Recommendations for a rank neophyte in the realm of rum?

Rum, Rhum, Ron. Talk about your favorite sugarcane spirits in this rum forum.

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Count Vladimir Svareff
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:09 pm

I have regrettably received almost no exposure whatsoever to rum, barring some rather unmentionable dalliances with mixed drinks. I have, however received the distinct impression that my lack of experience with this noble beverage is something to mourn and have decided that this deplorable fault in my dipsomaniacal education must be patched forthwith. Whilst I am currently in a state of pecuniary depauperacy, an injection of hard-earned lucre into my ledgers is imminent. As such, I have decided to carpe this diem and put said wages to good use. I find myself in dire need of recommendations of a product with which to make my first footfall upon the path of a connoisseur of rum. As much as it pains me to admit, the constraints of a light purse may apply although these may be ignored in exceptional circumstances.

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Le Comte de la Vesteverte
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:25 pm

I'm also in the same boat... having been brought up in the far reaches of North Queensland 'rum' was unfortunately synonymous with 'Bundy'; the much maligned yet strangely cultish Bundaberg Rum. If you ask me the stuff tastes like an anyeurism but... well each to their own. Everyone drinks it doused with coke, perhaps tellingly.
I recall however, upon obtaining a job in a liquor store, having my first taste of Jamaican, Barbadian and even a decent quality Australian rum (inner circle)... undiluted, in generous sips. Good lord... THE FLAVOUR!!! Unfortunately I'm also a member of the guild of light purses and have never really been able to afford to shill out for a decent bottle, nor really get in there and discover anything. Whisky is my forte (Scotch and Canadian), but I really love what good rum I've tasted... a beginner's sampler suggestion would be much appreciated.
I can resist everything but temptation.

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Count Silvio
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:32 pm

While I am not aware which brands are available over there I will recommend Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum which I believe is perfect for beginners. It is not too complex and does not require one to be a connoisseur to enjoy its simple yet magnificent flavor. At 40% ALC it is quite smooth as well.

Hint: If you add a couple tiny drops of water in Cruzan Single Barrel it brings out some interesting flavors.

Another recommendation is the Ron Pampero Aniversario (reserva exclusiva). This is an absolutely delicious Venezuelan rum that is also very smooth and buttery. This is a rum I would recommend for everyone.
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Theodore S. Maul, Esq.
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:50 pm

My Dearest Counts,

Your open-mindnedness for new ventures is commendable. Worry not for we in this society of refined vices are not ones to judge the uninitiated. If it wasn't for such bravery and intrigue towards exotic pursuits we still would know nothing about the new worlds that have recently been settled with great success. Not knowing the price ranges or offerings of your local stockists recommending something without consuming a tithe of your earnings is difficult but I shall try.

First of all, stay away from the cheap stuff that is nothing but booze made out of scrap sugar cane and coloured with caramel. It is only good for balancing the humours in gunshot wounds and can usually be acquired by the barrel for a tuppence and a promise of a kiss. You may see containers stamped with Bacardi or certain premixes that are only fit for consumption by galley slaves.

Now, transfering your gaze up from the bottom shelf you might see something suitable that has been pot stilled. The easiest qualifying factor by far is age. You wouldn't put a 7-year-old lad to work on a ship but a 10-year-old bloke is already well suited to be a deck hand. Similarly you rarely see upright officers or captains under 20 years of age.

Considering the vast variety of rhum in the world I will try to summarise all this rambling to a few options. If you are in dire straits, try Havana Club 7 yr but for heaven's sake do not pay through the nose for it. If your business ventures are faring acceptably, go for a suitably priced bottle of Appleton Estate. If your coffers are overflowing why not give Bristol Classic Rum 16 yr a chance. Finally, if you have a bit of a sweet tooth try the honey rums from Canary islands. A word of warning regarding the last option should be uttered, they can be rather shocking and the undersigned cannot take any responsibility of the consequences.

If all else fails, ask your stockist for recommendations. If the products of B. Undaberg & Sons are the only ones on offer a change of venue is in order, post haste.
And therefore I conclude that Carthage must be destroyed.

