|
spankmeister posted:The 23 is a steal at that price point. I love the 23. It's full of sugar but I don't care, it's so tasty.
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 10:54
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 02:49 |
|
|
I actually only had it for the first time this last Saturday. I was expecting a sweet, mellow, somewhat boring old rum, but nope! Turns out all those rum contests were on to something. Lovely leathery dry finish after the sweetness and fairly plush texture.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 18:15
|
|
|
Rum thread! I've been catching up over the last few weeks and have pretty much decided to become a Rum Guy. I used to stick pretty much with whiskeys, but the taste isn't really doing it for me anymore (and for anything decent the price escalates quickly). So far I've picked up Sr Jerry's, Kraken and Tropic Isle Palms for my daily drinkers, these just get dumped into 8oz Diet Cokes but do their jobs well enough. I also picked up some Mt Gay ECLIPSE and Flor de Cana (4yr I think). The Mt Gay is really easy to sip straight, hardly any bite from the alcohol (smooth, I now know to call it) but I'm not digging the Flor too much. As others have noted it tastes pretty much like whiskey. The Specs in my area also carries J W&N Overproof Jamacian and LemonHart 151 so I plan on picking up one of each pretty soon. I want to start to branch out in my drink mixing beyond 'coke', are there any recommended ginger beers that go well with my spiced rums (had a D&S at a bar with Capt Morgans, was very tasty)? The other big rum-based drink seems to be the Old Fashioned, any brand recommendations for its other ingredients? I'm in Dallas if anything is regional.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 20:28
|
|
|
Takes No Damage posted:Rum thread! I've been catching up over the last few weeks and have pretty much decided to become a Rum Guy. I used to stick pretty much with whiskeys, but the taste isn't really doing it for me anymore (and for anything decent the price escalates quickly).  Old Fashioned uses rye whiskey.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 20:36
|
|
|
Kenning posted:I actually only had it for the first time this last Saturday. I was expecting a sweet, mellow, somewhat boring old rum, but nope! Turns out all those rum contests were on to something. Lovely leathery dry finish after the sweetness and fairly plush texture. Its the rum that got me into rums.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 20:37
|
|
|
Stultus Maximus posted:
Rum old fashioneds can be pretty delicious, especially when you use Smith and Cross.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 21:22
|
|
|
Stultus Maximus posted:
You can old fashioned rum too. Or bourbon.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 21:45
|
|
|
Takes No Damage posted:The Specs in my area also carries J W&N Overproof Jamacian and LemonHart 151 so I plan on picking up one of each pretty soon. Yes, get these immediately. cbirdsong posted:Rum old fashioneds can be pretty delicious, especially when you use Smith and Cross. Seconding this. Get a bottle of Smith & Cross even more immediately.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 21:47
|
|
|
Stultus Maximus posted:
Not true. You can make an Old Fashioned with Rum, Bourbon, Rye, Scotch, Tequila, Cognac/Brandy, etc. It's just spirit, simple syrup, bitters, and ice. There really isn't a hard and fast rule saying rye only.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 21:54
|
|
|
Wachter posted:Yes, get these immediately. Just went AWOL from work for 45 minutes go grab a bottle of each, as well as a Barbancourt 4yr. The big things recommended by the thread that I'm not seeing at this store are Coruba and Smith & Cross. I've definitely got my eye out for S&C at any other box stores I go to, but no luck so far. I seem to gravitate towards the darker more heavily spiced rums like Kraken, but that's probably just because it has a heavy enough flavor to bash through Coke so I can still taste it. In more delicately mixed drinks like D&S and (rum) Old Fashioned I'm sure more subtle flavors will be more apparent.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 21:59
|
|
|
rxcowboy posted:Not true. You can make an Old Fashioned with Rum, Bourbon, Rye, Scotch, Tequila, Cognac/Brandy, etc. Maybe if you're a communist.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 22:18
|
|
|
Stultus Maximus posted:Maybe if you're a communist. Oh god no. I just have a drinking problem and no respect for tradition.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 22:26
|
|
|
