Aroma visualization from community tastings
Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum
Bigger than its label admits: this is Hampden pot still at 57%, so the overripe banana, glue and tropical esters hit hard, backed by pepper, a little oak and burnt sugar. Most people find it a touch hot and prickly neat, and reach for it as a mixer instead — where the funk shines through cola or a Mai Tai. Young, but genuinely fun.
The community says- Overripe banana funk
- Great value
- But: Hot, prickly neat
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The look inside the bottle
How does Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum taste?
Aggregated from 558 community reviews.
Hot, funky Jamaican best for cocktails Adored as a bang-for-buck Jamaican funk bomb. Fruity, estery and characterful, but many find it too hot and prickly to enjoy neat, so most keep it for cocktails.
Fans of Jamaican funk who mostly mix cocktails
People wanting a smooth, sweet sipper
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
172 of 558 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
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How is Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 7.6 sits in the “Good” band. 74% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 6% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
57% rate it between 6 and 8. 44 selected write-ups from 558 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
One of the community's most-rated rums
Review by Stefan Persson
Most helpful positive review
If you should have just one Navy strength rum in your bar, this is the one. The nose is complex with aromas of esters, fruits and spices. At the palate it’s complex and funky with flavors of esters, fruits and spices. The finish is quite long and dry.
Review by Henning
Most helpful critical review
Funky. Not my taste. You can have it in the bar for the price. Good to use as a mixer because of the % in cocktails, but for me personally not a pleasure to drink neat, even though I otherwise really like Jameika.
Review by Adrian Wahl
Three years ago I celebrated him still as a revelation in May Tai and now he gets only 76 😂. In view of the price but in my eyes a must have for the house bar, especially if you still do not have too many Jamaicans at home. Meanwhile in May Tai on my scale also only 2/5 🇯🇲.After tasting again I take away another three points. 73/100
Review by Joachim Guger
I'm really not a Hampden fan, but it did not taste so bad to me. And the 30€ the bottle...
Review by Fasen
A salad of spices! Great value for money 👍
Review by Galli33
This is a power hampden and perfect for cocktails 🤯 Fruity, estery, woody. The 57% are well notable and not integrated very well. Not the best rum for newcomers, who prefer to drink it neat. It‘s a nice addition to the bar, looking at the price tag.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#4725 12.05.2024 Relaxing at home. Nose Intense, fruity, banana, light caramel, light apple, faint leather, light wood. Palate Intense, warm, light wood, faint smoke, cherry, apple, light floral, faint leather, light caramel. Finish Medium to long, wood, fruits, light floral, lightly sour. The empty glass has chocolate, light herbs and some citrus.
Review by TheJackDrop
Dinguerie for the price! To sum up, my tasting notes: Nose: Ester, Very ripe On the palate: Tropical fruit, Funky Finish: Honeyed, Warm, Tropical fruit
Review by Rumpalumpa
yeah this stuff is legendary. loads of esters, the nose is great. on the palate very spicy and rather dry also rather sharp. so I dont really like it neat, but for cocktails it's amazing. Especially for the price!
Review by zabo
Ein Klassiker, den man pur auch mal für den Preis trinken kann. Pur ist er zwar nicht die absolute Erleuchtung, aber denoch gut. Pur: 7,3 Aber für mich ein Klasse Mixer, hier punktet er besser. Auch hat er ein gutes Preis/Leistungsverhältnis. Mixer: 8,5
Review by Tim
Dieser Rum wurde genau lang genug gelagert, sodass die Esterbombe durch weitere Aromen ausreichend ausgewogen erweitert wurde und sich ein harmonisches Gesamtbild ergibt. Überirdische Komplexität darf man natürlich nicht erwarten. Auch dieser Hampden stellt für mich ein absoluter Preis-Leistung-Knaller dar. Stark!
Review by Chrischi78
Als guter Begleiter für Schüttel-Getränke gern gesehen in meiner Bar. Da macht er seinen Job als kräftiger Jamaikaner solide. Im Pur-Genuss kann er aber nicht überzeugen. Finde vor allem eine leichte Bitter-Note unangenehm.
