Confused with rums, and poor selection - Tiki Drinks and Food

A AdOrAdam Member Wolverhampton, UK Joined: Jun 16, 2013 Posts: 630	A AdOrAdam Posted posted on Wed, Aug 20, 2014 3:21 PM Good first post Rockydog101! Chiming in here a bit later than others & with a little time on my hands, here's my 2 cents: Re your rums: Appleton V/X is in regular rotation on my bar - good rum I wouldn't be without! I have had Flor de Cana, Pussers & Goslings Black Seal - they are all good. I also have Malibu too but it is of limited use (for when my sisters come to stay) Captain I know but don't rate (drink it in coke), Captain White I don't know. Re your 'misc' products: They all sound fine - you may have struck lucky & picked up all good examples or may wish to seek out another version when you restock. Regarding making Mai Tais: Mai Tais are very much a drink where people's opinions rule. In sticking to the traditional measures, you can tweak them ~ a lot of people cut the lime to 3/4 oz instead of 1 oz. Use whatever rums you fancy (2 Oz the same or 1 Oz of one type / 1 Oz of another or even 3 Oz as suggested) ~ if you like the mai tai made a certain way, make it again... if you don't like it... maybe don't make it that way again. As a tip: If you want to use the Cointreau or cheaper curaçao in a mai tai, I found them a bit strong so cutting them back a bit helps. IMO the mai tai is basically a vehicle for trying out rums, I can believe that Appletons VX & Goslings Black Seal will make a fine mai tai. I agree with all the above comments that practice makes perfect :) Re the differences between light / gold / dark rum: I always think of rums in 5 categories: Jamaican, Demerara, 'Other English', Spanish & French Typically the Jamaican & Demerara rums would be the 'dark' rums in your collection. They tend to taste a little bit deeper & express a character that is typical of their style (you'll get to know what that means after you've tried a few). Appleton VX is a good example of a Jamaican rum character but is not generally considered 'dark' (i.e. is not as treacle or molasses flavoured as others). I still use it in drinks calling for a 'dark Jamaican' rum. If you were to pick up more Jamaican rums commonly used rums are Appleton 12, Coruba & Myers. Myers is the most strongly 'treacle / molasses' flavoured - that can be off putting in some drinks but if you pick the drinks you put it in, it can be great. I often use Appleton VX & Myers 50:50 in drinks where Myers is too strong flavoured. Coruba is slightly less 'treacle / molasses', Appleton 12 is more refined (by that I mean the 'treacle / molasses' flavour is tempered & you get a more tastes from the rum being aged). Demerara rums are usually dark (like Jamaican rums can be) but the 'treacle / molasses' flavour is less pronounced. The are often described as woody or smokey. Pussers is a blended rum that contains some Demerara rum. Most people (including me) would advise trying any of the El Dorado or Lemon Hart rums. Other English style rums broadly covers all the rums that are distilled in ex British colonies (eg like Barbados rums). They are typically lighter than Jamaican or Demerara rums & gold coloured. Some 'Other English' style rums can be dark, for example Goslings Black Seal. If I didn't have demerara rums, I would have no problems using Goslings Black Seal when a recipe calls for a Demerara rum but you'll be missing something (it's not as deep). Spanish style rums are lighter rums still (think like Flor De Cana), they can be gold or white. They won't taste 'treacle / molasses' or 'woody / smokey' but more likely 'fruity', 'crisp' or 'lightly golden'. They are usually used to cut the flavour of the Jamaican & Demerara rums (eg you use 50:50 resulting in a mix of both sets of flavours) French style rum (aka rhum agricole) is a little more complicated, they are distinctive tasting & sort of 'grassy' or 'tangy'. The boundaries between rum categories blur! For recipes: The author Jeff Beachbum Berry has published lots of books - they are pretty much the Bibles of tiki drinks. If you have an iPhone or iPad, his 'Total Tiki' app has the majority of the recipes but the books have stories that are worth reading in them too. For where to go next with starting making tiki drinks: Tiki drinks tend to use lots of syrups (like Orgeat) & when you read recipes you usually find you are missing an ingredient when you are starting out. I would advise picking them up one at time when you find a recipe that calls for them. TC is full of opinions on what is good. My advice to newbie would be to get a dark Jamaican rum, a Demerara rum, a Spanish style rum & a Beachbum Berry resource (book / app). You sort of have that between Appleton VX, Goslings Black Seal & Flor De Cana so if I were you I'd order a Beachbum Berry book or app to read over & experiment with a few mai tais while you do :) Cheers!

