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:
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.
I'll start off with some real premiums I hosted a tasting with last night:
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.
