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silvergoose posted:Anything for me? I basically know nothing about mixing rum other than D&S. I was joking, he's a total maroon. As for mixing, what do you have/like? There are a number of different choices, depending on whether you like nice dark, funky Jamaicans or light, crisp Cuban-style rums, or rich, floral Barbados/Trinidadian stuff.
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Sep 9, 2013 03:23
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syntaxfunction posted:Avast ye rum drinkers! I've been feeling on a rum kick the past few outings I've been in and I've been trying to branch out. First I grabbed some Kraken and Captain Morgan and liked both. Especially Kraken. Last night I had a friend help me through a bottle of Mount Gay white rum because I heard Mount Gay was good somewhere. All of them were mixed with Coke but man are they nice. I honestly think rum is replacing whiskey as my go to liquor. Gin will always be my favourite, but rum is getting up there. Man, from all I know about Australian liquor prices, $50 is pricing you pretty low in the market. I don't know what Inner Circle costs down there, but the Green Dot bottling is supposed to be world class.
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Sep 15, 2013 10:09
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Well, Green Dot is domestic, and all tequila is being shipped from the other side of the Earth, so that's probably part of it.
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Sep 16, 2013 08:27
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syntaxfunction posted:So I have bow tried a few different rums. First, Mount Gay, both gold and silver, are fantastic. Probably my favourite non-spiced rums. Spiced, Kraken is probably my favourite and Captain Morgan was okay but not outstanding. I grabbed Inner Circle Green Dot on recommendation of this thread and was disappointed frankly. It was strong (At 57.2% ABV) but was very Bundy styled. Not terrible but just average. You can't really sip something like Inner Circle, usually. It'll be too hot and the funk – which is its true asset – will be messed up. I strongly recommend making an Old Fashioned with it, and letting it get very cold, then sipping. Bundy has funk, but no refinement. Green Dot is sophisticated, and funky.
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Oct 2, 2013 20:33
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Daiquiris and mojitos are great choices. The 3 year is the white one, and the 7 year is gold, right? I like pairing gold Spanish-style rums with black Jamaicans in my Tiki punches.Vlex posted:Treated myself to a birthday gift as I was passing through Madrid Airport: got a bottle of Flor de Caña Centenario Gold, which is aged for 18 years. Shbobdb posted:I had the 12 year old and I didn't love it. Which was too bad, I had high hopes. Honestly I'm not really convinced by very old rums. Maybe old French-style agricoles are special (I wouldn't know, I can't afford them), but I've also had the Flor de Cana 12, as well as the Plantation Barbados 20th anniversary (which is apparently a 12 year also), and while they were both excellent, I felt like both lost a little bit of character versus their younger expressions, and just gained a lot of woody vanilla and oak. There's nothing wrong with barrel flavor, but I think especially for Spanish-style rums, which are so delicately flavored to begin with, the barrel totally overwhelms the rum. Unlike, say, Scotch, where the aggressive flavor of the raw spirit calls for some serious barreling. Mount Gay Extra Old was pretty great as I recall, but I had that before my rum palate was as well-developed. I'd be curious to do a comparison of a number of old premium rums to see which ones get it right. Kenning fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Oct 14, 2013 |
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Oct 14, 2013 20:05
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I don't get half as many spiced notes from Kraken as I get from other, non-spiced rums like Flor de Caña 4, or Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve. Which, by the way, are excellent inexpensive rums if you have any sort of decent selection.
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Oct 15, 2013 21:13
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Sounds great. Your tasting notes sounds about right for a nice Spanish-style light rum. Flor de Caña is definitely in that ballpark. I love when people discover new, great rums 
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Oct 21, 2013 05:07
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Napoleon Bonaparty posted:I live on the godless, terrifying eastern side of the San Francisco bay area and I can't find much that isn't Bacardi, Captain Morgan or Shellback anywhere. Luckily I know a few places that have Kraken. I know one of you has mentioned a place called Pirates Cove a lot which is San Francisco based. Are there any decent places to buy booze worth a drat on my side of the bay? I live in the Fremont area. Seconding BevMo, there's a lot of solid stuff there. If you need an excuse to travel up to Berkeley Ledger's Liquor on University and Acton has an insane selection of spirits. Really divey looking too, it's great. And you live in Fremont, I'm sure you could use every excuse to get out of town. Shellback is poo poo, Oakheart is tiresome. Just go to BevMo.
