I’ve found my tastebuds for a spirit have shifted again .
Rum was never a big favourite of mine but lately I’ve come across some really good tipples .
From Sailor Jerry to Kraken ( then Kraken Spiced) to Diplomatico and recently onto Bumbu and a ginger spiced one from France of all places ( Spytail) .
So , any good ones I should be trying?
Navy rum , spiced rum etc .
Not so keen on the Bacardi type , but you never know .
It sounds like a good excuse to try a few more and find your own favourites. I'm partial to Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera and Havana 7.
Lots of recommendations in these threads:
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...-advice-needed
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?378043-Rum!
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?357066-Rum
I'm not a big drinker at all but rum is my favourite spirit - I drink it mostly neat, and in very small amounts since I'd rather just take my time and relax with a glass.
I've tried El Dorado 15 yr since everyone was exclaiming about it (and it was good) but I actually preferred Diplomatico. Flor de Cana is also good. I mean - these are rums that it's best to drink neat in my opinion. I quite like Kraken but I would mix that.
I'm currently drinking Pussers, which is also really nice and good value.
These are the 2 I’ve got on the go just now. Both excellent with just an ice cube or 2.
Not one for the purists but love Havana7-pretty distinctive and nice with lime.
Mount Gay XO nice too but I'm not particularly knowledgeable about rum but like those.
Diplomatico Reserva is my favourite sipper. Plantation Stiggin’s Pineapple rum was also a nice change. Havana Club 7 yr is very good for the price. Appleton Estate Reserve 8 yr old that I got in the Bahamas was also lovely too. Mount Gay Barbados I taste tested against the Diplomatico and it was sadly lacking. Also have some Wray and Nephew Overproof for cocktails that works wickedly lol
Havana 7 remains my go to. Tried the more premium stuff but seems to get too sweet for me & this one is perfect for what I enjoy
Dark Matter spiced rum....... but I like Havanna 7 too :)
Aahhh .Originally Posted by Mr Curta
Did try the search but nothing came up ??
I’ll put it down to my fat fingers and internet inability .
Thanks to all so far, there’s some interesting recommendations.
Another vote for Havana 7....very drinkable.
Try this rum punch...deceptively ‘plain’ but far too easy to slurp down.
1 measure lime juice
2 measures sugar syrup
3 measures rum
4 measures water
dash Angostura
lots of ice
grated nutmeg to finish (or not)
Give it whirl and I guarantee you will suddenly find your bottle of rum disappearing at an alarming rate!
Agreed. Straight, no ice or lime....the way the Cubans drink it.
Santiago de Cuba Añejo is also good.
None of these are super expensive, but it is what my Cuban friends always suggest. The specials they are convinced are are these just in a different bottle.
There are some spectacular Venezuelan ron too.
It seems to be the new thing....like gin was a year or so ago.
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The search engine doesn't work for three letter words - I had to get creative but I recalled them being there somewhere.
Havana Club in a Havana Club. Happy days.
Ubiquitous
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
I will second this, for the money hard to beat, excellent straight.
Havana 7 normally, and sometimes Diplomatico Reserva. Just with a dash of very cold water or an ice cube added. Mind you, I've found myself very partial to Kraken spiced rum at the moment (drunk neat).
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
You need to try Gosling on offer in Aldi. It's in the 'offers' area rather than the liquor bit.
Bumbu excellent.
Sailor Jerry is shocking when compared it to a few other spiced rums - can’t believe I bought a second bottle - never again!
It's just a matter of time...
Now we are talking... I have a few on the go at the moment but a summary of my favourites. Op I think by the sounds of it your flavour profile is similar to mine.
Havana Club 7 years - as echoed by other a good rum. Often on sale in Tesco et al so normally grab a bottle when on offer.
Kraken - you have already said you like this. This is up there as a favourite spiced rum.
Duppy share - Don’t let the modern label put you off. The reviews I have seen of this are a little harsh. It is from a mix of sources so is not like a traditional rum. It has a slightly smokey profile and has whisky notes. I tend to share this with whiskey drinkers.
