Rum???

Ok. Up front, I'm a single malt snob. 18 & 25 yr old McAllan, 25 yr. old Glenfarclas, 16 yr. old Lagavulin, 15 yr. old Laphroaig, and a 10 yr old Talisker are my staples.

I know nothing of rum.

A friend of mine gave me a snifter of rum last night. Deep, dark, spicy flavor. I believe the brand was Zaya from Guatemala.

I have not drunk rum for over 40 years so I was quite impressed. Any one have any suggestions for other good rums? I'm looking for sippin' rum, not mixin' rum.

Pyrat XO is good, and reasonably priced. I also remember indulging in some Ron Pampero Anniversario (didn't actually remember the name, had to google it) in Miami a couple years back, and it was utterly amazing. It changed my opinion of rum as a sipping spirit forever.

I'm very much looking forward to the day this year the weather turns nice enough here to put me in the mood to sip a dark rum.

The Barbancourt (Five Star) from Martinique drinks like a brandy. Pusser's Navy Rum is more bourbon-like.

Havana Club Añejo Reserva is my favourite, closely followed by Pusser's.

Gareth

Since I tried "Gran Mathusalem Reserva" I only drink that stuff. It's from Dominican Republic. Very very nice! I think this is the only non-Cuban Rum that I had that I loved, but again, I must try other stuff! Cheers, Luc

Alright, there are many rums out there that are very good. Very deep and dark made from sugar cane down in the Caribbean isles. That being said, my personal favorite (when I was drinking) is Meyers's Dark Rum. Here's the wiki on it, brief though it be.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers's_Rum

I've heard great things about the Zaya...

Here're some links that may be helpful:
RumDood
Ministry of Rum
Jeff "Beachbum" Berry

galopede said:

Havana Club Añejo Reserva is my favourite, closely followed by Pusser's.

Gareth

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+1. Havana Club is what made me realize there is more to Rum than mixing it with Coke. Oddly enough, my second choice, should I run out Havana Club (a legitimate concern in the USA), I would opt for Pussers. (Any one tried the Navy Rum Pusser's released to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar?)

Some other, harder to source Rums:

El Dorado
Mount Gay Extra Old
Barbancourt 16 YO Estate Reserve

There are a LOT of really good rums, and they're usually very well priced.

I'm a fan of Pusser's, chilled neat, or on the rocks. Meyers dark makes some wicked mixed drinks. Appleton has a family of good rums, I'm partial to the Estate Extra 12 year old.

Stick with the Scotch! Out of the ones I've tried, I like your Macallan and Laphroaig tastes the best...toss out the Rum LOL

As I write this, I have been sipping a snifter of Ron Zacapa 23 year old rum. It is smooth, delicious and I highly recommend it. And I am primarily a scotch drinker but this is a nice change of pace. I had another snifter and added a cube of ice to open it up a bit. Again, really smooth and delicious.

Legendarios 7 Year Aged Rum -- served in La Casa de Ron y Tabaco upstairs from La Floridita bar in Habana Vieja. If you're ever in Havana, skip La Floridita (overpriced tourist bar billing itself as "Hemingway's Bar") and go upstairs to La Casa. Best rum, best cigars, and easily the best smoking/rum tasting room in the city -- or at least in Old Havana.

If you can find Legendarios anywhere but in Cuba, GET IT! If you're not in the US, and thus not bound by the 2004 "Trading with the enemy Act", you can buy it online here:

http://www.productsfromspain.net/rum-cuba/legendario-elixir-de-cuba-7-years-rum?session=44263

Both Ron Zaya and Ron Zacapa are made in Guatemala, and quite similar - Zaya is made by the same people that make Zacapa, La Nacional. I think it is made for the US importer, which was Wilson Daniels. Both very dark, sweet, and absolutely delicious - distilled in copper pot stills and aged. Similar recipes, I imagine. (Rums have lots of flavourings added, particularly caramel.)

If you want a very different and unique rum, particularly if you also like scotch, try to find something by the Renegade Rum Company. This is a new label by the people behind Murray McDavid, the independent single malt bottlers who also own the Bruichladdich distillery. This is probably the only way to taste pure, unadulterated rum distilled in pot stills, aged, with nothing else added. Almost anyone I give a blind sample to can't tell what kind of spirit it is, and usually guess Scotch.

Martinique rums were a favorite of Hemingway; Clement, Bally, Trois Rivieres, are excellent. Rums made from sugar cane juice rather than molasses seem smoother. Old Medford was an excellent New England rum. Cavalier from Antigua is good. Hudson Bay and Lemon Hart are some good brands. Barrilito is an excellent Puerto Rican rum.

Richard

I've been meaning to pull the trigger on a bottle of Zaya . . . heard nothing but good things about it.

My usual rum is Ron Pampero Anniversario, in the leather bag. Stellar rum.

Two other very good rums are the Flor de Cana 12 year old, and Ron Matusalem's Espirtu de Cuba.

NANP™

I absolutely love Pyrat XO as well... if you can find it. We can't get it here in VA. Both Pyrat and Zacapa are well worth seeking out, and are phenomenal rums.

One that is definitely worth trying is one that surprised me quite a bit. Normally, I'd consider Cruzan to be of mediocre quality (although far better than that train wreck that is bacardi). But the Cruzan Single Barrel Estate rum is actually quite good, and worth trying. A close second is their Black Strap rum. Neither are as good as Pyrat, but they shouldn't be overlooked.

galopede said:

is my favourite, closely followed by Pusser's.

Gareth

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Sorry for the previous post... Is Havana Club Añejo Reserva a white or dark rum?

rm71 said:

Sorry for the previous post... Is Havana Club Añejo Reserva a white or dark rum?

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It's one of those mid way ones, golden they call it? I'd say it's a little darker than the average golden but certainly not a dark.

More confused now? !!

Never found any use for those white rums. Cleaning things perhaps?

Gareth

Went out last night and found a bottle of Pyrat XO and a bottle of 12 yr old Zaya Reserve.

Both very nice! The Zaya is a little smoother and richer, but the Pyrat XO is a little spicier and sweeter. I'm impressed with both.

I saw the Ron Pampero Anniversario in the leather bag and marked it for my next foray.

Thanks guys. A new world of spirits has been opened for me.