Tiki Central / Tiki Drinks and Food / A Spiritous Journey through Remixed - From the Astro Aku Aku to the Zadaran Storm
Post #717004 by Destro100 on Thu, May 15, 2014 5:38 AM
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Destro100
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Thu, May 15, 2014 5:38 AM
Once again, sorry about the delay. I am back with five reviews READY TO GO. I think I will still limit them to one-a-day. Drink 55: Never Say Die Ingredients I used: Fresh lime juice I was pleasantly surprised by this drink. It is both sweet and strong at the same time; yet still very well-balanced. It is also one of those drinks whose taste profile, always makes me immidiately think "tiki." There is a nice combination of fruit, honey, and rums that consistently works well together. That being said, the drink could easily fall short, especially when marred by inferior or inappropriate ingredients. The rum combination here is interesting. It's carefully balanced between the sweetness of the Barbados rum, the body and funk of the Jamaican rum, and the background and strength of the white rum. While I think I could get a way with subbing the Coruba with other Jamaicans and the Flor De Cana with other whites, I can't imagine replacing the Plantation from Barbados. I bought this rum recently, and considering the price, I was blown away. It is a beautifully constructed rum and brings to mind the sweetness of brown sugar, a layer of vanilla, and just the right amount of heat. All that for under $20. Go out and buy it. Back to the drink: The combination of lime, pineapple, orange, and grapefruit come together nicely and are well-measured. The fruity sourness does not exceed the alcohol in measurement while the small amount of honey blends particularly well with the Plantation creating a wonderful honey-brown sugar backdrop. I also love the dash of Angostura, and the way it adds a bitter and subtle spice note to the drink. Some may argue that this drink is over-complicated. I agree, but it is a matter of perspective. I would definitely serve this to guests; but I would not relish making more than four at a time. Additional thoughts: This is one to savor, as the layers of flavors tend to slowly unveil themselves over the course of the drink. I also think it's quite safe to add additional ice to the finished drink without fear of excessive dilution. Near the end of the drink, I imagined that soda water would make this drink even better. It did not. I thought the carbonation would bring out more of the nuanced flavor. Unfortunately the added water muddled everything instead. Adding additional crushed ice and allowing it to melt slowly was, by far, the better way to go. My personal rating: ***1/2 (3.5) out of ***** (5) SCORECARD: 4.5 ALMOST PERFECT - 3 drinks so far 4 - EXCELLENT - 11 drinks and counting 3.5 - VERY GOOD - 14 drinks and counting 3 - GOOD - 14 drinks and counting 2.5 - ABOVE AVERAGE - 4 drinks and counting 2 - AVERAGE - 6 drinks and counting 1.5 - BELOW AVERAGE - 2 drinks and hopefully not too many more |
