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shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,083
49
Las Vegas
While I love Scotch and Bourbon there's something to be said for a good rum. So I'm starting this so that something can be said.
I'll start off with some real premiums I hosted a tasting with last night:
img_20190609_094206443-600x450.jpg

Just to help qualify some of what I'm about to say, I have a sweet tooth a mile wide so I tend toward sweetness.
Of the 4, the Flor de Cana appears to be the only true 25 year old as the other 3 are soleras. It's also the one I would say is clearly over-hyped by the various reviews and blogs out there. While it is very nice it has a certain herbal/spicy/medicinal quality that no one cared for last night; me in particular. It has noticable quality, exquisite smoothness, and we'll balanced sweetness but that medicinal quality, while possibly welcomed in other spirits, is something I don't think belongs in rum. It also was a bit short on the finish.
The Zacapa XO also receives a lot of attention and I would actually go along with the majority of it. I get lots of richness and sweetness out of it. While I can't quite pin down the flavors, I got what was similar to cola syrup or even root beer float after the vanilla ice cream melts and integrates into the root beer. Also a honey sweetness all offset by a walnut-y bitterness. It's super dense almost to the point of cloying.
The Optihimus 25 was impressive. The flavor matched the aroma which is rare. Definite vanilla cream soda with a barely perceptible hint of oak or ginger or something. I couldn't quite figure it out. Just enough complexity to keep it from being boring but only a playful amount. Nothing too major. Fairly smooth but with a pleasant amount of alcohol burn. I'm not a fan of the burn but when it's missing altogether it's not as enjoyable. This was just right. Nice long finish.
The Optihimus 25 Port cask finish was the only one to step up from 40% to 43%. Definitely a unique rum but was held together by the extra percentage. I don't think it would have been as good at 40%. All other tasters we're stuck between choosing this one or the other Optihimus as the best of the tasting. I was the only one to dissent as I was stuck between the other Optihimus and the Zacapa. My sweet tooth was likely the contributing factor to this. The Port cask runs $6/bottle more than the regular. One taater last night chose the Port finish as the best hands down. I think his liking of the extra ABV as the reason. Suffice it to say, the producer of Optihimus knows what they're doing.
I'll be posting more here in the future but feel free to make your own contribution(s) or ask any questions you may have.

 

fusion

Might Stick Around
May 18, 2019
96
2
Run drinker here, i was gifted a bottle of the The Zacapa XO just a few weeks ago, only had 1 shot of it and first impressions were good

 

yuda

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 28, 2017
149
391
I don't tend to drink a lot of rum, but I'll be looking forward to that whenever I drop my spare tire. So far my favorite rum has just been Kraken, only drinking it neat as I'm not aware of any cocktails that call for it.

 

redglow

Lifer
Jan 7, 2019
1,822
4,043
Michigan
I'm not a big rum drinker. But, it can be a nice change of pace beverage when you're tired of beer, bourbon etc.... Maybe a Kraken & Coke ? :)

 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,246
Alaska
I like rum every once in a while. Always keep a bottle of Kirk and Sweeney around for drinking neat, as well as Koloa dark rum. I know the Koloa is a sweet mess, but my wife and I love it for some reason and its a good mixer.
Definitely not going to replace scotch, bourbon, irish, and rye for me anytime soon though....
img_1456-600x600.jpg


 

aquadoc

Lifer
Feb 15, 2017
2,044
1,522
New Hampshire, USA
I like the Zacapa and some of the Flor de Cana offerings. El Dorado also is a consistently good glass. Wray and Nephew makes the best white and ovwrproof white. Brugal is a cheap but consistently good drink.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,250
108,355
I've been a fan of Oronoco for a few years. Glad I bought several bottles as I've heard it went out of production. Bought a bottle of Appleton Estate 21 Year Old for my birthday this year, and it is pure heaven.

 

yuda

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 28, 2017
149
391
Oh damn, I completely forgot about Pusser's. That's the good stuff, what they used to give sailors and marines so they wouldn't mutiny(least that's my explanation)

 

voorhees

Lifer
May 30, 2012
3,834
937
Gonadistan
I have a bottle of Flor de Cana and while I’m no expert, I wasn’t blown away by it. I’m quite fond of Pusser’s and the bargain brand Sailor Jerry.

 

timelord

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 30, 2017
949
1,966
Gallifrey
@alaskanpipe. That's a fine collection of whiskies, but isn't keeping it on the stairs a bit impractical? :puffpipe:

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
I'm a rum drinker. But the most "premium" I get is Captain Morgan's Private Stock. That and Captain Morgan Black are what I've been keeping on hand lately. I may get around to trying some of those you mentioned, Shanez.

 

lochinvar

Lifer
Oct 22, 2013
1,687
1,632
Love rum and rum drinks, especially the Tiki ones or a Rum Collins. I always keep Barbancourt 8 Year on hand, and and have recently fallen in love with Smith and Cross for my Jamaican rum, and have been getting to know El Dorado.
And if you want a top notch overproof rum, Plantation OFTD is a dark, and dangerously drinkable 138 Proof. Used it in Mai Tais the other night....there is now a two Mai Tai limit in our house

 

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,033
14,644
The Arm of Orion
I'm a rum drinker. But the most "premium" I get is Captain Morgan's Private Stock.

I drink rum too. But I don't do 'premiums': when you have a daily ~3 oz nightcap you just have to go with whatever's affordable: in my case, it's Appleton State.

 

madox07

Lifer
Dec 12, 2016
1,823
1,689
I like a good rum myself. In fact it's the only liquor I can drink when the outside heat peaks during European summers. Zacapa is good, but I favor Matusalem myself ... I find it a tad darker and sweeter.

 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,083
49
Las Vegas
For mixed drinks I like a good cuba libre which is just a rum and cola with lime juice. I like this with Bacardi Oakheart which seems to give it an extra dimension of flavor. Another good one, although I'm not sure what it's called, is spiced rum and sprite. Tastes just like a good vanilla cream soda when the ratio is right. I drank lots of these made with Captain Morgan at some resort in Mexico which is where I first learned of it.

 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,246
Alaska
@alaskanpipe. That's a fine collection of whiskies, but isn't keeping it on the stairs a bit impractical? :puffpipe:
Haha, yes it would be! We were moving out of our place in 2016, so we put them on the steps for the photo when it came time to move them. It was the only way to get them all into one pic. My collection is much more modest these days. Usually only about 10 bottles or so of scotch, 3 or 4 of bourbon, a few ryes a couple irish and a couple japanese. Just enough to fit on the bar.

 
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