This molasses pot column blend from an unknown Jamaican distillery gave us notes of solvent and pineapple, with hints of banana, brown sugar, tea, and oak.

Navy Bay is blend of pot and column still rums from an unknown Jamaican distillery, and bottled by Infinity Spirits at 40% ABV. Compared to the other Jamaican offerings in Infinity Spirits portfolio (Smuggler’s Reserve, Cane Island) Navy Bay is clearly the bottom shelf budget option, and while the presentation and bottle quality are noticeably cheap, the juice is actually kind of interesting.

In the lab we measured a density of 0.952, suggesting around 12.7g/L of added sugar. This is pretty close to the 13g/L we found in the other two Infinity bottlings, so I’d be willing to bet there is a standard dosage that we’re measuring differently due to some level of expected error in our digital hydrometer.

On the nose there’s noticeably something to get excited about: some ester-y funk and some pronounced fruits: overripe pineapple and a little mango. On the palate things get very saccharine very quickly; you can try to isolate those interesting notes you caught on the nose, but you’re fighting for your life against the sweetness of the added sugar. Ultimately the palate comes across muted and boring, but if you spend some time you might get some banana, toasted brown sugar or black tea. The finish is short and light, with a suggestion of cask-driven spice, dominated again by the added sugar.

In our blind taste test we thought it was decent as a neat sipper (7.2/10) and great in a daiquiri (8.5/10). While this is far from the only rum in our lightly aged Jamaican lineup that has some added sugar, this may be the most frustrating case: on the nose the profile seems really interesting and compelling, but on the palate everything comes across muddled and lost in saccharine adulteration. Not mad, just disappointed.