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Nov 7, 2013 04:18
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Well, Havana Club is considered a classic Spanish-style rum, so get what you can while you're there. I don't know much in the way of specifics on account of the whole embargo thing. Make sure to report back on how the rum is, and also if there's any interesting/particular way of drinking it down there.
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Nov 12, 2013 08:12
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Yeah Meyer's isn't a great sipper. Make a nice old fashioned though. Appleton Estate is a much more sipping-oriented Jamaican. I also like Barbados rums for sipping – Mt. Gay is good (the Eclipse is fine, and the pricier expressions get very good), and Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve is excellent. Lots of people like the older El Dorado rums for sipping, but I've only had the 5 year, which is nice, but a little bit one-note (toffee!).
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Nov 14, 2013 04:07
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Pretty much any rum with a bit of age and/or color to it will take well to the old fashioned treatment. Meyer's in particular tidies up around the edges quite nicely.
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Nov 14, 2013 05:11
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Nicol Bolas posted:How would Mt Gay do in an old fashioned? Does the technique differ at all? (Fruits muddled with sugar and bitters, and then booze, served on ice?) I only ask because I've been tasked with inventing / renaming / presenting and promoting cocktails for a theatre to help us hit our bar minimum, and that sounds like something we could really get our regulars to buy. I never do muddled fruit in my old fashioneds (also I don't really believe in muddling in general). Mt. Gay would definitely do well in a classic old fashioned (sugars, bitters, spirits, ice). If you're looking to move some rum, there are a couple of good cocktail options I could suggest. Also try popping over to the cocktail thread for inspiration.
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Nov 14, 2013 21:20
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Yeah, I use a tsp of granulated sugar or 2:1 syrup, or 1/4 oz. of 1:1 simple syrup. If you're using sugar get it a little wet and swirl it around to dissolve a bit. If you're using syrup, agitate it with the spirit a little bit before throwing in the ice to make sure it's all incorporated. An orange or lemon twist make a huge contribution to flavor, but can be omitted if circumstances are unfavorable.
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Nov 15, 2013 20:31
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3 drops of bitters is like nothing. If you need to measure, use something like 1/4 tsp at least.
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Nov 15, 2013 20:55
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Use Coruba if you can find it (and look hard, it's worth the search!) and Meyer's if you can't. Those are going to be most similar in style to an Old Medford-style New England rum, very few of which are still produced (or rather, very few of which have begun to produce again – there's a nascent craft scene up there). If you can find/afford something like Thomas Tew it would be pretty appropriate.
