What Is Overproof Rum?

Many of us have heard of the term ‘Overproof’ when it comes to rum, the most famous examples being Bacardi 151 and Wray and Nephew Overproof.  But what does it actually mean and where does the term originate from?

The actual history of the term comes from many centuries ago when sailors in the British Navy were given rum. As rum became the norm for the sailors, they started to worry that the rations they were given were being watered down too much. The system they devised to check the quality of the rations was to mix a small portion of the ration with some of the gunpowder they had on board. This mixture was then lit to see if it would ignite. If it did ignite then the sailors knew their rum wasn’t watered down.

The sailors realised that this method would work, due to barrels of rum spilling onto the gunpowder in the past. When these spillages occurred with water, it would make the gunpowder useless. However, when the liquid spilt was rum, the mixture still ignited, much to the delight and relief of the sailors.

By using this method, the sailors had ‘proof’ the rum ration they were given wasn’t watered down. It is from this ‘proof’ we have evolved to the term ‘Overproof’ today which in basic terms means that the rum in question is flammable.

Let us know your favourite Overproof rum, and how you like to drink it in the comments below.

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