Cherry Jack Rum. Where did this stuff come from? One day, a few months ago, it just sort of plopped down from the heavens onto the shelves of retailers of cheaper-end spirits everywhere. At first, I was put off by the cutesy casino-like cherry design. However, eventually, the solid and substantial white bottle with the tropical imagery seduced me into trying a bottle. Well, that and it was marked down to $13, making it a little cheaper at the moment than my usual Sailor Jerry.
I am not a Chowhound-visiting “foodie”, nor a professional connoisseur of the spirits, so I can’t give you an in-depth review featuring such terms as “distillation”, “breathing” and “body.” In fact, the reason I’m even writing this is that there’s a mysterious lack of information about Cherry Jack anywhere on the Web. Even the company’s official website is short on the details, preferring to throw a bunch of recipes at you instead (which coincidentally pimp their other alcohol products.) I’m simply evaluating this rum as a humble working man addressing the rum needs of the commoners such as myself – an inexpensive bottle that primarily mixes well with cola or other sweet drinks.
And I can tell you that Cherry Jack mixes with cola like no other rum I’ve ever tried. It seems like it was scientifically formulated to make cola taste like a smooth, alcoholic version of Cherry Coke when added. The lower-than-usual alcohol content means there’s little notable alcohol bite to it unless you really go overboard in mixing. I thought nothing would ever top Sailor Jerry at the cheap end of the market for cola mixing, but I have to hand it to Cherry Jack, they managed to do it.
Normally I can’t stand rum straight, unless it’s Pyrat or something that’s priced over $40 a bottle. Cherry Jack is the only cheap rum that I can actually take without mixing – it tastes unusually sweet and smooth for something 42 proof, almost like cherry liqueur, but without the nauseating clingy medicine aftertaste of something like Pucker. It definitely tastes a bit artificial, and both the price point and the fragrant-but-candy-like strong aroma also indicate that it’s probably infused with some artificial flavoring rather than actual cherries. Still, hey, it works. I still definitely prefer to mix first, but I could take it straight with ease if someone put a gun to my head and forced me to.
Cherry Jack is distributed by White Rock Distilleries, a small outfit based in Maine. They claim the rum is “imported” from somewhere, but neither the bottle or the website bothers to mention where. I’m guessing Canada. But you know what, for $13 I’m not exactly expecting Puerto Rico’s finest, so who cares. It does the job it’s supposed to do – mix with cola without tasting nasty. It even manages to exceed by enhancing the taste in the right dosage. Also works pretty well with Sprite and pineapple juice, from my experimenting.
The alcohol content is significantly lower than your usual rum, so if you’re looking to get drunk, Sailor Jerry (at 45%) is still the clear winner. However … who drinks rum and cola to get drunk? It’s more about the flavor and a light buzz, which this is ideal for. OK, maybe it’s a bit girly, but here’s a Protip … girls generally don’t dig problem drinkers.
