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I looked high and low and couldn't seem to find a rum thread here on GWS so here we go! Do you love the funk? Do you drink wrey and ting like water? Got some cool nerdy bottle to share? Post here with any dumb poo poo you want to ask/say about rum. Why do we love rum? Isn't it a poo poo-tier spirit for college kids and blender drinks? Well, yes... but also it's a super versatile booze that can be anything from super clean drinking, to fruit-forward and pungent, to smooth and buttery, to grass-clippings and catpiss. This variety is due to the myriad of regional traditions of rum making that sprung up through the lovely history of colonialism, even two adjacent islands (or hell, two halves of the same island) will make rum that is totally different. Also a lot of rum tends towards a complexity that is only rivaled by mezcal and baijiu. Whereas with high end brandies and whiskeys you're often looking for something smooth and easy, the high end of rum tends to embrace the funk. Isn't rum super sweet? It's made from sugar, right? All booze is made from sugar. Yes rum comes from sugarcane byproducts, but that doesn't make it naturally sweeter than any other type of booze. The flavor of good rum is determined by a few factors: the terroir of the sugarcane, the type of sugarcane product used (molasses, sugarcane juice, sugar like a psychopath), the method of yeast culturing, the type of still used, the aging (or lack thereof) and the climate it is aged (or not) in... all of these variables create the most versatile spirit in the world from a flavor point of view. Usually if a rum is noticeably sweet then it has a heavy dosage (added sugar) which is a practice that originated in cognac and has carried over to the rum world. A lot of people are snobs about it but it doesn't mean the rum is bad, it also doesn't mean the rum will be super sweet either if done well. Isn't rum just for mixing? No. But I'll gently caress a daiquiri right up too, don't get me wrong. I heard that rum labeling is super misleading and that age statements aren't to be trusted. Yup. Rum is still super unregulated in most markets, with notable exceptions being Martinique, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Demerara, and hopefully soon Barbados. I'm sure I missed some GIs in there, if I did kindly let me know. What are you drinking right now? I'm starting my day with a nice room temperature glass full of the high-octane-cat-pee-and-wet-paint-tasting wonder that is Hamilton Saint Lucia 2005 9 yr. Clocking in at 134.8 proof. It's not the fanciest but oh boy is it funky. If you like hosed-up tasting rum then scoop this one up while you can. From my understanding the 2005 juice is the last release that Hamilton is sourcing from that distillery but you can find saint lucia distillers products under different brand names like Chairman's Reserve.
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Oct 17, 2021 18:09
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| # ? May 3, 2024 13:47 |
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Smith & Cross appreciation station post.
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Oct 22, 2021 19:43
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Hi my name is bizwank and I'm a rumoholic. Got around 70 bottles in my collection, I'm particularly fond of anything from Foursquare, and the oldest/rarest I've had was an Old Medford from 1892 (it was amazing). I do dabble in tiki from time to time as long as it isn't too sweet, I make daiquiris a couple times a week during the summer (usually have Ting on hand too), and right now I'm sipping on whatever's almost gone because I'm moving soon and have a lot of bottles to box up. That said I actually don't drink a lot so my collection is fairly static except around the holidays when I tend to gift bottles (and pick up a few for myself as well). I'll be making this rum cake sometime in the next month; I've had it before and there really are no words except have a dd at the ready: https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20051202&slug=pacificptasterecipe04
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Oct 25, 2021 02:36
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Smithened Cross
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Oct 25, 2021 06:44
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Four square products are a drat delight. I'm digging the Australian release from plantation's recent reserve release. It's super mineral tasting. Nice charcoal sort of dirtiness. I recently started digging into Clairene. Those can be awesome if you're chasing the funk.
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Nov 6, 2021 18:22
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Also chiming in on Smith and Cross. It's a little harsh for sipping but an amazing mixer. The literal definition of rum funk. The finest $20 rum I've had is Appleton Estates; Havana Club (not the Cuban one) is a really close second. For a little more money ($38~ I think?) you can't go wrong with Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. Beyond that, I've noticed it gets murkier. Higher price doesn't always mean better rum. I've got a 23y Ron Zapaca Solera that's pretty good but I don't think it's $50 good. Buy a bottle of Old Monk XXX for the bottle and mix the rum, it's not very good at all. As for black rum (dubious branding) I like Goslings Black Seal, and Myer's to a lesser extent. If you want something a little weirder, look for Gator Bite Satsuma. It's rum mixed with Satsuma oranges and it's delicious.
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Nov 7, 2021 22:43
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If you like Smith and Cross check out Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Gold or Black, a little lower proof but incredible funk.
