Spirits Specialist for Nickolls & Perks and Founder of the Midlands Pure Rum Society: STEVEN COOK

TRL: Who is Steven Cook?

The Spirits Specialist for Nickolls & Perks, one of the wine and spirits merchants in the world, and founder of the Midlands Pure Rum Society, a society focused on dispelling rum myths and tasting superb expressions. Trained as a software engineer with over a decade of experience in industrial automation before moving to the world of spirits, my passion lies in exploring the technical details and science of rum and other spirits, then distilling that knowledge into something easy to digest for budding spirits enthusiasts.

TRL: What does the rum mean to you? What made you fall in love with rum and when did it happen?

For me, rum’s strength is its strong embrace of geekery. Other spirits often follow stringent rules in production, all the while hiding much of the fascinating details. As a whisky lover, I was all too aware of this, and it was only about two years ago when I discovered the merits of rum. Rum lovers aren’t afraid to talk about esters, various still types – column, retort, etc – spontaneous fermentations, and more. Production often embraces methods restricted in other spirits categories – granted, sometimes to its detriment. The transparency of these finer details allows for an endless pursuit of rum exploration, turning an enjoyable drink into a bottomless source of intrigue!

TRL: What is the most important contribution you have made to the rum industry?

Locally, it would be the establishment of the Midlands Pure Rum Society. There are several excellent whisky societies in the West Midlands region of England, but essentially zero formalized rum societies; there’s a big knowledge gap. I took it upon myself to start the society as a platform for cultivating a group of rum enthusiasts locally, sourcing rare and intriguing expressions to sample and extolling their virtues. Through the society, interest in rum in the local area has had a tremendous spike as folks open their eyes to this wholly superb spirit, and we’ve already tasted some truly once-in-a-lifetime tipples, giving these rare expressions the focus they deserve. Seeing the birth of a fresh wave of rum enthusiasts is a genuine joy.

TRL: What is your favorite place for drinking rum?

Broadly speaking, in the company of others. The experience of sipping a fine rum is elevated when shared with other enthusiasts, regardless of their experience. This is true for at home, a bar, or a formalized tasting. There aren’t many bars with a broad rum selection in our nearest city, Birmingham, but an honorable mention here for Grain & Glass (@grainandglassjq) – the home of the Birmingham Whisky Club with a selection of 350+ whiskies on their back bar – as they have recently incorporated intriguing rums into their selection, including our recent Foursquare 15-Year-Old – Nickolls & Perks Exclusive.

TRL: Why is it important to educate the rum consumer?

“Rum” (I’m using the term loosely here) can be quite superficial in its more mainstream presentation. Other spirits categories, such as Scotch whisky, have done a brilliant job at delivering a faithful, high-quality product that still reaches a mainstream audience, without resorting to sweeteners and other compromises. However, much of what is presented as rum, I’d argue, is far better described as a liqueur. That’s not to diminish those products, if you like a “spiced” rum then power to you, it’s a big part of rum culture and there are some superb tipples in the category, but the distinction to “pure” rum is important. I often hear whisky enthusiasts — people who are wholeheartedly convinced of the merits of quality spirit and cask maturation–dismiss rum as “too sweet” because their experience is of adulterated mainstream liqueurs. If we can get the message of pure rums right, a vast audience will understand the merits.

TRL: Any tips to train the palate and taste a good premium rum?

Blind tasting and repetition. It’s hard to overstate the importance of both. Blind tasting is a humbling experience. You’re going to get it wrong a lot, but that’s so key in getting it right. I’m a huge believer in “black box thinking”, learning from mistakes, and this happens a lot in a blind tasting. Don’t let it affect your confidence, just accept it for the learning experience that it is and take the results on board. It’ll be more powerful than any lecture or book. Record your findings, and reflect on where you went wrong/right.

Repetition is also key. Your palate is like a muscle, work it often to deeply ingrain the association of particular tasting notes in your brain; the more you do it, the better you get. Anyone can become a great taster if they have the discipline.

TRL: What are your next goals in the rum industry?

Through both the Society and Nickolls & Perks, we continue to educate and share exceptional examples of rum, demystifying this often misunderstood spirit. If you’re in the UK and you want to try some exceptional rums, I implore you to check out MPRS and see the exciting tastings we have planned.

At Nickolls & Perks, we also bottle our label spirits. Though this has only featured whisky so far, we are working in the background on some secret projects with exciting craft producers of rum, so you can be sure you’ll see some superb bottling coming to fruition over the next few years.

TRL: How can people learn more about you? Website? Social media page? Check out the Midlands Pure Rum Society at @mprumsociety on Instagram. For all things Nickolls & Perks, follow our socials at @nickollsperks or visit our website at www.nickollsandperks.com