Anyone here a rum aficionado? I recently tried a rum called diplomatico after some arm bending. As a rule I have had the stance for a while now that liquor is a young man's game. However, after realizing that there existed liquors that didn't melt your face off I am intrigued. So to get to the question. Does anyone here know of any quality rums that are really smooth. I haven't tried too many brands other then Bacardi and sailor Jerry which I do not like at all. What I am looking for can be compared to the difference between a balsamic vinegar and an aged balsamic vinegar de modeno. Anyway help would be appreciated. I am looking to find a drink of choice. Cheers! Sent a short time ago drom a galaxy far far away.
Fior di cana in the older ages is quite good/smooth. Ron Zappa or whatever is also good. Cheap liqour is a young mans game. You should be looking at $30+ bottles to find the decent stuff. Just as a starting place. Sent from my RM-820_nam_att_100 using Tapatalk
Two of my favorites are the Pampero Aniversario and the Mocambo 20 year single barrel. Both can be found around the $40 mark. I think the Zaya is a good value and is easy to find, but it is a little on the sweet side. These are sipping rums, I'd drink them straight up, like you would a nice scotch, (my usual drink).
Ron Zacapa Centenario Sistema Solera 23 is really nice, it runs between $40 and $50. Traveler's One Barrel and Five Barrel are great budget rums, and their Don Omario 12 and 15 are killer if you can find them. Havana Club is great as well, both their 7 and 11 are good, they have a 15 as well, but I haven't tried it. I lean toward the mellow and smoky rums. I find Bacardi's flavours aren't bad but they tend to be really harsh and sharp, Bacardi 8 teeters on the edge of "acceptable", Captain Morgan is just plain awful. I don't really care for a lot of the Caribbean stuff (Mount Gay et al), it tends to have a weird perfumy flavour that I've never been able to adjust to. Cheers, Ted
In all fairness there are winners below the $30 mark and losers above it. Liquor is about palate, I mostly drink Scotch and Bourbon, in the former I have a sleeper brand blended that is quite inexpensive (under $20 for 1.75L) but in the latter I am unable to find anything under $40 that is palatable. I find certain premium single malts to be undrinkable and bordering on gasoline. Develop your palate and do not be afraid of exploring, I have found many quite pleasing liquors in the bargain ranges. As to the OP's question about Rum, try Matusalem Gran Reserva it is one of the most unique rums I have tasted and the people who make it are legit Cuban rum makers. Have fun with it!
$30 is my starting range for Rum. For bourbon if mixing at least is $20. Vodka is closer to $30. Of course if someone recommends cheaper I'll try it, but if I'm shopping on my own I don't pick up anything new without prior knowledge under those points. I've had bad stuff that cost a lot more than those points, but less than bad stuff below those points. Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk
I am no aficionado, but Dictador 12 is quite good (I like it better than Dictador 20, in fact). And Zaya Gran Reserva is super smooth. I mostly drink Goslings Black Seal, as I like to drink the Dark and Stormy. I have only recently been diving into the deep end of the rum pool and I am amazed at how wide and varied the options are.
I've enjoyed Appleton Estate V/X in the past, as well as their 12 year old Extra which is in the pantry currently. I am by no means a connoisseur, though. But they are both good neat or on the rocks, which is how I tend to drink them.
I envy you guys. I can't drink rum, I'm allergic to it. (horrendous itching sensations in the lower legs, feet, arms and hands... Did some research and found out its actually quite a common allergic reaction to the stuff. I even figured that a better grade of rum might do it less.... Nope. (THAT was an expensive test! ) Somebody have a strong Mojito for me please... G. (not a total loss, it gives me more time to explore tequillas!)
Ok thanks all. I am NOT looking at a budget rum here either. I don't mind paying $50 for a nice bottle of something drinkable. I will yet again reiterate i do not like nor care to drink any of the face melters. I trust you all and will order samples as recommended. There was a day of the evil Erik when I would drain a bottle of vodka in a night but those were troubled times, very troubled, and now i cant smell it without getting sick. Lots of choices.... guy at work suggests Don Q crystal.. anyone here recommend this? Zaya Barbancourt 5 stars Pampero Aniversario Mocambo 20 year single barrel Dictador 12 Goslings Black Seal Pyrat Appleton Estate V/X I know i am asking a lot of my friend's livers here but WHO among you can rate these based on the following criteria: Smoothness, dark to clear, robustness in flavor(i like bold deep flavor in things not cheep thrills)
Sailor Jerry is some good rum, we sell a lot of it at the bar; from what I've heard it's pretty sweet; bacardi is okay.. as long as you stay away from 151.
Bacardi is good as a white rum but there a better dark rums than Bacardi. Bacardi wanted a rum that could compete with other sipping spirits. Some of the rums of that time were not very refined and drinkers used to get headaches from drinking them. He tried and accomplished this by hiring real chemists to come up with a way to remove or further refine some of the by- products and to make all Bacardi rums the same, and taste the same, regardless of whether they were made in their home factory in Santiago, Cuba or their other factories in Puerto Rico, Mexico or the Bahamas. He really brought the modern age to the art of rum making. Some rums like Bacardi, Don Q, etc. are made from the cane molasses while what most consider the better rums are made from sugar cane juice. When you open a bottle of Barbancourt, for example, you can really smell the sugar cane.
