Best substitute for 151 Demerara

I want to make some recipes out of Grog Log and Exotica that call for 151 Demerara. I am having a tough time locating some (though I can, fortunately, find regular strength Lemon Hart).
I have never tasted 151 Demerara, just Wrey & Nephew and Bacardi 151. While I am not giving up the quest, are there any opinions as to what other 151 would be the best substitute?
Thanks

There is no good substitute. I ordered my Lemon Hart 151 from here:

http://www.hitimewine.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=116930&csurl=%2Fistar%2Easp%3Fa%3D3%26dept%3D84%26class%3D%26subclass%3D%26manufacturer%3D%26pos%3D90

Does anyone else have a good online source they can add?

Urban Tiki, there is no substitute, but if you can get the regualr Lemon Hart, ask them to get the 151. Surely they can. It's worth it.

UrbanTiki - I hate to just parrot what everyone else has said, but when a recipe calls for demarara rum, you have to use demarara rum! There is NO substitute! However, if you DO have the regular Lemon Hart, you can use it in a pinch as a 151 substitute. It will give you a similar flavor, but not the same, uh... punch. Lemon Hart's regular & 151 are much closer in character than Bacardi regular & 151 are.(But be careful using the 151 in place of the regular - no quicker way to screw up a drink!)
Swanky - did you try the Watson's demarara I saw you post in the "Tiki Finds" thread? I picked up a bottle the last time I was in the UK. It's actually pretty good and it came in handy when my Lemon Hart ran out!

Hakalugi - you order yours?? Geez, HiTime is only a 45 minute drive away! They also carry it at Beverage Warehouse in Culver City, which is even closer...

Yeah, I order mine. I'm a lazy sod. But when I do order, I order big to make it worth the shipping.

Thanks everyone. The two stores that I know that carry the regular are checking into getting the 151. If not, I'll order from hitime (perfect name for a place to get 151 from, isn't it?).

Also, Beachbum said in Exotica that he often substitutes Virgin Island rum for Puerto Rican. I'm not a big fan of PR rums, but I tend to want to stick to the original recipes. Any opinions on this?

The most readily available Virgin Island rum is Cruzan, so use that if you prefer it. Personally, I just stick with Bacardi, since it is a lot drier and more apporpriate when called for. Bacardi stinks when you use it in the wrong cocktail--but when you use it when it's called for, it works great. It really lightens up a heavy, "hot" tasting drink.

PR rums get a bad reputation because they are so ubiquitous and everyone misuses and abuses them. The right tool for the right job, I say...

Thanks to all the help here, I'm on my way to a well stocked tiki bar. The local Lemon Hart distributor has no 151 in stock and none on order, so I ordered some Hi Time. I also ordered Orgeat, Sugar Syrup, Passion Fruit syrup, and Grenadine from Trader Vic's, and Falernum from Fee Bros.

Picked up liters of

Bacardi Light
Bacardi Dark
Lemon Hart Demerara Reg.
Appleton Estates aged dark
Rhum Barbencourt 5 star

Woohoo! can't wait for the arrival of the shipped items- Party time!
Thanks for the advice.

My local shop FINALLY got in some Lemon Hart, but I'd like some advice:

What should I make for my first drink? What drink best represents the flavors of demerara? Swanky?

-Z

PS-just the regular, not the 151

[ Edited by: Feelin' Zombified on 2004-09-01 15:03 ]

You want a good Demerara Rum Drink? Make a Noa Noa from the Grog Log. It's an excellent showcase for Demerara rum, since there's a ton of it in there. Or, consider a Navy Grog. My favorite of all is the Demerara Dry Float, but you need Dem. 151 to make it.

I would recommend one of those, but if you have the Grog Log you could try just about any drink in it that contains Demerara Rum and get a pretty good showcase for it's distinct flavor.

Here's an old thread worth addressing. So, the quietly Florida friendly company us folks could order from (Hi-Time Wine) is not shipping right now.

No worries at the moment. Got enough Lemon Hart to last a while.
AND more stores are willing to carry El Dorado 15 year. Its still a quest but not as hard as it used to be.

But, when that running out time comes, what would you do? Would you make do with the El Dorado 15 for your demarara drinks OR would you undertake the extra time & dough to ship in the Lemon Hart and Lemon Hart 151?

Not sure I understand the issue. Why run out at all? There are other places to order from besides Hi Time and they will ship to Florida. Two are mentioned here. I just received a shipment of Lemon Hart regular and 151 last week.