Good first post Rockydog101!

Chiming in here a bit later than others & with a little time on my hands, here's my 2 cents:

Re your rums:
Appleton V/X is in regular rotation on my bar - good rum I wouldn't be without!
I have had Flor de Cana, Pussers & Goslings Black Seal - they are all good.
I also have Malibu too but it is of limited use (for when my sisters come to stay)
Captain I know but don't rate (drink it in coke), Captain White I don't know.

Re your 'misc' products:
They all sound fine - you may have struck lucky & picked up all good examples or may wish to seek out another version when you restock.

Regarding making Mai Tais:
Mai Tais are very much a drink where people's opinions rule.

In sticking to the traditional measures, you can tweak them ~ a lot of people cut the lime to 3/4 oz instead of 1 oz. Use whatever rums you fancy (2 Oz the same or 1 Oz of one type / 1 Oz of another or even 3 Oz as suggested) ~ if you like the mai tai made a certain way, make it again... if you don't like it... maybe don't make it that way again.

As a tip: If you want to use the Cointreau or cheaper curaçao in a mai tai, I found them a bit strong so cutting them back a bit helps.

IMO the mai tai is basically a vehicle for trying out rums, I can believe that Appletons VX & Goslings Black Seal will make a fine mai tai. I agree with all the above comments that practice makes perfect :)

Re the differences between light / gold / dark rum:
I always think of rums in 5 categories: Jamaican, Demerara, 'Other English', Spanish & French

Typically the Jamaican & Demerara rums would be the 'dark' rums in your collection. They tend to taste a little bit deeper & express a character that is typical of their style (you'll get to know what that means after you've tried a few).

Appleton VX is a good example of a Jamaican rum character but is not generally considered 'dark' (i.e. is not as treacle or molasses flavoured as others). I still use it in drinks calling for a 'dark Jamaican' rum.

If you were to pick up more Jamaican rums commonly used rums are Appleton 12, Coruba & Myers. Myers is the most strongly 'treacle / molasses' flavoured - that can be off putting in some drinks but if you pick the drinks you put it in, it can be great. I often use Appleton VX & Myers 50:50 in drinks where Myers is too strong flavoured.

Coruba is slightly less 'treacle / molasses', Appleton 12 is more refined (by that I mean the 'treacle / molasses' flavour is tempered & you get a more tastes from the rum being aged).

Demerara rums are usually dark (like Jamaican rums can be) but the 'treacle / molasses' flavour is less pronounced. The are often described as woody or smokey. Pussers is a blended rum that contains some Demerara rum. Most people (including me) would advise trying any of the El Dorado or Lemon Hart rums.

Other English style rums broadly covers all the rums that are distilled in ex British colonies (eg like Barbados rums). They are typically lighter than Jamaican or Demerara rums & gold coloured. Some 'Other English' style rums can be dark, for example Goslings Black Seal. If I didn't have demerara rums, I would have no problems using Goslings Black Seal when a recipe calls for a Demerara rum but you'll be missing something (it's not as deep).

Spanish style rums are lighter rums still (think like Flor De Cana), they can be gold or white. They won't taste 'treacle / molasses' or 'woody / smokey' but more likely 'fruity', 'crisp' or 'lightly golden'. They are usually used to cut the flavour of the Jamaican & Demerara rums (eg you use 50:50 resulting in a mix of both sets of flavours)

French style rum (aka rhum agricole) is a little more complicated, they are distinctive tasting & sort of 'grassy' or 'tangy'.

The boundaries between rum categories blur!

For recipes:
The author Jeff Beachbum Berry has published lots of books - they are pretty much the Bibles of tiki drinks. If you have an iPhone or iPad, his 'Total Tiki' app has the majority of the recipes but the books have stories that are worth reading in them too.

For where to go next with starting making tiki drinks:
Tiki drinks tend to use lots of syrups (like Orgeat) & when you read recipes you usually find you are missing an ingredient when you are starting out. I would advise picking them up one at time when you find a recipe that calls for them. TC is full of opinions on what is good.

My advice to newbie would be to get a dark Jamaican rum, a Demerara rum, a Spanish style rum & a Beachbum Berry resource (book / app).

You sort of have that between Appleton VX, Goslings Black Seal & Flor De Cana so if I were you I'd order a Beachbum Berry book or app to read over & experiment with a few mai tais while you do :)

Cheers!

Post #725807 by AdOrAdam on Wed, Aug 20, 2014 3:21 PM