You may not know it, but New England was a global hub for rum in the colonial period, when America was both bringing in rum from the West Indies and making a substantial portion of its own rum, too.

While that tradition waned over two hundred years, New England’s love of rum hasn’t changed, and there has been a rebirth in recent years, with a handful of new rum distilleries popping up.

One New England-based company is doing things a little differently, though, marrying the spirit of the West Indies with classic New England character.

Salem, Mass.-based Rumson’s curates Caribbean rums and then blends and finishes them on location in New England, with a mix of both traditional and flavored varieties.

And the result? It’s rather good.

We recently tried Rumson’s flagship expression, the Rumson’s Grande Reserve Rum, a blend of aged rums from Trinidad.

This rum, which comes in a round-edged bottle marked with the company’s “pirate dog” logo, has a dark amber color, with an aroma of caramel, vanilla and a hint of spice.

The flavor is marked by brown sugar, caramel, vanilla and spice.

The finish is very smooth, with a hint of butterscotch.

The verdict? An excellent rum, one that must be enjoyed neat.

— CJ