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Nov 9, 2021 06:35
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Transcontinental Rum Line just put out their new lineup for the year: 2013 Australia, 2012 Worthy Park (Jamaican), 2011 Panama, 2014 Fiji. I'm tryna get my mitts on that Worthy Park bottle for sure. P sure the Australia is the same juice as Plantation's Australia single origin release from this year. I'd be shocked if it wasn't.
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Nov 17, 2021 22:32
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Not fancy but finally tried the worthy park Rum Bar white over proof. ~$15 for some nice Jamaican stank.
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Apr 7, 2022 05:33
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Venezuelan rum Santa Teresa is interesting - they use a solera system where their rum is aged through a series of fractional mixes - they have tiers of casks, and they take 1/2 of the aged rum in the oldest tier out to bottle it, then refill the casks with 1/2 of the rum from the next-youngest cask and then so on back up the chain to the youngest barrels that get topped off with 2 year old rum. The result is a good sweet spot of quality and price - it's priced like a mid-tier rum but IMO is better quality than average.
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Apr 8, 2022 17:48
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Good rum is one of those things that I think tastes interesting and is worth tasting without me thinking "I enjoy this"
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Apr 13, 2022 00:19
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Santa Teresa is a good one, I think I have a pin form them somewhere. Recently I've been enjoying the Denizen 3 yr. Solid rum for cheap. At work I've started an in-house rum blending program which has been pretty fun.
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Oct 12, 2022 04:36
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I’ve dabbled with rum over the years (Appleton estate has always been my go-to), but these past few months I’ve gone a little hog-wild and picked up: Plantation Pineapple Hamilton 151 Demerara Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black I just love the diversity with rum, and I’m eager to pick up some Agricoles. I love funky beers, so I’ve naturally gravitated toward more funky rum. I’m in Michigan, so unfortunately FourSquare and Niesson aren’t on shelves much. Corb3t fucked around with this message at 03:26 on Feb 10, 2023 |
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Feb 10, 2023 03:08
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I have been on a loving tear making tiki drinks lately, which has led to my rum pile growing substantially. Most recently McCoy 12 Year (Barbados) in a Trader Vic's 1947 recipe Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. It's functionally a daquiri with the addition of falernum and blue curaco. 
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Feb 10, 2023 16:29
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That's a nicely done tiki drink!
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Feb 10, 2023 20:15
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Thank you! They've become a habit.
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Feb 16, 2023 09:24
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I really want this 800 page tome on Rum: https://www.wonkpress.com/products/modern-caribbean-rum 
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Feb 16, 2023 21:24
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Last night I tried a new one to me - The Funk. Unaged Jamaican pot still white lightning is basically what it is, and it was great. Very phenolic, lots of flavor of overripe peaches. 50%, so I expected it to be a little harsh, but in fact it was fairly smooth and drinkable neat.
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Feb 16, 2023 23:13
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Wrey and Nephews crew checking in
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Feb 26, 2023 12:17
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Spuckuk posted:Wrey and Nephews crew checking in
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Feb 26, 2023 16:52
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The Funk huh? Sounds right up my alley.
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Feb 27, 2023 05:47
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Spuckuk posted:Wrey and Nephews crew checking in I've been meaning to pick up a bottle at Total Wine - it's hard to beat for ~$25 a bottle. They also have a bottle of Doctor Bird that's supposedly very funky that I'll eventually grab. I wish Michigan had more access to Rhum Agricoles from Neisson and Clement.
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Feb 27, 2023 15:55
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bizwank posted:Just last week I noticed a local place caries pink Ting, which I didn't even know existed. Can't wait to try several once the weather warms up. Ting is weirdly great with gin as well, grab a bunch.
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Feb 28, 2023 00:01
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Spuckuk posted:Ting is weirdly great with gin as well, grab a bunch. Tequila as well. Makes a hell of a Paloma.
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Mar 6, 2023 07:18
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I’ve been into rum lately. Coruba is such a good rum for its price.
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Mar 17, 2023 01:06
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There was this brief period where Virginia ABC had it available as an import and the price was really reasonable (and it could be found on the shelf sometimes). I enjoyed it while it lasted.
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Mar 17, 2023 14:21
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Yo, I just tasted Ak Zanj Haitian rum and good goddamn lord it's a delight. Cool branding too, if you see it definitely cop it.
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Mar 21, 2023 02:12
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Made a zombie last night with Hamilton 151, Coruba, and Havana Club Anejo Especial. What a combo.
