Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum

[The Sybian]

Long story, but I decided I need to give good rum a chance. I started looking into where to start, and man it's a lot! I know one former Swamper had his brand of choice, and I almost went with it, but reviews didn't sound like it was for me. I've learned the differences in styles and methods from English colonies, French and Spanish, so the history was kind of cool.

Not sure if anyone here is into rum at all, but looking for some suggestions. Planning on mostly drinking neat. From my research, I was most intrigued by Jamaican rum, as it supposedly has an indescribable "funkiness" to it. Reading Reddit, someone had me thinking Jamaica is the Islay of rum, so I went with the Appleton Estate 12 year Rare Casks. One review described it as "stagnant swamp water, but in a good way" and another positive review described a burnt tire flavor, so I was all-in! I liked it immediately, but after the bottle has been open for a couple of months and I've gotten more used to it, I'm really loving it! I get why they said stagnant swamp water, but man does the burnt tire come through.

I had decided to go with Diplomatico Reserva from Venezuela next, but I saw that it is heavily sugared, to the point of being more liquor than spirit. A lot of reviewers warn to avoid anything with added sugar, which sound logical to me. So, what should my next bottle be?

[sancarlos]

My daughter gave me a bottle of this rum, because it's made in Washington, DC.

I don't know much about rum, but it's tasty, and at 121 proof, I do know that this stuff can make you breathe fire!

[The Sybian]

121 proof? Damn

[A_B]

121 proof? Damn

Isn’t that a classic rum proof?

[govmentchedda]

My paralegal loves Diplomatico and cigars.

[rass]

I spend a week or two every summer at the shore drinking a bottle or two of Goslings via one dark and stormy at a time. I didn't put as much thought into that choice as you and just picked Goslings because it was the rum of choice for the original version of the cocktail.

I'm traveling to Costa Rica again for work next week, and the aforereferenced Flor de Caña was heavily featured at the hotel bar last time. I think that was the first time I actually tried it.

[garyclark]

I'm partial to Dominican rum because I lived there. Though I think it's generally sweeter than what you are talking about.

Brugal is the brand there. Leyenda is the best rum I've had from them. But they have fancier.

[P.D.X.]

Plz don’t get drunk on flor de cana and crash the swamp.

[Nonlinear FC]

My paralegal loves Diplomatico and cigars.

Straight out of an Elmore Leonard novel.

[sancarlos]

I'm traveling to Costa Rica again for work next week…

Nice! Beats going to a Courtyard Inn in Oklahoma City!

[rass]

I'm traveling to Costa Rica again for work next week…

Nice! Beats going to a Courtyard Inn in Oklahoma City!

Or the other San Jose?

[sancarlos]

I'm traveling to Costa Rica again for work next week…

Nice! Beats going to a Courtyard Inn in Oklahoma City!

Or the other San Jose?

For sure. Costa Rica has a better hockey team, I think.

[HaulCitgo]

121 proof? Damn

Isn’t that a classic rum proof?

Believe that's 151. It's a wonder I still roam the earth after college.

[govmentchedda]

My paralegal loves Diplomatico and cigars.

Straight out of an Elmore Leonard novel.

When in Florida.

[bfj]

121 proof? Damn

Isn’t that a classic rum proof?

Believe that's 151. It's a wonder I still roam the earth after college.

I just instinct vomited a little at the thought of Bacardi 151 nights.

[Sabo]

I'm a big fan of rum, regardless of whether it's mixed in a cocktail or served neat. There are definitely plenty of rums that are not best suited for sipping (looking at you, Bacardi), but once you spend some time learning the nuances of the different styles you'll find there are plenty of options.

English-style rums have that "funkiness" because they are made from pot stills instead of column stills. Pot stills allow wild yeasts to join the fermentation process, which alters the flavor profile to give it that "funk". If you're looking for funk, look no further than Smith and Cross, an amber rum from Jamaica that comes in at 104 proof. It's a rum you can mix (it's WONDERFUL in a Mai Tai) and sip. It's also pretty readily available and costs about $30-ish here in Ohio.

If you want to explore English-style rums beyond Jamaica, look for rums from Guyana. The two main distilleries from Guyana are Hamilton and El Dorado. Hamilton 86 is an excellent rum that's also great for sipping and mixing and offers some of that funk you're looking for. They also make a 151-proof rum that some folks say is as good as or even better than Lemon Hart 151 (which is a staple liquor for the Zombie Tiki cocktail). El Dorado's more aged rums are definitely sippers, and unfortunately can be rather pricey. I had a bottle of the 8-year a few years ago and enjoyed it, but I haven't bought it again because it's an uncommon find in Ohio.