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Theodore S. Maul, Esq.
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:58 pm

It is interesting to see that there are other countries too where rum is synonymous to some vile liquid. Here in the Northern Barbary this is the result of the local monopoly only offering a very limited and cheap selection of merely one or two products for decades. The result is that it is hard to convince people of the medicinal benefits of rum and so the sales figures remain low. And while the sales are low it is unlikely that more shelf space and variety shall be allocated. Common sense dictates that if you put a 10 euro whisky, a 10 euro rum and a 10 euro brandy on the table none of them will taste good. Add just two tenners to the respective prices and the drinks start to get palatable. Add a similar price increase and the amber nectar will fly off the bottle. Unfortunately this type of common sense is not widely adopted by the peasants.
And therefore I conclude that Carthage must be destroyed.

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AngelSword
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:13 pm

[quote="Theodore S. Maul, Esq."]Common sense dictates that if you put a 10 euro whisky, a 10 euro rum and a 10 euro brandy on the table none of them will taste good. quote]

The exception here is in the rums. There are quite a number of excellent rums available a very low price. But since I am blessed by having several hundred rums on my shelf, I feel hard pressed to decide what to recommend. Tell me what is available in your localities.

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Count Silvio
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:25 pm

AngelSword wrote:The exception here is in the rums. There are quite a number of excellent rums available a very low price. But since I am blessed by having several hundred rums on my shelf, I feel hard pressed to decide what to recommend. Tell me what is available in your localities.
Several hundred?! My god, that collection deserves its own picture thread in this forum :poppin:.

Do you ever drink from this impressive collection and how do you manage to keep so many bottles?
Last edited by Count Silvio on Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Henry Deare, Adventurer
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:29 pm

Though Bundaberg does appear to be the liquor franca in in New Holland, there are other options for the discerning rum drinker. While Mount Gay Eclipse and Havana Club are both excellent drops, I would be remiss if I didn't suggest Mount Gay Extra Old.

If you are inclined to keep your money in the country there is a small boutique distillery on the western edge of the country called The Hoochery that I can recommend.

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Theodore S. Maul, Esq.
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Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:36 pm

AngelSword wrote:
Theodore S. Maul, Esq. wrote:Common sense dictates that if you put a 10 euro whisky, a 10 euro rum and a 10 euro brandy on the table none of them will taste good.
The exception here is in the rums. There are quite a number of excellent rums available a very low price. But since I am blessed by having several hundred rums on my shelf, I feel hard pressed to decide what to recommend. Tell me what is available in your localities.
A true connoisseur! I look forward to being corrected towards the right path on several occasions. Unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure of seeing a low priced yet excellent rhum. In this province a cheap rum is likely to be a foul concoction improvised by the state monopoly.

If you could point me towards this sort of mythical nectar I would make efforts to acquire some forthwith.
And therefore I conclude that Carthage must be destroyed.

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AngelSword
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Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:20 pm

Count Silvio wrote:Several hundred?! My god, that collection deserves its own picture thread in this forum :poppin:.

Do you ever drink from this impressive collection and how do you manage to keep so many bottles?
Of course I drink from them! I didn't buy them just to look at. :lol:

In developing my own rum and whisky formulas I need to be able to do direct taste comparisons against many others.

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AngelSword
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Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:34 pm

Theodore S. Maul, Esq. wrote:If you could point me towards this sort of mythical nectar I would make efforts to acquire some forthwith.
All of the following cost less than $20:
Ocumare
Ron Abuelo 7yr
Flor de Cana (Anything from them)
Santa Teresa
Brugal
Khukri XXX
Angostura

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Count Silvio
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Wed Oct 31, 2007 3:22 pm

They used to sell Flor de Cana 12 year here but since then they have withdrawed it from the market. We have both Angostura 1919 and 1824 on sale over here and Brugal. I am not sure if it is the Extra Viejo or something else.

I doub't we can get any of the above mentioned with less than $20 or even less than €20! Angostura 1919 was €33 when I last saw it. Even the lower shelf rotgut is nearing 20 eur mark over here.

Because of the expensive prices here I usually "smuggle" many bottles back when I'm traveling abroad. I'm considering turning into a rum runner :panama:.

The situation is becoming better every year as the "rum awareness" is increasing.
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Scottes
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Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:47 pm

Theodore S. Maul, Esq. wrote:Common sense dictates that if you put a 10 euro whisky, a 10 euro rum and a 10 euro brandy on the table none of them will taste good. Add just two tenners to the respective prices and the drinks start to get palatable. Add a similar price increase and the amber nectar will fly off the bottle.
The fact that rum will almost always break this logic is what makes me enjoy it. On my shelves I have several 15-Euro rums which are quite delicious. I have many 20-Euro rums which will make you wonder why you spent so much on that brandy or cognac or single-malt. And for 30 Euros I'll have you crying for all that cash you've wasted on 60-Euro spirits.

