The Curatist Rum Review: The Spirit That Converted a Sceptic
Taste buds are funny old things. Here I am, on the very cusp of my 40th birthday and just about at peace with the idea of leaving my thirties behind. I thought – especially given my profession within the realm of food and drink – that I knew all there was to know about my personal preferences when it comes to drinking spirits. I’m delighted to have been proven wrong by a singular British rum, and I’m even more gleeful about the idea there’s still so much more out there to fall in love with.
Stylish bottle, extraordinary contents
Now, I’ve spent much of my adult life under the impression that I’m not a rum drinker. It was always one of those spirits that I just didn’t get, despite many of my nearest and dearest being dedicated aficionados of the stuff. I guess it’s inevitable that at some point in life we choose a tribe to pin our preferences too; I’ve always gravitated towards the clearer end of the spirits spectrum – vodkas that have been filtered through mammoth ivory and chunks of iceberg, etc. Simply put, and despite no shortage of experimentation, I’d long since given up on the idea of finding the rum that would eventually show me what I’ve been missing.
Enter The Curatist, a thrillingly-new British luxury spirits brand based on what charismatic founder Jiggy Rawal calls “thoughtful, modern curation”. I came across Jiggy’s bespoke and sensually undulating black ceramic bottle at the fitting room of Savile Row tailor Alexandra Wood, where The Curatist’s inaugural spirit – The Panama Edition – was the toast of the evening. Jiggy spoke about the provenance of the bottle; about how she’d made the bold decision to import sugarcane to the UK and ensure the entirety of the spirit’s production took place on British soil, and (being a passionate supporter of bespoke homegrown brands, as readers will know) my interest was piqued. However, it all came down to the tasting. Could The Curatist overcome a lifetime of disinterest and aversion?
To cut a long story short, it was delicious. Really delicious. I very quickly had another, which was somehow even better.
The Curatist Panama Edition rum does what I’d always wanted rum to do; reveal layer upon layer of flavour and aroma, unlocking hits of sweet coffee, vanilla, honeyed nuts and that strange magic that occurs when blended spirits spend significant time encased in wood (The Curatist is finished in Cognac casks, releasing an irresistibly rounded and balanced profile with a blissfully long finish). Jiggy spoke of how many of her customers have dreamt up various cocktails with which to eke out further taste sensations; I was so enamoured with that deeply satisfying flavour profile, I can’t really see how anybody would want to drink it any way but neat.
The Curatist at Lucky Cat. If it’s good enough for Gordon…
The Panama Edition, as the very first release of what I’m already hoping is a long line of expressions, experiments and extraordinary new takes on what rum can and should be, is all about embodying the brand’s burgeoning philosophy. That means developing characterful spirits through careful and conscientious sourcing, skillful blending and innovative design, resulting in a final product that is more than the sum of each step of the process.
It’s a fascinating process, too – Jiggy imports fresh sugarcane to the UK and presses it while it remains at peak freshness, then produces sugarcane and molasses rums to be blended with carefully selected aged Panamanian spirits. The aforementioned finish in cognac casks works its magic, then it’s onto the presentation: those beautiful black bottles, etched with a tactile design evoking the wind-lines followed by the swift – The Curatist’s emblem and spirit animal (pun intended) – a British bird that traverses the globe and yet always returns to our soils to nest.
As Jiggy states: “The Curatist has been over two years in the making. We wanted to create something that felt considered in every sense. The Panama Edition represents our belief that modern luxury should be intentional, quietly confident, and rooted in genuine craft.”
It’s a philosophy and approach that we can truly get behind, and it’s a delight to see that my gushing enthusiasm for The Curatist rum is shared by no shortage of other newfound fans and supporters. Indeed, The Curatist has been picked up by Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat restaurant and the 2026 Bar Magazine Awards; a pair of partners which speak of the excellence and innovation at the heart of what Jiggy is doing with her boundless passion and truly remarkable product.
Whether you’re a long-time rum fanatic or a former sceptic like myself, it’s a spirit and a brand I’m honoured to have encountered so soon after its launch. Independent, creative and absolutely delicious? I’ll raise a glass (and then another) to that.
Find out more about The Curatist and pick up a bottle here.
