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So any recommendations on affordable rums that can be found locally when your only experience so far is Bacardi and Captain? I find I really like rum but don't know where to start expanding. My go-to drink lately has been a rum and soda. So preferably something mixable, but if there's any affordable rums that are also good enough to be drunk straight I'd be willing to try one out.
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Oct 15, 2013 08:05
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| # ¿ May 7, 2024 23:03 |
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So a lot of the recommended rums in this thread aren't available where I live. This is the top shelf of one of the liquor stores nearby, what's worth trying?   I've only gotten to the Mt. Gay Eclipse and the cheaper Appleton Estate so far and liked both of them.
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Dec 12, 2013 02:54
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So I found myself at a different liquor store which only had the Flor de Cana 7-year, and cheaper than the other store too, so I went with that one. Initial tasting I find it comparable to the Eclipse, similarily floral but a little sweeter. I like the aftertaste of the Flor better, though. (Side question, is 'finish' the right term for that, by the way? I don't know liquor tasting lingo.) Finally got some bitters too so I'm going to try and make Old Fashions with my 3 current rums (Myers, Eclipse, and now Flor 7-year.) See which I like best. Oh I think the other liquor store does have Cruzan, if I recall correctly. Would it make sense to be on the cheaper end? As for the Mt. Gay Extra Old or the Ron Zacapa, I just don't know if I can bring myself to spend $45 on a bottle of liquor. Though with my rum fascination these past few months, I'm sorely tempted...
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Dec 13, 2013 05:33
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My rum saga continues this week. I finally got down to a liquor store on the other end of town I had somewhat forgotten about and found they had a huge rum selection. I think they had most of what's been mentioned in this thread so far. Unfortunately, it was all picked over, and for a reason apparently - they were getting bought out. It will stay a liquor store, but it'll be another franchise that's already in town and their selection is poor, so we'll see. On the plus side, they did have a bottle of Barbancourt 5 star left, so I picked that up and it is fantastic. Other bad news though, I must have misremembered because apparently I don't really care for an Old Fashioned. No matter how I made it the bitters were just too strong for me. Oh well, the Barbancourt I can drink straight, and I'll come up with something to put the Flor de Caña 7 year in. You guys have convinced me to pick up one of the expensive sippers, but it'll have to wait till after the holidays as a late gift to myself, I think.
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Dec 14, 2013 20:30
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So I got some cash for Christmas and have decided to treat myself to a more expensive bottle, preferably a good sipper. I've only tried a modest selection of rums and I've said before. Here are my top shelf choices: Ron Zacapa, Zaya, Barbancourt Grand Reserve, El Dorado 12 and15 yr, and Plantation Barbados Grand Reserve. I'd prefer a good sipper and I find myself preferring richer, more molasses-y rums to the more herbal/floral ones. My current bottle of Barbancourt 8 year is the best rum I've had.
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Dec 26, 2013 23:04
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Kenning posted: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. Yeah I did mean the Plantation 20th. So I'll get either the Zacapa or the Barbancourt then. What's the Zacapa like? Unfortunately this place didn't have the mid range versions of a lot of these rums, ie the Barbancourt 8yr, Plantation Barbados 5yr, El Dorado 5yr, etc. Also they had the Flor de Cana Gold, 7yr, and 12yr, but not the Extra Dry, so I think that means I'll have to go with Cruzan for a light rum. Though I gotta say, I don't love the Flor 7yr, it's a bit too floral for my liking, I think. I'm now up to 5 bottles of rum in my collection and I have you assholes to thank for that. I was happy in my Captain Morgan ignorance.  (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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Dec 27, 2013 00:45
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I finally bit the bullet and bought the Zacapa and it is amazing. I honestly didn't know rum/liquor could taste like that - you can almost barely tell it's hard liquor. That brings my collection up to 6 bottles. I think... I think I need to stop buying rum for a while. Whoever earlier said Cruzan is a bit... simple, was right. It makes a nice, light, refreshing Daiquiri though. And speaking of Daiquiri's, I really don't dislike the Flor 7 year in a Daiquiri, the floral-ness is balanced out nicely by the lime and sugar. My experience with Daiquiris is consistent with what others have said though, any good rum = a good Daiquiri. Next I'd like to try either a rum Manhattan or Martini. Just need to find smaller bottles of vermouth since it would take me way too long to kill a regular one. (Also who am I kidding, two of those bottles are almost empty and I'm going to have to replace them. Once you've had a rum for every occasion...)