Angurstura 1919 - this was the first rum I really got into but boy is it a goodie. Used to be available at supermarkets but do not see it so much now. It has citrus and candied fruit notes a very smooth rum for sipping.
Kirk and Sweeny 12yr - very similar in my opinion to the angostura but a different flavour but a smooth if not smoother. Sainsbury’s stock this and for £32 I think it is a nice tipple. They also do and 18 and 21 years versions but the reviews are not quite as good as the 12yr. All are very reasonable prices for the age. This is probably now my all time favourite.
All of the above I drink neat no ice just sip away good over a nice fire bowl if you have one.
Unlike whiskey, rum can have sugar and other additives (glycerol, natural and synthetic flavours) without declaration. This has become s point of great debate recently with enthusiasts making lists of undeclared sugar contents and suspected flavour additions (see Pyrat XO reviews for example).
Other spirits like cognac are also sugared and this is considered traditional. Sugar is not bad per se but flavour and body additives are frauds on consumers.
You might also be wary of any rum marked solera aged, another scam.
Pussers. (has a little sugar) or woods, British navy style rum.
Appleton estate, signature or 8 yrs. Jamaica
Mezan XO, Jamaica.
Rhum barbancourt five star. Haiti.
A Rhum agricole, e.g. Rhum Clement vs.
Bacardi 8.
Any rum from Foursquare, e.g. doorlys, seales 10 yr old.
A Cuban, like Havana club 7.
Dunderhead will be my next purchase from masters of malt.
Zacapa and diplomatico are two producers I avoid because of the use of relatively large amounts of sugar, industrial bulk rums as part of the blend, solera age statements, etc. Bumbu is worse, sugar and flavourings. Caveat drinkor.
sugars are usually added (as caramel) as a colouring agent in spirits - some distillers call it a 'fake tan' - its no bad thing imo as already mentioned , glycerine is used to artifically age drinks (try putting 1-2 teaspoons of gycerine from the chemist (for sore throats) into a bottle of 'rough' spirit and give it a good shake - instant smoothness ) - you can even make bells whiskey palatable doing this, which is no mean feat imo.
this gave me a few bad heads when younger
Caramel is added as colouring and it's considered traditional in many styles of rum. However, the addition of sugar to rum extends beyond this, overlapping considerably with the use of glycerol to smooth, add body and sweeten the rum which you describe.sugars are usually added (as caramel) as a colouring agent in spirits - some distillers call it a 'fake tan' - its no bad thing imo as already mentioned , glycerine is used to artifically age drinks (try putting 1-2 teaspoons of gycerine from the chemist (for sore throats) into a bottle of 'rough' spirit and give it a good shake - instant smoothness ) - you can even make bells whiskey palatable doing this, which is no mean feat imo.
this gave me a few bad heads when younger
for the experimenters who like spiced rum i recommend having a go yourself , some recipes are on this thread
https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=54661
buy the cheapest rum you can find add 1 teaspoon of glycerine then add the ingredients and wait.
Caramel is not traditional strictly speaking.
When rum was first collected from the Caribbean it was clear: distilleries didn’t age at all. But to cross the Atlantic it was stored in wooden barrels, and shaken constantly during the weeks it took to cross the pond; when it arrived it was coloured. When the transport became more specialised, and they ditched oak barrels for dedicated tanks, the rum arrived clear... and people didn’t buy it. So they started to add caramel.
Adding sugar, on its own, isn’t a bad thing: it allows the assembler to give the consumers a product they like better, as sugar is a flavour enhancer. There is a reason those who add more are best sellers.
What, in my view, is reprehensible is the cloak the industry puts on that practice (and others).
In the case of rum, production is at such an industrial scale (unlike whisky, cognac, who still have alambics and standards) that those practices allow producers to sell well a product no one would buy if they didn’t tamper with it.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
There's a decent cask strength Foursquare (Barbados) - Rum Sixty Six. Usually discounted somewhere. Pretty good for 59% and 12years.
I have a couple of bottles of 20 year old St Nicholas Abbey and after cracking one open while on holiday I still think the Diplomatico is a better rum.