Takes No Damage posted:Just went AWOL from work for 45 minutes go grab a bottle of each, as well as a Barbancourt 4yr. The big things recommended by the thread that I'm not seeing at this store are Coruba and Smith & Cross. I've definitely got my eye out for S&C at any other box stores I go to, but no luck so far. I seem to gravitate towards the darker more heavily spiced rums like Kraken, but that's probably just because it has a heavy enough flavor to bash through Coke so I can still taste it. In more delicately mixed drinks like D&S and (rum) Old Fashioned I'm sure more subtle flavors will be more apparent. You can mix what you like in whatever you like, but as you point out you're going to lose a shitload of flavor mixing with coke. When I mix with soda I do a 1 to 1 mix so the rum can still stand tall, and I found certain rums work better with gingerale than Coke. If you want a cheaper rum to mix with I like Mount Gay Eclipse.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 22:29
|
|
|
Sup rum thread, thought I'd check in since I asked about the stuff last week. I went to a nearby liquor store and half of their rum selection was either Bacardi and Captain Morgan or stuff recommended in the first posts only marked way up. Thankfully Kraken was priced the same as the rotgut, so I picked up a 750 ml bottle. Holy poo poo, less than a week and I've drat near killed it without my guts hurting or anything. Guess it's safe to shell out a bit more to try some of the other stuff if I can find it.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 22:43
|
|
|
Stultus Maximus posted:Maybe if you're a communist. Whining about the ingredients in an Old Fashioned is the cocktailing equivalent of a fedora and a trenchcoat with white sneakers.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 22:57
|
|
|
Meldonox posted:Sup rum thread, thought I'd check in since I asked about the stuff last week. One of the things that attracts me to Rum vs other spirits is that the financial barrier for entry seems lower overall, and even the top-shelf stuff recommended by the thread tops out around $40, versus easy 100s for whiskey/scotch/etc. For other drinks 17.99 a bottle means the cheap poo poo, where with Rum it can easily be above average. That and with the different types of Rum (spiced, clear, barrel'd etc) you've got a much better shot at finding something that appeals to you. Kraken is a favorite of mine as well 
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2014 23:51
|
|
|
Takes No Damage posted:Just went AWOL from work for 45 minutes go grab a bottle of each, as well as a Barbancourt 4yr. The big things recommended by the thread that I'm not seeing at this store are Coruba and Smith & Cross. I've definitely got my eye out for S&C at any other box stores I go to, but no luck so far. I seem to gravitate towards the darker more heavily spiced rums like Kraken, but that's probably just because it has a heavy enough flavor to bash through Coke so I can still taste it. In more delicately mixed drinks like D&S and (rum) Old Fashioned I'm sure more subtle flavors will be more apparent. I still like Kraken for the price. Along the same line you may want to try Cruzan Blackstrap and Goslings Black Seal. Goslings is the official rum for "Dark N Stormy" (tm) to the point that they trademarked the name and recipe. I don't think it's worth the price though. Another one I found locally that's quite nice for mixing is Maui Dark Rum from Haleakala Distillers in Hawaii. J Wray, Lemon Hart and Smith and Cross are all on my "to buy" list along with the stuff from Lost Spirits.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2014 00:41
|
|
|
Takes No Damage posted:One of the things that attracts me to Rum vs other spirits is that the financial barrier for entry seems lower overall, and even the top-shelf stuff recommended by the thread tops out around $40, versus easy 100s for whiskey/scotch/etc. Exception: Appleton Estate
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2014 09:51
|
|
|
mfcrocker posted:Exception: Appleton Estate
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2014 14:39
|
|
|
Cpt.Wacky posted:I still like Kraken for the price. Along the same line you may want to try Cruzan Blackstrap and Goslings Black Seal. Goslings is the official rum for "Dark N Stormy" (tm) to the point that they trademarked the name and recipe. I don't think it's worth the price though. Another one I found locally that's quite nice for mixing is Maui Dark Rum from Haleakala Distillers in Hawaii. Trip report: Sampled a tiny bit of each last night, straight (a terrible idea) but I got a little bit out of it as to the flavors of each. I really liked the Lemon Hart, even through the burn of so much alcohol I could tell it was really well spiced and would have a nice flavor once it was diluted/mixed in a proper drink. The JWray was a little