Samai Kampot Pepper Premium Cambodian Rum 38% 700ml

Samai Kampot Pepper  -  Premium Cambodian Spiced Rum

This isn't your average spiced rum - this is Cambodia in high definition, bottled and blazing with character. Samai Kampot Pepper Rum is a love letter to terroir, an infusion not of gimmick, but of legend. Made by the visionary crew at Samai Distillery in Phnom Penh, it takes their already excellent aged rum and infuses it with one of the most prized spices on Earth: Kampot black pepper.

Now, let's get this straight - Kampot pepper isn't just any pepper. It's Protected Geographic Indication certified, like Champagne or Parmigiano-Reggiano. Grown in Cambodia's lush southern highlands, nourished by quartz-rich soil and monsoon rain, it's floral, fruity, and complex - a spice with aroma, not just heat. And when you marry that with Samai's deep, toffee-rich rum base, the result is something wondrously unexpected.

On the nose, this is fireworks at dusk: warm oak, burnt orange, caramelised banana, and an aromatic peppery top note that smells more like pink peppercorn and dried rose than your kitchen grinder. There's a soft hum of clove, some vanilla from the oak, and the faintest hint of tobacco leaf and cane.

The palate is where it really shines. It opens sweet and lush - vanilla custard, toasted coconut, and a ripple of molasses - then the Kampot pepper kicks in, not with aggression but with a growing warmth. Think Szechuan tingle meets Caribbean glow. There's a vibrant interplay of spice and spirit, and the finish? Lingering, dry, gently tingling on the tongue like a warm breeze laced with spice market memories.

Now, this isn't your spiced rum for cola alone (though it will elevate that highball into something smoky and addictive). This is a rum for culinary cocktails - bold Negroni twists, peppered Old Fashioneds, and even riffs on savoury Daiquiris with a rosemary or thyme syrup. Or try it neat after dinner with a square of 70% dark chocolate and a citrus peel. It also sings with grilled meats or cured cheese, making it a serious contender on the dinner table.

Samai's take here is smart, soulful, and elegant - far removed from the cartoon pirate rums of the mainstream. It's not trying to mask anything. It's showcasing the natural spice and depth of the land, and doing it with pride. It's proof that spiced rum can be serious, sippable, and utterly distinctive.

If you're into Diplomatico's infused rums, or you've dabbled with cane spirits like Paranubes or Clairin Communal and want a new frontier - this bottle will thrill you. It's Southeast Asia in a glass: sensual, spicy, and utterly unforgettable.

Samai Kampot Pepper Rum is not just a bottle - it's a statement. Spice, done with reverence. Rum, done with roots.