Another distillery to consider for English-style rums is Planteray. This distillery recently changed its name from Plantation (for obvious reasons), and sometimes you'll still see some Plantation rums on the shelf. The Planteray 20th anniversary rum is probably my favorite sipping rum. It has a very nice sweet taste with fairly less burn you get in most sipping rums. It's about the price of a good bottle of bourbon.

I'm not a big fan of Spanish-style rums, so I haven't had that many and won't comment on them. Don't know if it's just not my cup of tea, but they taste way too burn-y for my palette.

However, I love French-style rums (aka rhum agricole), especially anything from the Clement or Neisson distilleries. These rums are made from sugar cane juice instead of molasses, so they tend to have a grassy taste to them. This grassiness is most pronounced in the silver rhum agricole varieties, and they can add a nuance to some cocktails. My favorite Mai Tai is made with Neisson Blanc and Smith and Cross. The grassiness of the agricole and funk of the Jamaican combine well with the tartness of the lime juice. Dammit, now I need to go to the store to get another bottle of Smith and Cross so I can make more Mai Tais!

Aged rhum agricole has a less grassy note, but they tend to be very smooth rums. Clement VSOP and Select Barrel are very good sippers, and the VSOP makes a fantastic rum old fashioned. The Creole Shrubb is an orange-flavored rhum that is excellent, too. It's an excellent replacement for Cointreau and usually a little cheaper.

I'll also recommend two other sipping rums: Barbancourt 8-year and St. Lucia Distillery's spiced rum. The Barbancourt is a Haitian rum, and has a bit of a whiskey bite with the sweetness or rum. Wonderful stuff. The St. Lucia Distillery's spiced rum is the only spiced rum I'll drink. They blend multiple flavored rums to get a balanced spice and fruit note, and it's very smooth. It is immensely better than any Captain Morgan/Kraken/whatever spiced rum monstrosity.

[HaulCitgo]

Gauntlet thrown. This man knows rum

[mister d]

Anyone else reading “Yoo-hoo and a bottle of rum”?

[sancarlos]

Sabo! The man indeed knows rum. Were you drinking rum at that bar we liked in San Francisco?

[A_B]

I am so fucking tired of sabo coming in here and barely scratching the surface of questions from people genuinely interested in learning.

[Nonlinear FC]

I'm still mad at him for standing me up in Columbus back in the day.

[A_B]

I'm still mad at him for standing me up in Columbus back in the day.

I'm pretty sure we tried to dinf you when I was there with him and Brian. But maybe that was someone else. Was that the Gooch Dos a Cero?

[Nonlinear FC]

I'm still mad at him for standing me up in Columbus back in the day.

I'm pretty sure we tried to dinf you when I was there with him and Brian. But maybe that was someone else. Was that the Gooch Dos a Cero?

I was being a jackass. I got pulled in too many directions that day. And yes, Gooch Dos A Cero.

[The Sybian]

Thanks Sabo, that's a damned fine writeup! I plan on sticking to sippers, I haven't had good experiences mixing rum. First time I ever got horribly sick off drinking, we stole a bottle of Bacardi from my friend's house. When we ran out of coke, we mixed with grape juice. I got frustrated because I wasn't feeling much, and WAY over did it. I was still puking the next evening. Went to a tiki bar with the wife once, and she decided she shouldn't have ordered her last Mai-Tai, so I drank it. Not sure if I am overly sensitive to sugar (diabetes runs on my father's side), but I feel it when I eat too much sugar. Definitely felt that after the Mai-Tai, and had a nasty hangover the next day. I had a beer or two previously, and I wasn't drunk, I think it was more from the sugar.

Smith and Cross was my planned purchase, but the store I was at didn't carry it. Curious your take on the Appleton Estates. El Dorado 15 is on my short list. People either love it or hate it, seems like a big part of that is because they recently stopped adding sugar (although they deny they did, crazy mofos used refractometers to measure sugar levels and think they proved there was added sugar). Also want to try Ron Zacapa and maybe Doorly's. Total Wine has a partnership with Doorly's, so it's like half the price there compared to other stores. I do love a bargain!

[mister d]

Since you're not looking to mix, you could try the rum shot I got a friend on his 21st birthday.