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Nov 17, 2013 22:23
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Smitty is my desert island spirit 
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Nov 24, 2013 10:08
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Alright rum thread, my buddy had a birthday a couple weeks ago and I got him the Barbancourt vertical – the white, the 3-Star, the 5-Star, and the Estate Reserve. He was pretty pumped, and we've all been drinking a lot of rum lately. Figured now was as good a time as any to do a writeup. Btw I didn't get him the Barbancourt Pango cause I felt like Pineapple/Mango-infused rum wasn't quite his bag. First up, the white: Color: Clear. This is an unaged rum. Nose: A bit hot, some rubbery funk. Not as much twang as in a Jamaican, but some hogo here. Palate: The rubber on the nose shines through, along with a bit of vague sweetness. Pretty full texture for an unaged rum. Some woodiness. Finish: Hot finish. Pretty lengthy woody/rubber finish. Not sweet at all on the finish. Overall: Not a sipping rum. Has some structure that could be interesting in mixed drinks, but a bit rough around the edges. 3-Star Color: A bit darker than straw-gold. This is 4 years, so there's color, but it's light. Nose: More muted than the white. A bit of honey and spice, and some funk on the edges. Palate: Brown sugar at the front, a bit of orange peel and spice, leading down to woody char and that characteristic Barbancourt rubber quality (it's actually quite nice in the more aged expressions). Finish: Warm on the finish, but not aggressively so. A softened wood character. Overall: Drinkable, somewhat lacking in focus. This is actually harder to place than the white. It's hard to say what it's really trying to be. 5-Star Color: Rich gold with some light brown. At 8 years in the barrel, this is Barbancourt's flagship offering. Nose: Fresh wood, brown sugar. A touch of cinnamon and allspice. The bouquet gets sweeter as you spend time with it, but isn't as heady as some other rum styles. Strong oaky/rubber backbone. Palate: Very pleasing texture – the aggressive body of the white is mellowed by the barrel and is getting silky. Cinnamon, brown sugar, and wood are the big notes here. The flavor profile is very well put-together. Also some notes of clove and black pepper. Finish: Nice smooth finish with heat returning up slowly in a very pleasant fashion. The more esoteric flavors play around a bit, and then settle into the hallmark wood/rubber which stays the longest. Overall: Honestly, Barbancourt 5-Star is one of the finest mid-shelf rums available. It's got a robust, masculine character that is appropriate to sipping or simple mixing – I like the 5-Star in an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan/Negroni-style application best. Estate Reserve Color: Lovely golden-brown with some red. This is a very special rum – 15 years of age. Nose: Warm brown sugar and toffee notes predominate, along with a bit of vanilla and oak. Quite sweet and pleasant on the nose. Palate: Silky, decadent texture. A distinctly cognac-like flavor profile, with oak and vanilla. That firm rubber backbone is somewhat softened, and feels almost refined – more like tobacco and leather. Cinnamon and clove around the edges, along with a return of the orange peel. Finish: Almost no heat until the very very end. Long, long finish, a real pleasure to have hang around as well. Some moderate sweetness, but mostly rubber-cum-tobbaco and oak. Overall: Honestly, I consider the Barbancourt Estate Reserve to be one of the most consistently satisfying premium rums going. A lot of old rums lose too much character to the barrel and end up tasty but predictable, and often over-sweet. The Estate Reserve stays robust, but is just a true pleasure to drink. If you've got a spare $50 and can find it, I recommend it heartily. I have a great deal of respect for Barbancourt. Their younger expressions are a bit puzzling, frankly, but the 5-Star and the Estate Reserve are masterfully-crafted, and worthy of a place in any serious rum collection.
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Nov 25, 2013 08:15
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You've got some nice selection of sippers and mixers actually. For straight sippin' try Mt. Gay Extra Old and Ron Zacapa. They're both soft, rich, and velvety. Bacardi 8, Pussers, and Appleton Estate are representative of gold Cuban, Navy-style Barbados, and dark (but not black) Jamaican rums, respectively. I don't see a white rum up there I'm super keen on – look for Flor de Caña 4 or Cruzan light. It's weird that they have Barbancourt 3 star. I would hold out for the 5. Let us know what you end up getting!
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Dec 12, 2013 05:15
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Yeah, I like to keep a couple special bottles around. Recently it's been the Plantation Barbados 20th Anniversary and the Barbancourt Estate Reserve, but sometimes it's a fine bottle of Scotch or a 12-year apple brandy. It's nice to have something really fine to break out occasionally.
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Dec 14, 2013 11:17
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If you like the Barbancourt 8 year then you'll love the 15. It's a very similar flavor profile, just fuller and more refined. I would get that and the Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve, since the Grande Reserve (the 5 year) is fairly inexpensive. If instead you mean the Plantation Barbados 20th Anniversary then I would recommend Ron Zacapa. Nothing against the 20th Anniversary, it's just quite sweet and mellow, and I prefer Spanish rums for that sort of style.
