Post #676005 by TikiTacky on Mon, Apr 29, 2013 8:11 PM

I've heard mixed things about Sailor Jerry's spiced rum so I picked up a mini of it and did a little taste test vs some Kraken.

Nose: Kraken smells overwhelmingly of spices and caramel. Sailor Jerry smells like ethanol with a hint of something.

Taste: Kraken was sugary and flavorful. It's definitely for mixing, and not too heavily. Sailor Jerry? I spat it in the sink. Ugh, Who drinks this?

Important note: I'm one of those people to whom cilantro tastes like soap, and it's quite possible that I'm missing something (and maybe tasting something else). This might also explain the polarizing reviews of some rums, not just SJ. Taste can be very different to people due to a genetic component (see http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98695984 ). For this reason, when purchasing rums for sharing with others your best bet may be to avoid the ones that get mixed reviews.

For what it's worth, my first taste of a bottle of Smith & Cross I bought immediately struck me with a distinct note of Vomit mixed in there. Looks like I need to be a bit more prudent about the rums I buy.