Review by Lutz Lungershausen
Erster Eindruck: Funky, knackig, klasse Nase: sehr angenehme und intensiv fruchtige Aromen von Ananas, Birne, Banane und erstklassig kräftige aber harmonische Esternoten. Gaumen: hier können sich die Früchte nicht ganz gegen die 57% durchsetzen, Röst- und Holznoten sowie leichte Röstaromen folgen. Abgang: warm, intensiv, mittellang Fazit: Smith & Cross doch mal wieder öfter aus dem Lager holen, Notiz an mich selbst: Nachschub vormerken
Review by Torsten vom Endt
Guter aber nicht überragender würziger Rum, es überwiegt der Geruch von Bananen.Preis-Leistung Verhältnis gerade so okay, es fehlt aber so irgendwie das entscheidende etwas für mehr. Zum mixen aber zu doch zu schade. Ich habe pur verkostet, wer weiß was noch kommen könnte auf Eis, ich werde es nachreichen.Der hohe Alkoholgehalt macht sich nicht wirklich bemerkbar.
Review by DomM
Some classic Hampden notes noticeable on the nose. Palate is very much dominated by dark notes like burnt sugar, chocolate, wood and some spices.
Review by Jean Louisss
A pure Jamaican !
Review by Serge
Hatte ich schon ganz lange nicht mehr im Glas … vor Allem nicht pur. Krass, wie sich die Wahrnehmung doch ändert. Vom der ehemaligen “Mai-Tai-Geheimwaffe” schmecke ich nur noch einen durchschnittlichen Jamaikanischen Rum Blend. Pur definitiv nicht unbedingt zu empfehlen. Bleibt einfach ein solider low-cost Mixer.
Review by David Sharman
Fantastic value for money. Yes it tastes young but has great balance, flavour and holds its own as a sipper against much more expensive bottles.
Review by Lot-NAS
Overall a nice drop and the Hampden doesn’t hide. It’s fruity, funky with some wood and spices. The overripe fruits are intense almost to a rotten level but it also reminds me of old flower water (mouldy). At the nose it is quite present and on the palate a bit less. Nevertheless a great drop and you get a lot for 35€. As a mixer I also see its great reputation. The mouldy nose gets lost in the mix and it works perfectly.
Review by Han
Funky and alcoholic - very good for mixing.
Review by abaker-rum
A very good mai tai rum, the higher alcohol percentage really comes through and the tropical fruits match nicely with most tiki recipes. The nose has a lot of pineapple and banana with some ester and solvent. The taste continues the tropical fruits but adds spice and wood. The finish is long with spice and wood lingering.
Review by Steve the Barman
All my Tastings and Scores are purely based on “Rums under £50”. I rarely look at Rums over £50 for my YouTube.
Review by Beancheese
First of all, this rum is incredible value even here in Canada where finding value in rum is extremely hard to do. This one is big on the nose and let’s you know right away that you are dealing with a Jamaican rum. The label doesn’t mention it but this is a Hampden (funny that they wouldn’t want to lean into this). On the plate this one is complex and a little intense as a sipper - tropical fruits and spice dominate this one. Have used this in a simple rum and coke and it definitely has the power to show through. This has a long, dry finish.
Review by Maxime Clr 🇫🇷
Nice pastry nose on exotic fruit and solvent specific to Jamaicans. On the palate very nice on chocolate and exotic fruit. Superb value for money for a bottle frankly not expensive. Length a little short however. For those new to Jamaica, go for it! 🇯🇲
Review by Morgan Garet
Almost unbeatable value for money, it has everything you need. No need of description when you taste it, you adopt it...
Review by Jan Lu
Ich glaube Jamaika und ich werden keine Freunde mehr…. PLV sind schon ok. Für mich ist es doch zu alkoholisch. Schmeckt zu sprittig und scharf. Hab es lieber rund und sanft. Bestimmt ein guter Mixer. Pur ist der für mich raus.