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Dec 27, 2013 00:25
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Yay!Viperix posted:Yeah I did mean the Plantation 20th. So I'll get either the Zacapa or the Barbancourt then. What's the Zacapa like? If you actively dislike the floral flavors you won't really end up caring for any of the Flor de Caña offerings, especially not the white, since that's pretty much all it has going for it (which I think is enough for a nice mixing white). The Zacapa is very plush. It's sweeter than the Barbancourt for sure, but not quite as treacly as the 20th Anniversary Plantation Barbados, and not as heavy vanilla as the Zaya (which is pleasant, but one-note). I haven't had the opportunity to try the older El Dorado offerings, so I can't speak to those. It's a Spanish rum, which means its body is on the lighter side, and the flavors tend more towards brown sugar, oak, and spice. Zacapa 23 is the winngest rum at international competitions, though I personally like Barbancourt 15 more (but I'm quite partial to Barbancourt). If you're just getting into rum it might be nice to try something different, rather than just an older expression of something you already know you like.
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Dec 27, 2013 10:22
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(I kid, this threads been a great help; I love that I'm finally branching out when it comes to liquor.)
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a drink or two posted:Hello rum thread, what should I buy next? Tried (sipping): Havana 7 (good, my standard), Zacapa 23 (amazing), Smith & Cross (I "get" it but too dark/rough for me I think, maybe I'll have acquired the taste by the end of the bottle). Thinking either the Havana 7 equivalent from another producer or something really different - any ideas? Smith and Cross should be used in an Old Fashioned if you wanna experience it most directly. Neat is too hot generally. Your next buy should be Plantation Barbados 5 Year Old Grand Reserve, which looks like it's 25 pounds. Also try Barbancourt 5 Star (8 years). Those are two styles you haven't tried out yet, and they'll get you familiar with some nice stuff that's not too expensive. Also consider Batavia Arrack van Oosten to try a rum relative. That one is great in punch.
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Jan 27, 2014 09:05
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Man you are in for a treat with that Barbancourt.
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Feb 23, 2014 21:30
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Just did a bit of research, the only firm I see operating right now is Surinam Alcoholic Beverages, and reading the copy on their website, as well as some stuff on Ministry of Rum, it seems like they're doing the contemporary Spanish-style thing. They mention filtering, and dedicate a lot of copy to the American whiskey barrels that the stuff gets aged in. I'd say it's gonna be somewhat similar to Cruzan and Bacardi, though the nicer expressions may have some of that Central American-style plushness to them. It's too bad. I was hoping that as a former Dutch colony they'd have an appreciation for funk the way the English do (the Dutch and the English have a lot of drinking culture in common). Alternatively, being surrounded by Francophone countries, they might have gone the agricultural route and made some nice cane juice spirits. But no, it's molasses, column stills, filtering, and barrels.
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Feb 25, 2014 01:12
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Smith and Cross is my desert island spirit. Also though, you should consider a Barbancourt. 5-star/8 year or Estate Reserve/15 year. For those prices I would probably go for the 15. I think that's a rum that any serious enthusiast needs to have tried. Also consider Mt. Gay Extra Old for another refined sipper, one that's more plush. Kenning fucked around with this message at 09:11 on Feb 28, 2014 |
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Feb 28, 2014 09:07
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Viperix posted:I knew that the Ron Zacapa 23 was a Solera going in and what that meant, but I can kind of see where you're coming from about being dishonest. If you already know what Solera means, it's not a big deal, but if you don't you may only see the "23 year" and could be misled. The rumor is that the Zacapa is mostly 10 years old, ranging from 6-23 years. But that's pretty much just internet hearsay. The bottom line for me is that it is loving delicious. Rums do that sort-of fake age statementing a lot. Consider the Plantation Barbados 20th Anniversary, which is listed on the BevMo website as "20 year," even though the average age is I believe 12. They want to have a big number, because in whiskey and cognac big numbers are good, even though very few rums can stand up to very lengthy aging, and most suffer from it. My skeptical whiskey-drinking friend was converted to rum by Barbancourt. That's probably your best bet. Aged Martiniques are also a possibility, but they're quite expensive (as you saw). Finally, that flavor in J. Wray and Smitty is indeed "Jamaican-ness". It's the combination of slow, long fermentation using that distinctive Jamaican sour mash (sorta) process and traditional pot stills. Fuuuuuuuunky.