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Dec 29, 2013 05:17
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So rumdate: First off, on behalf of my wallet, gently caress you guys. Seriously:  That, being said, the Flor is seriously growing on me. In fact, the 12 year has been bumped up higher on my list to try and I've found a store with Extra Dry so thats up next when the Cruzan runs out. I mean, compared to a couple months ago the Flor has become a favorite. The Wray and Nephew overproof is really interesting. I actually like it, but it is definitely something. I couldn't find any decent grapefruit soda so I could only try Squirt, but I quite liked it none-the-less. It'll be a good summer drink. Pussers is also interesting. I like it also but it's a bit harsh on it's own. Interestingly, it reminds a lot of the funk that the Jamaican rums have versus the Eclipse Barbados rum I've got. Is that normal? Either way it's a great, hearty rum and coke rum. The Barbancourt has a bitter quality that I didn't notice at first and while I can still sip it, I've found it better with a little ice and/or water. My Eclipse is almost empty though, so I'm looking for suggestions on which to replace it with. But honestly, since I can't find Plantation Barbados GR locally, that might be the first rum I replace with the same bottle. Speaking of which I've found a local store with the Mt Gay White, what do people think of that? The Myers is almost gone as well, but Pussers is a nice alternative for rum and cokes, so I don't know if I'll replace that right away. Might pick up a bottle of Appleton VX just to round things out though. The Zacapa remains excellent, but at $50 a bottle, I'm certainly making last. Also, I almost bought a bottle of Oronoco rum since I've heard very good things about it and it's supposedly not being made anymore, but then I decided I A) didn't need to spend $40 on rum right now, and B) what if I really liked it and couldn't buy anymore? PS I'm quite fond of an Atomic Daiquiri. The Wray and Nephew was a good addition to my collection. Though next up I'll have to give the Lemon Hart 151 a go. (Speaking of which I know I said my local rum selection was limited, but I've done some more scouting around and found that the only rums I haven't found locally are Plantation Barbados GR, El Dorado 5(though I can find the 12 and 15, and from the descriptions I'm quite keen on trying at least any of El Dorado offerings.) and Smith and Cross. I could also try the Zaya 12, the Flor 12, the Appleton 12, and the Eclipse XO. So many choices when the Zacapa runs out.
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Jan 19, 2014 09:40
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So I'm going here this weekend. Anything in particular I should look out for? I'm already eyeing the 5yr El Dorado because I can't find it locally and have never tried an El Dorado, but have heard many good things. But I also see Plantation Barbados 5yr, Smith and Cross, and a few Martiniques(holy poo poo, $110 for a bottle of Rhum JM Vieux). The OP mentions Coruba, Myers, and Appleton for Jamaicans, but are there any other good examples of Jamaican rums? I've tried both Myers and Appleton already, and I can't find Coruba anywhere around here. Also my most recent buy is a bottle of Lemon Hart 151 and it is amazing. Edit: Is Plantation 3 Stars Silver any good? It's a new addition to a local store and reviews online seem decent. Viperix fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Feb 27, 2014 |
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Feb 27, 2014 03:54
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El Dorado and Smith and Cross it is, then. I think that'd be about my budget limit. I already have bottles of the 8 year Barbancourt, and Mt. Gay Eclipse, so I'd rather try a new variety. Plus I can find the older varieties locally, and cheaper. (Barbancourt is definitely a favorite though, and I am quite keen on trying the 15 year when the time comes.)
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Feb 28, 2014 20:06
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Smith and Cross is the poo poo. That is all.
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Mar 2, 2014 04:58
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I wanted to buy things I couldn't find locally, and I can find Cruzan Single Barrel around here, so it's going to have to wait. It's high on my list, however. My Flor 4 year Dry and Barb. 8 year are almost gone and I don't think I can live without either of those, so something new will have to wait, unfortunately. Although, I just counted now and my rum shelf is up to a dozen bottles, so I don't think I have anything to complain about. As a side note, that liquor store I went to had a free tasting shelf with quite a large selection, so I've now managed to try a half dozen more rums including Plantation Barbados 20th, Leblon, Pussers 15 year, and a $70 Clement Martinque(I don't remember which one, specifically.) The Plantation 20th is definitely going on my list of bottles to add to my collection. Pussers 15 is what you'd expect: a smoother version of the standard Pussers. After only one tasting I couldn't honestly say it was worth the cost over the regular, however. The Clement was interesting. I. personally, didn't see where the $70 price tag came from, but it certainly wasn't like other rums. I can see the potential in a cocktail. However, I'll probably just try a cheaper Martinique to start. Leblon is definitely very grassy and not a sipper, but once again I can see a lot of potential in a nice summer cocktail(I know Leblon isn't necessarily a premium cachaça, but it's all you're going to find around here.)
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Mar 2, 2014 06:56
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That's the problem with limited options. There's only one liquor store around here that carries Flor 4 year, Lemon Hart 151, and Wray and Nephew overproof, so I'm worried about them going out or dropping those single ones. Honestly, my white rum options are limited to: Flor de Cana 4 year, Cruzan, and Plantation 3 stars. I haven't tried the Plantation 3 stars, but the Cruzan is a decent rum, but just that, it's tastes like "rum" and that's it, really. The Flor de Cana line has really grown on me. I've got bottles of both the 4 year dry and the 7 year and they've both disappeared surprisingly quickly so I must like it. They're my favorite rums for a rum martini, thats for sure. 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. Also, in response to an older post I did buy a bottle of Brugal Anejo a while back and I'm really enjoying it. It's got a wonderful spicy quality that I enjoy in a Cuba Libre or fruity cocktails. If I'm honest, one of my favorite things about rum is the price. You can find some fantastic rums for $15-25, and a $40-50 bottle is considered quite high-end. Sure, more expensive bottles exist, but you get a boat-load of flavor for your dollar. Finally, what's a good rum if you're trying to convert a Scotch drinker to rum? As a side note, I've tried enough rums now that I wish I could contribute things like tasting notes, but the sophistication of my palate extends only to words like "dry, sweat, light, rich, grassy, earthy, floral, sugary, spicy, and smokey" also "funky" like Wray+Nephew, and Smith+Cross, but I haven't even figured out what that means other than they share a similar... quality, that I assume is their "Jamaicaness."
