Post #710346 by Destro100 on Thu, Mar 6, 2014 7:36 AM

Solid Standby:

Drink 42: The Hurricane

Ingredients I used:

Fresh lemon juice
Passion fruit syrup
Appleton Extra 12-year Jamaican Rum
Coruba Dark Jamaican Rum
Smith and Cross Jamaican Rum

How do you review a classic? It was pretty difficult to be objective.

At first I thought that the ingredients were pretty simple and straight-forward; I decided to layer the drink by using a combination of Jamaican rums. I went with 2 oz of Appleton and 1 oz each of Coruba and Smith & Cross.

For those that haven't had the pleasure, I highly recommend keeping a bottle of Smith & Cross around. It is an awesome Jamaican rum. Quite powerful and possibly overwhelming on its own (57 proof) but when used in a cocktail or with other rums - it's quite simply magical: It has a beautifully sweet brown sugar and tropical fruit aroma. The taste has that distinctive pot-still funk that lets you know you're drinking a real Jamaican rum - nothing tastes quite like it.

Back to the drink. At first I wasn't all that impressed. It's not that it was too simple; it just didn't wow me.

First issue, this is a strong libation: 4 oz. of rum! You really need to wait for the ice to dilute a short while to uncover the true taste of the drink. Once diluted, the strength is no longer a problem.

Next issue, I love sour drinks, but I didn't think the sourness was balanced enough; the 2 oz of lemon seemed too tart, and the passionfruit only added to the tartness. It needed a touch of sweetness. Of course I've had numerous Hurricanes in the past, but I'm pretty sure they were bastardized versions; yet one thing stood out about them - I did miss that grenadine taste that the imitations often utilized.

I added a quarter ounce of grenadine.

Now the drink came together. It was refreshing and tropical. The rum sent me swimming, and I clearly understood how this drink makes sense when served as a pre-made pitcher concoction that would be ideal for company. I don't know if I need to repeat the drink for myself, but I will definitely be sharing it with others on our deck next summer.

My personal rating: ***1/2 (3.5) out of ***** (5)

SCORECARD:
4.5 ALMOST PERFECT - 1 drink so far
Chief Lapu Lapu

4 - EXCELLENT - 9 drinks and counting
Colonel Beach's Plantation Punch /Aurora Bora Borealis / Outrigger / Bourbon Special / Beachcomber's Gold (Hollywood and Palm Springs) / Hell in the Pacific / Krakatoa / La Florida / Tortuga

3.5 - VERY GOOD - 11 drinks and counting
Beachcomber's Punch / Coronado Luau Special / Hawaii Kai Treasure / Coconaut / Castaway (slightly modified) / Don's Special Daiquiri / Banana Daiquiri / Captain's Grog / Viking Fog Cutter / Navy Grog / Hurricane

3 - GOOD - 11 drinks and counting
Eastern Sour / Astro Aku Aku / Kapu Kai / Western Sour / Beachcomber's Gold (Waikiki) / Red Tide / Samoan Fog Cutter / Gold Cup / Headhunter / Fogg Cutter / Noa Noa

2.5 - ABOVE AVERAGE - 4 drinks and counting
Jasper's Jamaican / Derby Daiquiri / Carioca Hawaiian Cocktail / Hawaiian Room

2 - AVERAGE - 5 drinks and counting
Beachcomber's Gold (Chicago) / Lychee Nut Daiquiri / Fog Cutter / Von Tiki / Planet of the Apes

1.5 - BELOW AVERAGE - 1 drink and hopefully not too many more
Boo Loo