Well, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

For you whiskey lovers, give Mount Gay XO a try. Love cognac? JM Vintage 1997. Brandy? Ron Zacapa 23-year-old, or Zaya if you like it a little less sweet. Frugal? Khukri XXX is the bargain of the rum sipping world.

So many rums, so little time....

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Theodore S. Maul, Esq.
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Wed Oct 31, 2007 7:27 pm

Scottes wrote:
Theodore S. Maul, Esq. wrote:Common sense dictates that if you put a 10 euro whisky, a 10 euro rum and a 10 euro brandy on the table none of them will taste good. Add just two tenners to the respective prices and the drinks start to get palatable. Add a similar price increase and the amber nectar will fly off the bottle.
The fact that rum will almost always break this logic is what makes me enjoy it. On my shelves I have several 15-Euro rums which are quite delicious. I have many 20-Euro rums which will make you wonder why you spent so much on that brandy or cognac or single-malt. And for 30 Euros I'll have you crying for all that cash you've wasted on 60-Euro spirits.
I'm quite fond of being proven wrong in this way. You Sir, are rather fortunate and we look forward to your teachings. Could you give us a few pointers on affordable and great rums? You seem to agree with AngelSword so why not combine forces and educate the masses?
And therefore I conclude that Carthage must be destroyed.

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Scottes
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Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:45 pm

I know most of AngelSword's list and I agree. I also know AngelSword, so I'd try the others in a heartbeat. He also has more rums - I think I'm at 135 or 140 right now.

I'd also add:
Appleton Extra
Pyrat XO (sweet, with strong orange/apricot tones, but excellent value)
Barbancourt 5-Star (8-year)
Diplomatica Exclusiva Reserva (getting a little pricey, but should be about the same as Pampero)
El Dorado 15-year (a little expensive, but oh so nice and worth much more)

Those, plus the ones mentioned above, are the extent of my knowledge of "bargain" sipping rums. For now.


But this is a difficult list given the difference in prices between countries. But I'd say that if any of these rums mentioned easily meet your price point - if you say "gee, that's not too expensive" - then you're probably pretty darned safe.

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Le Comte de la Vesteverte
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:44 am

Picked up a bottle of Appleton Estate V/X and Havana Club Anejo Blanco
Last edited by Le Comte de la Vesteverte on Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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AngelSword
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 12:59 pm

One of my favorite light rums is Green Island, and should be available in the EU. We can't get it in the US. I picked up a taste for it while adventuring in Africa.

Flambouyant, an aged rum from the same distiller is even better.

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Le Comte de la Vesteverte
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:36 pm

well, following the info posted here, I didn't pretend that either of my purchases were a decent sipping rum (though I did try both straight up anyway)...

I mixed the Appleton V/X with apple juice and a dash of cinnamon and made a caipirinha with the Anejo Blanco (not a true caipirinha, i know, but the bottle of cachaca left by a brazilian houseguest has been long since emptied)
I can resist everything but temptation.

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Count Silvio
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:50 pm

The Havana Club Añejo Blanco should be good for mojitos.
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Scottes
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:51 pm

AngelSword wrote:One of my favorite light rums is Green Island, and should be available in the EU. We can't get it in the US. I picked up a taste for it while adventuring in Africa.
My understanding is that the Starr Africa rum is the Green Island rum re-branded for the US market.

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Scottes
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:56 pm

Le Comte de la Vesteverte wrote:...and made a caipirinha with the Anejo Blanco (not a true caipirinha, i know, but the bottle of cachaca left by a brazilian houseguest has been long since emptied)
Aahh, cachaças. I have been growing fond of them, but they are all over the map. What do you expect with over 5,000 distillers producing it??

My personal favorite - so far, with a long way to go - is Fazenda Mae De Ouro. Its subtleties are magnificent, and yet it retains a good cachaça taste. For a blast of cachaça taste I like the Beleza Pura. For a mild cachaça taste, and one recommended for newbies, is Boca Loca. Agua Luca, Leblon, Sagatiba, and Cabana are all over-refined in order to appeal to the vodka-skewed American tastes and not worth purchasing, IMHO.