[The Sybian]

Since you're not looking to mix, you could try the rum shot I got a friend on his 21st birthday.

Forgot about Malibu. I had good experiences with that in college.

[Nonlinear FC]

My brother-in-law and I once decided we needed a drink to commemorate our trip to Key West and, hoo boy.

Bacardi Limon
Southern Comfort
Malibu
Coca Cola

It was actually really tasty, but that was many years ago and I don't think I'd like it much these days.

[mister d]

Malibu tastes like everyone's car in the 90s smelled.

[govmentchedda]

Southern Comfort (SoCo) and Dr. Pepper was an early mixed drink for me. I had a hell of a run with that combo for about a year. Can barely smell a whiff without gagging now.

[Nonlinear FC]

I'm trying to remember... I think it was Sunny D + Malibu that produced a drink that tasted like an orange creamscicle.

Again, delicious, but I highly doubt older me would like it that much.

[The Sybian]

Southern Comfort (SoCo) and Dr. Pepper was an early mixed drink for me. I had a hell of a run with that combo for about a year. Can barely smell a whiff without gagging now.

SoCo was the standard shot in the college bars I frequented. Often $1 shot specials. That and Labatt Blue are the tastes of a hangover. Awful. About 15 years ago my mom brought me a bottle of SoCo she won or was gifted. One sip, just as bad as I remembered.

[Nonlinear FC]

SoCo is awful. It only worked in the Key Wester because it was essentially our version of a long island iced tea... Concoction that somehow masked what was really going on.

I don't know when I stopped doing shots* but that right there was a major game changer.

* When my buddies get together to watch a game, we will do celebratory shots. But that is like 3 or 4 times a year, tops. And it's stupid and I hate myself the next day.

[mister d]

Shots are only for dead people.

[HaulCitgo]

Shots just show up

[Sabo]

Sabo! The man indeed knows rum. Were you drinking rum at that bar we liked in San Francisco?

I honestly don't remember. We drank at more than a few bars during my travels to San Francisco, but I don't remember any specific rum cocktails. I do regret not ever making it to Smuggler's Cove when I visited San Francisco. I want to travel to SF again in part so I can visit that bar.

I'm still mad at him for standing me up in Columbus back in the day.

You're better off we missed each other. That day is the first time I met AB, and my life has gone downhill ever since.

Went to a tiki bar with the wife once, and she decided she shouldn't have ordered her last Mai-Tai, so I drank it. Not sure if I am overly sensitive to sugar (diabetes runs on my father's side), but I feel it when I eat too much sugar. Definitely felt that after the Mai-Tai, and had a nasty hangover the next day. I had a beer or two previously, and I wasn't drunk, I think it was more from the sugar.

Unfortunately, there are dozens of Mai Tai recipes out there, and most of them are in the realm of the "sweet and fruity" rum cocktail. But the original Trader Vic's Mai Tai recipe has seven ounces of liquid, of which only two are sweet. The original Mai Tai tastes like a Sweet Tart to some degree. Here's the original Mai Tai recipe:

2 oz. Jamaican rum
2 oz. Rhum agricole
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz. orange liqueur (Creole Shrubb is a great option here, but just about any orange liqueur will do)
1/2 oz. simple syrup
1/2 oz. orgeat (sweetened almond syrup; Fee Brothers makes a good one. Homemade is even better, but kind of a PITA to make)

Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until the outside of the shaker turns frosty. (Pro tip: shake with a spent half lime shell for an even better flavor). Garnish with a spent half lime shell and sprig of mint.

Curious your take on the Appleton Estates.

I haven't had a bad rum from Appleton Estates. The Rare Casks bottle you bought is excellent. Rare Casks is a sipper, as is the 12-year, but I usually use the other Appleton Estates rums for cocktails.

Also want to try Ron Zacapa and maybe Doorly's.

I've never heard of Doorly's, so I can't comment. Occasional Swamper Mulligan gifted me a Ron Zacapa 23-year for Christmas a few years ago, and I really enjoyed it. It's definitely a sipper and one of the smoothest rums I've had. Wish I had some more so I could enjoy it while writing my response! I guess I'll pour some more Barbancourt instead. (Seriously, give Barbancourt a try if you can find it.)

[DaveInSeattle]

I bow down to Sabo, our knowledgeable Rum Overlord.

And all this Rum talk is making me excited for my trip to Mexico next week, where there will be many Mai-Tai's, Pina Colada's, and Dark n' Stormy's drank while sitting on the beach or poolside.