The archetype for doomed lovers and one of the eponymous players of the grandmaster of modern theatres’ celebrated ode to forbidden passion, Juliet, when considering her position in fate’s merry dance, asked “What’s in a name?”. It was, and is, a question that I haven’t given much thought to in longer than I care to remember, preferring to default to Mr, Big’s throwaway response in Live and Let Die, which if memory serves, goes a little something like “Names is for tombstones baby”. 

However, Mr. Big’s idea doesn’t cut it with me anymore, as my blase opinion that a name is simply a way of identifying and labeling things in this world and the next, ran headlong into a brick wall and disintegrated on impact when I came face to face with We Are Curious Creatures. Who are they? This strange and enticing moniker belongs to a distillery who are determined to, in their own words, “rewrite the narrative of rum” and while I won’t pretend to understand the science that fuels their process of triple distillation, or how it works, I do know that it does work, quite splendidly in fact, and that I shall, forever more applaud their philosophy and ingenuity. 

I fear their spiced rum will be the tipping point that sends me over the edge and finally makes me succumb to a life of piracy, as every drop is infused with exquisite joy. Rich in toffee and sweet burnt sugar with a hint of molasses and vanilla, it’s far too easy on the taste buds and almost immediately fools your brain into thinking that if you could only drink one rum from now until the stars burned out, then it might as well be this one, as it makes every cell in your body shiver with pleasure and every nerve ending tingle with excitement. 

Every glass of this diving concoction you share helps you further understand why Hemmingway fell in love with the Keys and the notion of living a simple life filled with words, beaches, and good rum. If We Are Curious Creatures’ only goal was, and is, too, as I’ve already mentioned, “rewrite the narrative of rum”, then I’m more than happy to confirm that not only have they succeeded, but they’ve also changed it for the better… Tim Cundle