Get to Know Pilot Rum

North Point Pilot Rum, 40% ABV -- Young Rum aged in ex-Highland Whisky casks (photo by Angus Mackay)

Our flagship spirit, North Point Pilot Rum, doesn’t get the attention or adoration it deserves.

I’d like to fix that. 

A spirit created to marry the history of Scotch Whisky with the history of Rum in the Scottish Highlands, North Point Pilot Rum straddles the line between these categories effortlessly. It’s a young rum, aged in ex-Highland Whisky casks for at least nine months – with the latest batches coming from casks aged for up to 3 years; it takes on two flavour profiles and holds them in perfect balance. Very notably a rum, it has that telltale butterscotch sweetness, but is married harmoniously with those buttery croissant notes from its time in whisky casks – and at 40% ABV, it’s not intimidating or overpowering. The character provided from the molasses base and whisky cask combo ensures it doesn't disappear in a mixed drink or cocktail, like many rums often do, but instead enhances the drink’s ingredients, whether tropical fruit, citrus, mint, or ginger. It’s a truly versatile rum with an outstanding flavour profile rarely seen in young – or Scottish – rums.

What is in a name?

Merchant ships of the 1700s would voyage to the Caribbean through the treacherous Pentland Firth (the body of water North Point Distillery overlooks), and to safely navigate the channel, the ships would signal the shore for the local fishermen who knew the channel well to pilot them through, frequently paying them in sugar or rum.

Not all of these Pilots returned to the shore, with some being whisked away to the Caribbean, where they would work within the sugar and Rum trade to pay for passage home. 

And so, centuries later, our little distillery decided to pay homage to these Pilots, naming our flagship spirit after them.

Rum maturing in ex-Highland Whisky casks

A Marriage of Whisky and Rum

Whisky and Rum are tied together in history in numerous ways. The aforementioned merchants who travelled to the Caribbean brought whisky production techniques to the rum trade, shaping rum production forever. These same merchants brought rum to Scotland, creating a cultural divide that lasts to present day: farmers drink whisky, but fishermen drink rum. 

Being on the coast of Scotland with waves to the north and fields to the south, rum and whisky drinkers run in the same circles. We wanted to create a spirit that married these two iconic spirits in a way that would appeal to both rum and whisky drinkers. While maturing whisky in rum casks is frequently done, the maturation of rum in whisky casks is less common. Being in Scotland means we have access to very fresh, first-fill whisky casks – meaning the last spirit inside that cask was Scotch Whisky and it has not been empty long, and that means the whisky influence on the next spirit to enter that cask will be intense: exactly what we wanted.

Because of the heavy whisky influence from the cask, the rum can mature for shorter periods and easily achieve that marriage of rum and whisky, all the while taking on a beautiful light golden colour. 

Caribbean molasses being prepped for fermentation

Let’s talk about the Rum

We import ethically-sourced molasses from the Caribbean for our Pilot Rum. 

This molasses is then added to our fermentation vats with warm water and yeast, with open-top fermentations lasting a minimum of one week. That’s incredibly long for any spirit, but virtually unheard of in Rum!

The fermented liquid is then distilled twice in our bespoke, copper pot stills, officially creating Scottish Rum. The spirit is then proofed down to 65% ABV and casked into ex-Highland Whisky barrels where it will live for a minimum of 9 months – our team samples our casks at various time periods to ensure the rum is developing the flavour profiles we want and to decide when the rum is ready to bottle. 

A ready-to-bottle cask has whisky coming through on the nose and lingering on the end, with that butterscotch sweetness and crisp, clear stone fruit on the palate.

So, how should you drink it?

It’s cliché to say it, but, honestly, however you want. Rum is a fun spirit that mixes well in coke, pineapple juice, with ginger beer, berries, and even with mint. Our Pilot Rum is no exception. If anything, the versatility of Pilot Rum is greater than other rums because of its whisky influence: it makes a great substitute in cocktails that traditionally use whisky or bourbon. 

Some easy-to-make rum drinks to get you started:

• Cuba Libre – Pilot Rum, coke, and lime. 

• Not-so-Dark and Stormy – Pilot Rum, ginger beer, lime (for a Dark n Stormy, use our Spiced Rum)

• Mojito – mint, lime, Pilot Rum, and soda water

• Daiquiri – Pilot Rum, lime, and simple syrup

• Manhattan – Pilot Rum, sweet vermouth, and bitters (traditionally uses Rye Whiskey or Bourbon)

• Whisky Alternative Sour – Pilot Rum, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, and bitters

• Old Fashioned – Pilot Rum, simple syrup or sugar cube, bitters, splash of water, and orange peel (also great with our Spiced Rum)

• Neat – just Pilot Rum

• On the Rocks – Pilot Rum and ice

You really can’t go wrong with Pilot Rum, making it a wonderful spirit to add to your bar or to gift to a friend or loved one. 

Be sure to have a look in your local off-trade for a bottle of this Highland Rum, or head over to our webshop and use the discount code RUMBLOG to get 20% off a bottle of North Point Pilot Rum. 

And if I’ve really piqued your interest, why not reach out to our Co-Founder, Alex MacDonald, to discuss joining our exclusive Cask Ownership Programme by purchasing your very own cask of this truly spectacular rum. 

Email alex@northpointdistillery.com for enquiries

Happy sipping!

– Heather, Distillery Manager