tricker, it's also one of the first white Rums I've bought so the flavor was pretty unfamiliar to me. Still pretty rough straight sipping (120~ proof) but I caught a lot of flavor that reminded me of rinds or peels from various citrus fruits. I don't have the booze vocabulary to describe it properly, it was probably 'earthy' or 'woody' or something. Kinda sucked straight but I'm still interested what else I can get out of it in a drink. I imagine it would go well in an Old Fashioned or some other cocktail that already involves fruit. As an aside, how bad is the LemonHart shortage mentioned a few pages back? If I really enjoy it would it be worth stocking up with a few extra bottles or do you guys think supplies will hold out until they start importing again? The store I go to has a lot of Cruzan, but as a Cuban style rum like Flor de Cana isn't it more on the whiskey-y side? I saw several bottles bragging about being barrel aged and the color looks pretty similar. Nothing against the stuff, but so far I've much preferred the spiced/Caribbean varieties. e: ohno, I was looking on Wiki for Caribbean brands and this is the photo they have for Rum overall:  Even as a rum noob this looks painful... Takes No Damage fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Sep 26, 2014 |
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2014 18:14
|
|
|
Well, Goslings and Cruzan at least.
|
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2014 18:42
|
|
|
Takes No Damage posted:Even as a rum noob this looks painful... You got Coruba, Goslings, Cruzan Black Strap, and motherfucking Old Monk there, so it's pretty legit.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2014 19:02
|
|
|
Coruba is on my watch list, the OP makes it sound tasty. Guess it's not all that bad, I just got a contact hangover from the sea of Bacardi and Malibu 
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2014 19:22
|
|
|
Takes No Damage posted:The store I go to has a lot of Cruzan, but as a Cuban style rum like Flor de Cana isn't it more on the whiskey-y side? I saw several bottles bragging about being barrel aged and the color looks pretty similar. Nothing against the stuff, but so far I've much preferred the spiced/Caribbean varieties. Cruzan Aged and 151 have more of the whiskey/wood profile. But the Black Strap is definitely in line with Kraken, Goslings and other dark spiced rum styles. That shorter bottle of Cruzan in the picture with the oval label looks like the old style bottle and label of Black Strap.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2014 19:48
|
|
|
Takes No Damage posted:Coruba is on my watch list, the OP makes it sound tasty. Guess it's not all that bad, I just got a contact hangover from the sea of Bacardi and Malibu
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2014 20:13
|
|
|
Takes No Damage posted:The JWray was a little tricker, it's also one of the first white Rums I've bought so the flavor was pretty unfamiliar to me. Still pretty rough straight sipping (120~ proof) but I caught a lot of flavor that reminded me of rinds or peels from various citrus fruits. I don't have the booze vocabulary to describe it properly, it was probably 'earthy' or 'woody' or something. Kinda sucked straight but I'm still interested what else I can get out of it in a drink. I imagine it would go well in an Old Fashioned or some other cocktail that already involves fruit. I'd make a daquiri with the J Wray. Daquiris are great and Old Fashioneds only work with brown spirits in my (probably massively over-simplified) opinion.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2014 21:42
|
|
|
Halloween Jack posted:At least with rum, that Appleton Estate 21 year is a blind taste-test winner, whereas with whiskey there are so many brands that there's room for plenty of $100 bottles that lose out to $30 ones. True, it is really loving nice
|
|
#
?
Sep 29, 2014 15:37
|
|
|
Whoever suggested the Mount Gay Eclipse is a good person. This rum is delicious and makes a fantastic sipper.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2014 02:54
|
|
|
cbirdsong posted:Rum old fashioneds can be pretty delicious, especially when you use Smith and Cross. Finally, finally did this. Got the bottle in the summer, have been fantastically bad at actually drinking anything other than martinis the past couple months. Delicious! The rum alone was a little too much, so adding in the sugar and bitters makes it into a really funky but very drinkable cocktail. Yum. What else should I make with Smith and Cross?
|
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2014 23:08
|
|
|
Make a Clyde River Punch! It'll treat you right.
|
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2014 23:45
|
|
|
It makes the best Mai Tais.