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Apr 19, 2023 15:51
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Some recent pickups during my trip to Chicago and finally hunting for some FourSquare locally.  I also plan on grabbing a bottle or two of Two James Doctor Bird Pineapple the next time I’m in downtown Detroit. I really want to see how it compares to Stiggins Pineapple, and it’s only a available at the distillery. I’m also starting to keep my eye on any Haitian Clairins that I come across. I love how much easier it is to track down some of these more highly regarded rums compared to other spirits - you can’t even find Blantons on the shelves nowadays. I’m sure tracking down Appleton 17 Legend is going to be a huge hassle. Corb3t fucked around with this message at 16:39 on May 7, 2023 |
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May 7, 2023 16:34
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Nice, Neisson blanc makes a fantastic ti punch. Their vieux is absolutely worth a pickup if you see it as well. And Rum Fire is an underrated cocktail modifier that can work in unexpected ways. It can play surprisingly nicely with shaken gin cocktails, sub in just a quarter ounce of Rum Fire for part of the base spirit and it can really make fruit flavors jump out of the glass.
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May 7, 2023 17:36
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prayer group posted:Nice, Neisson blanc makes a fantastic ti punch. Their vieux is absolutely worth a pickup if you see it as well. And Rum Fire is an underrated cocktail modifier that can work in unexpected ways. It can play surprisingly nicely with shaken gin cocktails, sub in just a quarter ounce of Rum Fire for part of the base spirit and it can really make fruit flavors jump out of the glass. Thanks for the cocktail tips! I was a little worried I wouldn’t have many ideas for Rum Fire, so it’s good to hear it can be mixed well. I’ll be back in the Chicago area in August, so I’ll definitely be on the lookout for vieux and reserve speciale.
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May 7, 2023 18:16
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Spuckuk posted:Wrey and Nephews crew checking in Their overproof is drat good, I've been enjoying it.
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May 8, 2023 08:52
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Liquid Communism posted:Their overproof is drat good, I've been enjoying it. Username/post combo amazing
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May 14, 2023 16:49
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Smith and Cross has been incredibly hard for me to find locally, but I finally managed to get hold of a bottle. I tried a little on its own, and good lord was it challenging. I needed to add a couple of ice cubes to water it down enough to be drinkable, something I've never needed to do with whisk(e)y at the same proof. Also, whatever happened with Pusser's? I remember years back there was a boycott over lovely behavior by the owners, a lawsuit against a bar owner IIRC; the rum was still fairly common for a while though, but I haven't seen it anywhere lately. A shame really, it was a good all-around rum either for mixing or drinking neat and reasonably priced.
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May 17, 2023 16:27
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S&C is great but very tough to have neat. Try an old fashioned with it. It also stands up great in lots of tiki drinks. Pusser's is still around and available. Bartenders were mad because they used the fact that they copyrighted the name of the Painkiller drink (which is stupid, liquor companies shouldn't own cocktails) to sue the Painkiller bar in NYC (and kinda end up killing it, IMO), which was a very good bar and had respected bartenders as owners (which meant that lots of other respected bartenders, who were their friends, boycotted Pusser's in response). Pusser's is a fine rum in itself but there are good replacements.
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May 17, 2023 17:00
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Smith & Cross is my favorite rum and I also almost never drink it neat. It's A Lot. I'm looking for an agricole suggestion, I don't have any in my bar and I'm not sure I've ever even had one. I loving love cachaça though and my understanding is they have a lot in common. I'd mostly be using it for tiki drinks.
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May 30, 2023 22:36
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Agricoles and cachaças are indeed very similar. Pretty much every widely available agricole is good. Clément and Rhum JM are fancy and Neisson is solid and dependable and may be my preference among the three, I think those are the ones I see most frequently and they’re all good. IMO the thing to do is to start with white over aged since it’s more distinctive. Also consider getting into some clairins, which can give you both the vegetal notes of an agricole/cachaça plus the funk and twang of things like S&C. I’ve only tried Vaval so far but it ruled and I’ve got to try another.
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May 31, 2023 00:19
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All three of those were available so I flipped a coin and got Clement. Interesting, not sure I like it straight but it's intended for cocktails anyway. Distinct flavor of garden hose left in the sun all day on the back end.
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Jun 1, 2023 20:20
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Went to Total Wine yesterday and saw that Beachbum Berry now has a bottled rum blend patterned after the original Zombie spec. Nice product; not something I would have much use for in my bar as I generally have multiple types of rum available, but if I was having a party where I wanted to serve zombies, that could be handy. I also picked up a bottle of Coconut Cartel after hearing some buzz about it. It’s alright; there is definitely a real coconut flavor to it, but the rum itself is a little smooth and mild for my palate. The texture lent by the coconut water is very nice, reminiscent of a cocktail made with gum syrup. It did fine in a rum old fashioned, but I am interested to see how it does in a split base with Plantation’s pineapple rum.
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Jul 28, 2023 15:09
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| # ? May 3, 2024 13:47 |
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Chicago Binnys haul: host pictures free
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Aug 12, 2023 16:26
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