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Mar 4, 2014 02:51
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But Not Tonight posted:I enjoy the hell out of Dark 'N Stormies, but I'm looking to branch out and enjoy some other rum-based drinks that aren't rum and coke (urgh I want to taste the rum, not sugar water) and I think I'm going to pick up a bottle of Smith and Cross based on the recommendations of this thread. What are some good drinks that work well with that? Or should I just nut the gently caress up and have me a glass of old-school rum? I know I definitely enjoy dark rums more, and have a bottle of Flor 7 year that is rather tasty. Make an Old Fashioned with the Smith and Cross. It'll rock your world.
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Mar 16, 2014 06:59
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Shbobdb posted:So, favorite Smith + Cross cocktail: go! My typical answer is "Give it the Old Fashioned treatment," but for something a bit more specialized I would considering whipping up a Clyde River Punch.
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Mar 31, 2014 09:42
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Chuck Biscuits posted:I'm thinking of getting a bottle of Lost Spirits Navy Style when I'm at K&L next week. According to this article http://www.examiner.com/article/lost-spirits-navy-style-rum-from-california it's been fermented with banana dunder, pot distilled to 136 proof and finished in sherry casks. Has anyone tasted this stuff before? K&L describes it as a cross between S&C and El Dorado, which sounds pretty good. Anarkii posted:I'm curious to know if anyone here has tried Old Monk 7yrs and 12yrs. Us indians are prouder of Old Monk than internationally recognized single malts from India like Amrut. I want to try both of these rums. What's Old Monk like?
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Apr 14, 2014 16:23
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Oh my. I think...I think that fellow is my spirits-making hero. I've acquainted myself with the technical aspects of distillation in the last few years, so I was able to follow his email pretty closely and he's just...doing everything right. That must be an excellent rum. I guess I'll need to pop over to K&L soon.
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Apr 26, 2014 10:53
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Yeah that dude sounds like a really smart guy who loves his job. It's fortunate for us that the end result of him loving his job and being a smart guy is delicious rum.
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Apr 30, 2014 00:19
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They've got a decent selection there. I'd try the Coruba (which is listed as Ron Coruba, even though it shouldn't be, since Jamaica is an English-speaking Island), Plantation Barbados 5 year, Banks 5 Island, and Pusser's. Beyond that the Mt. Gay XO will be nice to try, as would Pampero Anniversario and Angostura 1919.
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May 9, 2014 03:08
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Oh man it feels like the craft guys are finally getting into rum in a serious way. This is exciting, but also a little bit worrisome, because I've already seen rum prices creep up across the board in the last year, for really the first time in like 5 years. Flor de Caña Extra Dry for $17! I guess that's just life.
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May 10, 2014 23:02
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Honestly I've never been a particular fan of Appleton, and I'm a rum fiend. What is your background in spirits tasting? Lots of people need to learn the proper technique to enjoy a spirit, since it's not necessarily intuitive. Like, there's a physical technique to tasting that can be taught. You take a small sip, and hold it on your tongue, near the tip. Then after a moment you let is disperse over the broad of your tongue. Sometimes you can "chew" it a bit, to move it around your mouth a little – I do this about half the time. Then you slowly swallow it, and then exhale back over your tongue. It's amazing what that process does for your access to complex flavors. Beyond that it's about developing a flavor vocabulary for understanding what the spirit is doing. The most important thing in that respect is to not feel ashamed. If you taste wood shavings, let yourself taste that. If you smell coconut, say coconut. If you find yourself thinking about a grassy field in summer, you may be tasting that grassy field. It's okay.Shbobdb posted:Run to Brandy. That is still super cheap. A regular go-to drink for both drinking and cooking is E&J XO. It is ~$9-$12 depending where I can pick it up in the Bay Area and is deliciously oaky. Sure, that oakiness is hiding some cheap higher alcohols but, hey, a good drink for under $15 is a steal! French brandies are also undervalued. Trader Joe's has a good one for under $15 and if you look you can find world class ones for $20-30. It's a good way to save on cash while deliciously destroying brain cells. Sorry man, I'm familiar with Easy Juice, and it's not worth the entry fee for me. I know there are some undervalued French brandies, but it's mostly of the "this $35 brandy should cost $50!" variety, rather than the "this is a fantastic spirit for $15" variety. Rum is still the place to go for inexpensive quality, it's just becoming a bit less so in the last couple years. Kenning fucked around with this message at 09:50 on May 11, 2014 |
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May 11, 2014 09:44
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St. Elmo
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May 15, 2014 06:53
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Glad I could be of service. I guess.