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Ad 20g of sugar to the st Nicholas and make it a fair comparison.
Kill Devil - Dark Overproof.
Aged in white oak casks, and bottled at 57' - Drink it straight, with a chilled stone to cool it down without diluting the dark goodness.
Aldi do a truly superb dark rum, I think it's called crossbones - comes in an all black bottle. It's cheap at under 15 quid and its damn good! In fact I haven't had it in ages, i may be due a bottle this weekend.
Seadog is their spiced equivalent but honestly I'm not fussed about spiced stuff, I prefer the dark Navy rum.
Aldi and Lidl have been quite a revelation for a decent drink during lockdown.
Santiago de Cuba is you can get it
Me too, not when younger but up to a couple of years ago, I don’t drink it any more.
this gave me a few bad heads when younger
Don’t think it available any more.
I drank JD for years but about 7 years ago I moved to rum and haven’t looked back.
Mount Gay or Kraken are both great for mixer drinks.
Goslings Black Seal is my favourite dark rum.
Rumbullion! is sweeter and delicious over ice.
I like a sipping rum with my cigars, El Dorado 15 or 21 years, Plantation XO and Diplomatico.
Do have a sweet tooth in general?
- - - Updated - - -
Do have a sweet tooth in general?
Lambs spiced, Kraken, Duppy Share, Dead Man's Fingers, Goslings, Flor De Luna.
Didn't like Appletons or Chairman's Reserve.
I don’t think it’s been mention yet, I’d recommend Brugal Rum, they do a great range and it reminds me of my Honeymoon in the Dominican Republic 23 years ago when we visited the Rum factory. I also recall bringing a couple of bottles back duty free and the rum only costing £3-£3.50 a bottle.
Interesting.
Thanks for the info, that’s worth bearing in mind .
I held back from ordering the Zacapa after I’d got the Don Papa .
I’ll look at your recommendations.
I have lots of Rum's in my collection, but the one I enjoy the most is Origenes Reserva Especial 18 years
It really is a lovely drink
Not a rum conniseur as such but this tastes very similar to Kraken
https://www.aldi.co.uk/old-hopking-s...87248249387600
I drink all the ones you already mentioned but Havana Club 7 year old is always a winner too
Glad someone's mentioned Goslings. I found a bottle of this in my cupboard last summer, and I inhaled it, just snorted it up, it was very very nice.
A couple of chaps have mentioned Duppy Share, I’ll give it a thumbs up too. Found it in Morrison’s and gave it a go. Very smooth, no false tasting notes, good neat or as a mixer.
I’m watching this with great interest. Use to have a tipple years ago.
Must look out for some to try again.
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I’m not too worried about additives or added sugar - I’m only drinking it for the overall taste.
I did try a lovely pineapple rum at a friend’s house the other week, but will have to check the brand.
It's just a matter of time...
Just saw Goslings in Waitrose, picked up a bottle to try. Quick taste just now & seems a little sweet for my liking. One of these artificial ones?
Am on holiday this week, not just hitting the spirits between Teams calls!
For sipping near I recommend Ron Pampero (Venezuelan)
Another great one is old monk (India) but I don’t think it’s easy to source outside of india
+1 on the Santa Teresa 1796 !
Graham watches?
Quite like Blackwell's.. https://www.blackwellrum.com/ I'm a sucker for anything with a 007 connection!
https://imbibe.com/news/chris-blackw...y-edition-rum/
Sure. There are some rums with added sugar I have bought and would buy again. There are no rums with undeclared flavours added that I would buy, excluding the spices in spiced rums and explicitly flavoured rums obviously (e.g pineapple rum), and similarly for glycerol.
More generally though it makes me wonder why additives have been added and too often the answer is so they can fool the consumer into paying more for these "premium" rums. Premium is a good basis for suspicion and "ultra-premium" is guaranteed rubbish.
Last edited by ernestrome; 16th September 2020 at 19:30.
Personal favourites from travelling through Latin America over the years
Flor De Cana Centenario 21
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