Stones now sipping own brown sugar

Jamaica’s celebrated rum industry’s latest brand has just been launched by none other than aging rockers The Rolling Stones.

The British rockers stayed in the Rockhouse in Negril in the 70s to record and eventually created the celebrated album Goats Head Soup, much of which was filmed at Dynamic Sounds in Kingston in 1973.

The Stones loved recording in the Caribbean, including Cable Beach in Nassau and at Chris Blackwell’s Compass Point Studios. Mick Jagger has long enjoyed visiting Mustique, and Keith Richards loves Turks and Caicos.

And now, a half-century after they recorded Goats Head Soup, the Stones have their own rum, Crossfire Hurricane, deriving its name from the opening lyric of Jumpin’ Jack Flash: “I was born in a crossfire hurricane.”

The rum is bottled in Florida, blended from Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic. Aged up to five years, it comes in a green-and-white labelled bottle with the Stones’ iconic tongue logo.

This is the Stones’ first-ever premium spirit, timed with the launch of their first new studio album in 18 years, Hackney Diamonds.

The aroma has notes of confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and tropical fruit — most notably banana. The flavour profile is dominated by citrus peel, mango, pineapple, coconut husk, fennel and fresh cane stalk. It retails for around $37.