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May 17, 2014 09:52
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Sweet Christ that is a nightmare. It's not quite the Great Angostura Shortage of 2009, but it's pretty bad. I'm going to have to go down to Ledger's and see if I can pick up an emergency bottle.
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Jul 9, 2014 07:36
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No, that's a pretty accurate description. It's for people who don't really know about rum and are generally skeptical about spirits. It's the Maker's Mark of rum.
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Jul 17, 2014 01:57
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The most exciting thing there is the Rhum Clement V.S.O.P., and if she's a Pusser's fan she'll probably be able to understand a nice Martinique rum. The Lemon Hart is also a fun one. Looks like they have the 80 and the 151. My heart tells me to have you get the 151, but the 80 makes more sense as an everyday rum. Finally, the Plantation Barbados 5 year Grande Reserve is one of my favorite sipping rums, if you think she'd also enjoy something with a bit more richness and less funk.
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Jul 17, 2014 20:35
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You're looking pretty pretty good! In terms of absolute must have rums you're only missing a couple. First off, Haitian rum. The Barbancourt 5-star (eight year old) is commonly available and not too expensive, and works well as a sipper or for use in a spirits-driven cocktail (think Old Fashioneds or Manhattan isomorphisms). The fifteen year old Estate Reserve is pricier and can be hard to find, but is totally fantastic. Seriously, it's on a par with the finest spirits in the world. It's also the only old rum that is unquestionably worth the price premium. Next you'll want a Barbados rum. My favorite is Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve (five year old). Mount Gay also makes nice rums. The Mount Gay Eclipse captures the Barbados flavors a bit better, but the Black Barrel and especially Extra Old are richer and silkier. I kinda think you should try to find Coruba to replace both Appleton Special and Gosling's Black Seal for an English black rum. Coruba is inexpensive and really well-constructed. Black rums are rangy and not particularly refined as a rule, but I think Coruba understands itself better than Gosling's or Meyers or whatever. It also actually tastes like a Jamaican, unlike Appleton (in my opinion). The last two holes you might fill is a spicy golden Spanish-style rum – I recommend Flor de Caña 4-year or Havana Club Añejo Reserva – and an aged Martinique rhum. Martiniques tend to be a bit on the pricey side, but check out Rhum Clément VSOP or Rhum JM VSOP – they are really good! Beyond those you're in the realm of rum esoterica and you can let your curiosity guide you. Batavia Arrack van Oosten is a fun bottle to carry as a far-flung rum cousin. El Dorado 5 is nice when you want your rum to taste like a toffee factory. Denizen is a blend of white Jamaican and Trinidadian rums and makes my favorite Daiquiri #3. The only thing to keep in mind when trying out new bottles is that I have been consistently disappointed with fine old sipping rums. They tend to lose character and go a bit flat, trading in character for silkiness. Barbancourt Estate Reserve is the only exception (I also remember enjoying Mount Gay XO, but I'd need to revisit it). In general if the younger, less expensive expressions are heavy, funky, grassy, earthy, and robust they might stand a chance at aging gracefully. If the young rums are floral, toasty, delicate, and fruity they're more likely to succumb to vanilla and char in old age. Good luck!
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Jul 21, 2014 02:26
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