Best Martinique Rum? - Tiki Drinks and Food

A AdOrAdam Member Wolverhampton, UK Joined: Jun 16, 2013 Posts: 630	A AdOrAdam Posted posted on Sat, Dec 28, 2013 3:40 PM About a month ago I got some Clement VSOP & Ive tried it every which way to provide a review: First off: it costs between £32 & £43 online ~ $50 to $70. I paid £45 in a shop, I think that's a lot for a bottle! Drink no 1) Neat - the rum seems to have little flavour between the grassiness & the woody / peppery taste of the aging the longer you drink it. Bland. Over ice - grassiness is notched up & the the woody / peppery taste tamed a little. Bland but non unappealing grassy vinegary flavour. Neat with Appleton 12 - falls flat compared to the Saint James Amber / Appleton 12 combo. In a Ti Punch without ice - yuk (normal reaction to Ti Punch without ice). In a Ti Punch with ice - improved over the Ti Punch without ice but only slightly. Still yuk (I think I prefer this drink with younger agricoles). At this point I was a bit stumped about this rum - it didn't meet my expectations after my initial tastings & had been expensive! I headed into mixing it: Mai tai (with Appleton 12) - this is a different take on the drink Im used to. The grassy vingeary taste I now associate with this particular rhum now became an interesting part of the drink in the 1st few sips, then I settled in & enjoyed it, occasional remembering how different it was. If you are used to 'heavier' mai tai with demerara like me, this may prove an experiment rather than a change for life. Donga Punch - a new favourite. The grassy vinegar flavour blends well producing a drink that makes my mouth water when I think about it (!). If there is a better rhum for a Donga Punch I want to meet it! 8 ) Three Dots & a Dash (with El Dorado 8 or 12) - again a different take on the drink Im used to. The rhums unique flavours were present & blended well but I would liked the drink to be a little heavier. All in all, when mixed, my opinions of this rhum turned around. It asserts itself in the 3 cocktails I mention above strongly. It has a flavour outside what I was expecting from the younger agricoles I had tried previously. This rhum earns a place in my bar just for the Donga Punch it makes ~ I will endeavour to keep it in stock & order it cheaply offline. Next on my list is still Rhum Barbancourt 3 star or 5 star & Saint James Rhum Vieux (not the Amber or Hors D'Age) - anyone tried either?

About a month ago I got some Clement VSOP & Ive tried it every which way to provide a review:

First off: it costs between £32 & £43 online ~ $50 to $70. I paid £45 in a shop, I think that's a lot for a bottle!

Drink no 1) Neat - the rum seems to have little flavour between the grassiness & the woody / peppery taste of the aging the longer you drink it. Bland.

Over ice - grassiness is notched up & the the woody / peppery taste tamed a little. Bland but non unappealing grassy vinegary flavour.
Neat with Appleton 12 - falls flat compared to the Saint James Amber / Appleton 12 combo.
In a Ti Punch without ice - yuk (normal reaction to Ti Punch without ice).
In a Ti Punch with ice - improved over the Ti Punch without ice but only slightly. Still yuk (I think I prefer this drink with younger agricoles).

At this point I was a bit stumped about this rum - it didn't meet my expectations after my initial tastings & had been expensive! I headed into mixing it:

Mai tai (with Appleton 12) - this is a different take on the drink Im used to. The grassy vingeary taste I now associate with this particular rhum now became an interesting part of the drink in the 1st few sips, then I settled in & enjoyed it, occasional remembering how different it was. If you are used to 'heavier' mai tai with demerara like me, this may prove an experiment rather than a change for life.
Donga Punch - a new favourite. The grassy vinegar flavour blends well producing a drink that makes my mouth water when I think about it (!). If there is a better rhum for a Donga Punch I want to meet it!

8 ) Three Dots & a Dash (with El Dorado 8 or 12) - again a different take on the drink Im used to. The rhums unique flavours were present & blended well but I would liked the drink to be a little heavier.

All in all, when mixed, my opinions of this rhum turned around. It asserts itself in the 3 cocktails I mention above strongly. It has a flavour outside what I was expecting from the younger agricoles I had tried previously.

This rhum earns a place in my bar just for the Donga Punch it makes ~ I will endeavour to keep it in stock & order it cheaply offline.

Next on my list is still Rhum Barbancourt 3 star or 5 star & Saint James Rhum Vieux (not the Amber or Hors D'Age) - anyone tried either?

Post #703254 by AdOrAdam on Sat, Dec 28, 2013 3:40 PM