Review by Schnapsschuesse
The box has already in the nose right tinder. Funky to putrid in the best sense. Extra tube of glue directly to it. Very ripe, very exciting. Lots of fruit, and also fruity esternd. No varnish etc, but a colorful mix from pineapple and banana to raisin. A touch of lime. Alcohol better integrated than in some 40. Enormously warming without becoming spicy. Orange, banana, citrus in general, esters and quite dry. After more breathing there's minimal sweetness with massive fruit. Really good stuff, lines up with the Plantation OFTD.Addendum: tops the OFTD. Who takes his Mai Tai fruity instead of spicy reaches for this.
Review by Christian Rudt
Find I pure not good to drink, acts very unround. in the fruity cocktail I will try him again.
Review by HenryL
Super Mai Tai Rum! Pur auch lecker und gerade für den Preis super. Hier trifft er aber nicht ganz mein präferieres Geschmacksprofil. Alleine als Mixer im Mai Tai werde ich ihn wohl nun aber häufiger zuhause haben.
Review by John Coffey
Excellent quality priceLack of length necessarily
Review by Vincent D
Jamaican with poorly integrated alcohol. It rips the palate, the tongue, the throat, the larynx and the stomach, which tends to spoil the experience...
Review by Anonymous
Comparing this to Doctor Bird and it has a similar nose but a much sharper taste. More “alcohol” than I like. Probably won’t buy it again.
Review by Gasparini Andrea
Final craker doria
Review by Maxime Leclerc 🇨🇵
Excellent en Kingston negroni
Review by Rumclub Latvia
Superb value for money
Review by Léo Delek
We're on a typical Jamaican profile, with banana standing out. Other tropical fruits accompany it on the palate, with good length. Very appreciable for the price.
Review by Nicofr
Un rhum très surprenant pour le prix. On sent tout de suite les notes de Hampden et les saveurs de la Jamaïque. Il y a des esters et des épices. Il reste un peu piquant pur (57%) mais c'est un très bon rapport qualité prix.
Review by Knie
Reminds me, drunk with a little water, of "plum in Madeira".Delicious and strong.Price / performance ingenious.
Review by Righrum
Bang for buck young Jamaican blended rum
Review by MiGaBro
Value for money. Jamaica funk.
Review by Philipp Kestel
Holla the wood fairy... spicy without end
Review by PeterPapp
Perfect for a Mai Tai. But also pure enjoyable. Top price / performance
Review by SNYBOR 🇧🇪
🔥 Perfect in cocktails 🍸
Review by Montana
A strong fruity smell, oily, alcohol, sweet.The taste is heavy, dark, somewhat fruity and sweet, slightly woody.
No reviews match this filter.
Expert reviews
6 critics scored it, averaging 8.0/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
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Expert review by Rum nagykövet
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Expert review by Rhummer
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Expert review by Rum Runner Labs
Read full review →So this is what “esters” are! 😂 A super fun rum, though a bit much for me to drink neat. Can’t wait to mix with this—leaving unrated until I do (but as a sipping rum it’s getting 7.4) Refractometer: 17.6% brix Edit: As a daiquiri or barbados, really incredible! 8/10 for mixing, so I’ll give it a 7.7 overall for me :)
Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
Read full review →It might well go great with a bit Ting - jammin!
Expert review by New World Rum Club
This is an absolute gem of a rum for the price. Pot stilled blend of 2 funky Hampden rums. Although it can be drunk neat, most will want to use this rum for a cocktail as it’s quite alcoholic and prickly when drunk meat.
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 24 € – 29 €
from 3 sales, latest 06/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 28 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum
A Pot Still Rum from Jamaica, distilled by Hampden, at 57%.
Community purchases
1,446 bottles logged by 1,138 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
43% opened, 271 emptied and repurchased.
What does Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum cost?
Community paid 23–40 €.
Current best price: 26.99 € – within the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
+87 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
1,446 purchased · 602 tasted · 492 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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Long Pond & Clarendon Plantation XAYMACA Special DryFruity nose, dry finish, easy Jamaican mixer
Hampden Pure Single Jamaican Rum
Hampden Pure Single Jamaican RumEasy, banana-heavy first Jamaican
Velier Hampden Pagos Sherry
Velier Hampden Pagos SherryFunky Hampden softened by sweet, drying sherry
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Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
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