicate and long finish with notes of caramel and oak. After a sip, you’re left waiting for a burn that never comes. The 7-year blend is moderately priced at $36 and the 15-year is priced at $59. 

Sugar cane molasses sourced from the Dominican Republic reacts with the more than 100-year old yeast strand (native to Trinidad) to yield flavors of banana and toffee. To remove impurities, Afrohead rums are distilled up to five times and then blended with other aged rums to prevent extraction of taste. The libation is then left to age in once-used Bourbon oak barrels. The Premium Aged Dark Rum is hand-bottled in Barbados. 

Its full-bodied flavor makes it an excllent choice for mixed cocktails. Head over to The River Seafood & Oyster Bar for a Mai Tai with a Twist using Afrohead Rum. You can also find Afrohead Rum at select retailers such as Crown Wine & Spirits and Vintage Liquors.