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Mar 2, 2014 07:53
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I think I can tell the difference, but it's not strong. Brugal especially has a strong, almost spicy flavor that comes through and Bacardi I can taste in anything a mile away. How strong do you make your Daiquiris?
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Mar 17, 2014 23:28
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Al2001 posted:2 shots rum, 1/2 lime, 1/4 sugar generally. Sometimes straight, sometimes rocks. I've never tried two different white rums side-by-side though, just gone through one moderately priced bottle and replaced it with another. Interesting that the Brugal white has a stronger flavour because their standard Anejo is really smooth and innoffensive (I like it though!) That's about how strong I make Daiquiris. The difference is pretty subtle, so if you're not trying side by side I could see no being able to tell. My mistake about the Brugal, I forgot Brugal had a white. I was actually talking about the Anejo and when I say strong, I don't mean bad either, I quite enjoy the Anejo. I never finish off a bottle of a rum I intend to replace with a substitute. I always keep a bit in the bottle so I can compare when I buy something new. Viperix fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Mar 29, 2014 |
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Mar 29, 2014 00:51
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Life is good.
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Apr 21, 2014 02:54
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Hah, indeed. A friend had just had surgery. Those were her easily digestible recovery foods, I think. The Barbancourt 15 yr is pretty fantastic. Indeed, just richer and mellower than the 8 yr. The Zacapa is equally fantastic, as always. The El Dorado is an interesting one for me. An interesting mix of that Demerara molasses-y/brown sugar sweetness and aged oaky tangy-ness. The more rums I try, the more interesting the Barbancourt becomes. It's sweeter and less grassy than other straight from sugarcane rums like a Cachaca or a Martinique agricole, but yet still has some similar qualities, I'd be curious to know from our experts here what leads to that distinction.
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Apr 21, 2014 13:27
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I really love Flor de Cana, but haven't tried Havana Club, since I can't get it here(stupid US politics.) I've heard many good things however. I doubt you could go wrong with either, so try them both.spoon0042 posted:Leblon cachaça was on sale this month. It's hard to find a good cachaca in many places in the US, unfortunately, but I find Leblon does just fine in a Caipirinha. I don't think I'll be using it for much else, though.
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Jul 13, 2014 05:25
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Kenning posted:I vote for Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve. and El Dorado 5yr are my go-to multipurpose rums. Affordable, sippable, and make a good mixer too.
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Jun 15, 2015 18:50
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Pyrat is considered a very whiskey-like rum thats a good starting point for whiskey drinkers.
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Jul 19, 2015 18:36
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I'm partial to Smith and Cross old fashioned's myself. 2 oz S+C, teaspoon of simple syrup, dash of bitters, over ice. It'll kick you in the rear end, but if you're drinking it neat normally, you should like it.
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Aug 29, 2015 09:49
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Don't ask me, I've found that an S&C old fashioned is all I've ever needed. For my own question: I've got a bottle of Rhum Clement VSOP, What should I do with it? Ti Punch is an obvious start, but what else?
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Feb 19, 2016 05:07
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So my friends parents are going to Jaimaca. Is there anything exclusively local I should tell them to pick up? Edit: Side note, that Clement Vieux is loving fantastic. Neat, Ti punch, both excellent. Next I'll try the Old Fashioned treatment because that's what I do with everything. Viperix fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Feb 20, 2016 |
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Feb 20, 2016 05:09
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It's $27 for me at a liquor store an hour away, and it's still an easy decision.
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Jun 7, 2016 20:58
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Nothing. Quit being a pussy. Nah, I kid. While I do love S&C in any form, an old fashioned is definitely the way to go. S&C, some simple syrup and some bitters to taste. It is the goddamn poo poo. As for my own content, second to the aforementioned S&C old fashioned, my new favorite cocktail is this: https://therumhowlerblog.com/2016/02/17/cocktail-hour-the-high-test-daiquiri/ With a fresh squeezed lime and a decent triple-sec, it is simply amazing.
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Oct 29, 2016 05:45
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| # ¿ May 7, 2024 23:03 |
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Oh absolutely. I just use 1.5 tsp of 2:1 syrup, since that's what I keep on hand. I would also probably use 0.5oz of 1:1 and call it good. I also tend to pour more towards 2oz of rum.
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Oct 29, 2016 06:07
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