Post #577175 by thePorpoise on Mon, Feb 21, 2011 10:06 PM

Having gotten tired of waiting for Berryhill or St. Elizabeth's dram to show up around here, I decided to embark upon experiments with the most widely reported homemade versions. my research suggested that the four most popular drinks made with pimento dram are:

(1) DtB Rum Barrel; (2) Trader Vic's Navy Grog; (3) DtB Nui Nui; and (4) DtB Pearl Diver's Punch. [note-- the Ancient Mariner seems merely a weakened TV Navy Grog, so didn't try it out here]

Being the impatient type, and not looking to make the perfect drink but merely seeking to experience each drink's flavor profile, I opted to utilize pre-ground allspice, with no filtering, and with no aging. I made three versions in low quantity-- (A) the TV Navy Grog 'allspice syrup' recipe reported by the Bum in the Grog Blog; (B) the 'sippin safari' version of pimento dram, but using Wray & Nephew Overproof rum as many here suggest, and (C) the Chuck Taggart Looka! version of pimento dram made with Lemon Hart 151.

(1) First, to make the Rum Barrel. I made the first one with the Taggart pimento.

This was my first rum barrel, and I must say-- wow, the booze is disguised by the juice and spices, this is a dangeroust drink. I quickly realized that I had underestimated the task at hand. This was a good drink- tart, juicy, rummy; but, there did not seem to be much point in making two more versions of this drink w/the other drams, as the pimento was such a small component. I "voluntarily" closed shop for the night.

(2) Next round/day, enlisting the wife's aid this time. Mixed up three versions of the Trader Vic Navy Grog. I liked all three versions. The Taggart dram mixed well but consequently seemed to disappear somewhat in the blend. I really liked the Grog blog syrup as it was the most spicy, but the wife found it overpowering. The safari/Wray dram worked the best-- the wife liked the spice and sweetness it added; I preferred it less than the grog blog syrup, although perhaps bc, as the bartender, I recognized the pronounced karo syrup (some say kerosene?) flavor of the Wray overproof. But, it averaged out btw the two of us as best for this drink.

(3) round three- this time mixing up three versions of the Nui Nui. We both agreed-- the Taggart dram made the best drink here- nice balance of allspice, vanilla, and cinnamon in the drink. The grog blog syrup was way too strong, and the safari/Wray dram didnt blend as well this time as the Taggart/LH version.

(4) round four- made the Pearl Diver's Punch. okay, the dram was such a small component, that this drink experiment was abandoned as a useless point of comparison.

(5) Bonus-- decided after more research to add another drink, one heavily favoring the dram component-- Jasper's Jamaican. Again, the Taggart dram scored the best, with the safari/Wray overproof in second, and the grogblog/syrup last due to over-spiciness. (Interestingly, though, and a subject for possible future lab work, when I combined the two runner-up drinks, that tasted even better than the winning version containing just the taggart/LH151 dram.)

Conclusion-- each of these Allspice syrup/dram recipes adds a quite different taste profile to a drink. the Grog Blog version is max-spiciness, maybe overpowering. the safari/Wray overproof version adds a more refined allspice flavor but the Wray karo can overpower or please, depending on the palate. The Taggart/LH151 version tastes the best straight (in fact I probably could have downed a few shots of it neat and been quite happy) but is the least spicy and may accordingly fail to enhance the complexity of a drink.

What are your favorite allspice/pimento dram cocktails?

Mabuhay!

[ Edited by: thePorpoise 2011-02-21 22:31 ]