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2014 11:42
|
|
|
After turning my partner and several friends onto rum as a sipping alternative to high end whiskey, I bought a bottle of the Old Monk 7 year, because it was $19 where I live. And holy poo poo is it flavorful. It's a bit rough, not nearly as smooth as something aged as Zaya, but there's so much flavor and interest in there--maple, nutmeg, candied orange peel, ginger, all sorts of flavors. It's incredible at that price point.
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2014 08:47
|
|
|
Kenning posted:Make a Clyde River Punch! It'll treat you right. Just tried this! Happened to have lime and lemon lying around, so why not. It's really good! First thoughts (as a note, didn't have fresh nutmeg sadly): Almost hard to tell the rum is in there! Whole lot of other stuff. Does it need quite that much water? Maybe my ice melted a bit much? After a few very careful sips, yes, can tell the rum is in there, it's really really tasty. I could well imagine a large bowl of this just getting demolished at a party. Probably better for not-winter, but no matter; very delicious, thanks for the rec!
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2014 20:54
|
|
|
Punch is different than a cocktail, it's not supposed to have a bit spirit kick. The water could be scaled back a bit if you like, but not too much. Glad you enjoyed it!
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2014 22:52
|
|
|
Kenning posted:Punch is different than a cocktail, it's not supposed to have a bit spirit kick. The water could be scaled back a bit if you like, but not too much. Glad you enjoyed it! Naturally! This is the first punch I've had, really; friends much more into wine and beer, party-wise. Neat. If I tried making it with, say, a different rum, what would I be on the lookout for regarding taste? How does the individual spirit change how the punch tastes?
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2014 15:59
|
|
|
The spirit definitely matters. Generally for punch you want something fairly robust and ideally pot-stilled. Sometimes when I don't have Smitty I'll mix Mt. Gay with J. Wray for some of that funk. Usually you see Jamaican or Barbados rum used in punch cause that's what English sailors (the original punchmen) had to drink.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2014 20:54
|
|
|
Got some Rum Nation Demerara Solera No 14 today, and some Panama 18yo. The Demerara is an intersting product, according to Rum Howler: quote:This is quite an interesting rum. According to my correspondence with Mr. Rossi he buys aged bulk Demerara rum (roughly four to six years) from Guyana (Demerara Distillers Limited) which has been blended with various portions from each of the Single Wooden Pot (Versailles Still) and Double Wooden Pot (Port Mourant Still). You can read about these marvelous ancient stills here: Demerara Distillers’ Diamond Distillery Tour. So it's from the El Dorado guys, and while it shares some similarities it's different. It's one of (if not the) cheapest Rum Nation rum and it has some rough edges (but nothing near as rough as a bacardi or something) and it misses some body and complexity in the middle but the arrival and the finish are very nice. Altogether it's a very agreeable rum for a very agreeable price. The Panama 18 I have tried before but have yet to open my own bottle so I'll post about that later. But so far I'm very impressed with the Rum Nation lineup.
|
|
#
?
Nov 27, 2014 20:22
|
|
|
Coming back on the previous "review" having tried it a couple of more times there is a harsh acetone note present that kind of ruins the experience for me. I'm still able to enjoy the rest of the flavours and aromas but the acetone is pretty pronounced, not overpowering but always present.
|
|
#
?
Dec 13, 2014 11:22
|
|
|
What's a good sipping rum along the same flavor profile of Cruzan Black Strap?
|
|
#
?
Jan 28, 2015 22:45
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 02:49 |
|
|
Cruzan Black Strap is heeeaaaavy on the molasses and vanilla. Most "sipping" rums will tone down the molasses in favor of barrel flavor. A good starter would be Zaya, which is super vanilla with a bit more elegance than Black Strap. A jump up from that would be any of the finer Spanish rums, like Ron Zacapa 23 or Ron Pampero Anniversario.
|
|
#
?
Jan 29, 2015 10:22
|
|