Post #719205 by Destro100 on Wed, Jun 4, 2014 5:47 AM

Drink 66: Shrunken Skull

Ingredients I used:

Fresh Lime Juice
Routin 1883 Grenadine
Flor De Cana 7 year Gold Rum
El Dorado 8 year Demerara Rum

This drink is simplistic and serviceable. None of the ingredients are very interesting, yet the drink brings a humble pleasure to the palate. The elements of a good drink are well-covered, there is a lot of tart, sour, sweet, and strong flavors being balanced well, but the individual flavors are more familiar than exotic.

I don't believe I've ever had a single-serving drink with this much grenadine. It is essential that a high-quality grenadine is used for this recipe. As all four ingredients in the recipe are incorporated in equal measure, each one must be able to stand alone in terms of quality.

I have advocated for Routin syrups in the past, and I still really like them. They are affordable, flavorful, and use great ingredients. Just take a look at the ingredient list below. Their grenadine has pure cane sugar, pomegranate juice, 10% elderberry juice, and no preservatives. I won't pretend that this is better than making your own, or using the POM method, but I will say, that with all the other juices and syrups us tiki-philes have to focus on, this product does its job admirably. The flavor is sweet, tart, and actually tastes of pomegranate.

Regarding the rums, I went with Flor De Cana 7 and El Dorado 8 for my rums. I think the rums get a little lost in this combination. I mostly tasted the body and strength of the Spanish rum coming forward. The smoky, sugary Demerara rum seemed a bit hidden. This might be a case where I should have chosen the 12-year El Dorado instead of the 8. The 12-year has a beautiful full-bodied flavor that tends to stand out more than it does in the 8.

This drink also uses a lot of lime juice which is necessary to balance the sweetness of the grenadine and they strength of the rum.

In truth, there isn't much to add to this review. The flavor is nice and won't generate complaints, yet at the same time, the drink lacks complexity and inventiveness.

My personal rating: *** (3) out of ***** (5)

SCORECARD:

4.5 ALMOST PERFECT - 3 drinks so far
Chief Lapu Lapu / Kikuya Lapu / Mai Tai (Trader Vic)

4 - EXCELLENT - 12 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 / Mai Tai Swizzle / 151 Swizzle / Port Light

3.5 - VERY GOOD - 19 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 / Lani-Honi / Mariposa Fizz / Mai Tai (Stuft Shirt) / Never Say Die / Pago Pago / Painkiller / Q.B. Cooler / Shark's Tooth

3 - GOOD - 18 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 / Aku Aku Lapu / Mai Tai (Royal Hawaiian) / Missionary's Downfall / Strip and go Naked / Polynesian Paralysis / Happy Buddha / Shrunken Skull

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

2 - AVERAGE - 8 drinks and counting
Beachcomber's Gold (Chicago) / Lychee Nut Daiquiri / Fog Cutter / Von Tiki / Planet of the Apes / Rum Runner / Pieces of Eight / Polynesian Spell

1.5 - BELOW AVERAGE - 2 drinks and hopefully not too many more
Boo Loo / Royal Daiquiri