I still have to get my hands on some aged cachaças - I only have the Rochinha, which seemed decent on a quick initial tasting. I am eagerly awaiting the 5-year-old Fazenda Mae De Ouro, which has slipped its release date.

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Scottes
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Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:58 pm

Count Silvio wrote:The Havana Club Añejo Blanco should be good for mojitos.
I think it makes the quintessential mojito - though I have yet to try any other Cuban whites due to their scarcity in the US.... An HC mojito certainly kicks butt on against almost all of the whites available in the US.

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Mistress Elena de Tarte
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Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:06 pm

Forgive my rudeness gentlemen, but I have been eavesdropping on your converstion and find it ever so intruiging. As I mentioned in my introduction, I am no particular fan of rum. However, I feel that this has been a biased stance on the drink as I am but a simple country girl and my only exposure to it, like the dear Count, has been the foul elixir known as Bunderberg. It is quite distateful, however the young ruffians of my home town seem to treasure it above all else.

Having relocated to more cultured society, I wish to expand my appreciation of many a drink and feel that this would be an excellent starting point. I am not familiar with many of the names mentioned here but will endevour to scout them out on my next outting. I do have a question pertaining to a certain brand known as 'Coruba', which I believe is a favourite on the otherside of the Tasman. It is has been recommended to me by a dear friend of mine, and while he is a quite a brilliant young lad, I do not trust his judgement on such matters. So I put it to you knowledgeble and refined gentlemen to give it an approval first as I have little salary and, if I am to become more worldly in my liquor conumption, I wish to make wise purchases.

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Scottes
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Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:30 pm

Coruba is a dark rum from Jamaica, from J Wray and Nephew, the makers of Appleton Estate rums. It is generally regarded as a mixing rum, not a sipping rum. My understanding is that is it probably the best dark mixing rum, but this has little to do with its suitability for sipping. I would most certainly not recommend it as a first rum to chose to venture into sipping.

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Mistress Elena de Tarte
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Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:47 pm

I thank you, Mr Scottes. As you can tell, I know little of these things and am greatful to have scholars of the subject to aid me in making a suitable choice. I shall keep your advice in mind on my next trip to the liquor store.

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Dood
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Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:34 pm

In my personal opinion, the Appleton Estate V/X is an excellent starter rum. It's not a sipping rum, really, but it's a step above the more common mixers that you'll find out there. As any cocktail connoisseur will tell you, the better the ingredients, the better the cocktail.

If you're looking for a good sipping rum and are accustomed to whiskey/bourbon/Scotch, I usually recommend Matusalem Gran Reserva from the Dominican Republic. I recommend this particular rum because the Water of Lifers that I've allowed to sample my collection (which is an order of magnitude smaller than Scottes' or Angelsword's) have all chosen the Matusalem as their favorite and gone out and acquired some for themselves.

I spoke with one of them the other day and heard that he is now up to 8 different rums on his shelf.

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Scottes
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Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:12 pm

Dood wrote:If you're looking for a good sipping rum and are accustomed to whiskey/bourbon/Scotch, I usually recommend Matusalem Gran Reserva from the Dominican Republic.
I agree completely. And it makes a hell of a Cuba Libre if you don't like it straight, so you won't be wasting it.

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AngelSword
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Tue Nov 06, 2007 3:38 am

Scottes wrote:
AngelSword wrote:One of my favorite light rums is Green Island, and should be available in the EU. We can't get it in the US. I picked up a taste for it while adventuring in Africa.
My understanding is that the Starr Africa rum is the Green Island rum re-branded for the US market.
Correct, but I haven't been able to find Starr African on the shelves anywhere and no one willing to ship to my area. But I still have a bit left from my last wreck diving trip to Mauritius where it is made. I still have extra bottles of 28 different rums made there.

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Scottes
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Tue Nov 06, 2007 11:22 am

I wish I had known you were looking for it. A store in Rhode Island has it, about an hour from King Richard's.

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AngelSword
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Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:12 pm

In many ways it was Green Island that helped begin my fascination with fine rums. I spent 6 months in Mauritius in 2000 diving on shipwrecks, but on bad weather days I got to visit and then to know the various distillers.
Last edited by AngelSword on Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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