What Puerto Rican and Jamican Rums to Mix

What are folks using when the recipe calls for Light and Gold Puerto Rican and/or Jamaican Rums? I'm looking for alternatives to Bacardi and Myers. Thanks

Where are you and what do you have available?

Rather than start a list of rums (and the resulting debate about which is better than what) that you may or may not have access to, I will offer you a resource:

http://www.ministryofrum.com/index.php

On the left hand bar you can see 'Rums by Country' and get an idea of what to look for.

Let us know what you find and what you wind up with under your bar.

Beachubum Berry makes many rum suggestions in Sippin' Safari, but I don't have a copy handy.

I do have his Grog Log, I'll check in there. I am curious in what everybody likes though.

Instead of pr rum like bacardi, try cruzan, it is less expensive and much better of a rum. And although I haven't tried it yet everyone says that coruba dark jamaican rum is superior to myers. I always sub cruzan white or gold for the peurto rican rum and I think the results are much better.

Aaron

My suggestion for drinks calling for gold and white rums is to use the least aged and most aged rum from the same distiller, and then to adjust the ratio of one to the other until you find one that you like. :) I use Castillo Silver and Bacardi 8, for instance.

[ Edited by: mbanu 2007-08-07 23:55 ]

Cruzan as a replacement for Puerto Rican, Coruba instead of Myers.

Coruba is a very nice mellow dark rum that mixes very well. None of that signature Myer's Rum flavor. Not to knock that Myer's Rum flavor though, I love it in a cocoanaut, or anything where a little burning kick is called for.

I've really got to expand on my Puerto Rican selection though... there's good stuff out there, somewhere.

Have you ever used Appletons? That's a good rum from jamaica. There is also 'Tahiti Dark' made by the same company that make 42 Below Vodka.

So many tiki drinks call for white Puerto Rican rum, but I haven't seen a good discussion on the topic here.

Following the Bum's advice, I've substituted Cruzan white for the PR white, and I think the Cruzan gives the cocktail an astringent taste that I'm not fond of. Comparing in a taste test I actually prefer (shudder) BACARDI WHITE!!!

Recently guzzled through a botle of Montecristo white, using it in recipes calling for PR light, and it's also good, though not "technically" PR.

I like Cruzan single barrel subbed for drinks calling for PR Gold, but the Cruzan white is just not working for me.

Can it be that Bacardi actually fits the bill better than others?

Anyone else have thoughts on the Cruzan White?

I enjoy Donn Beach drinks and I've been "testing" Beachcomber's Gold (I make a composite of the Bum's recipe and the one in Don's book - it's becoming one of my favorites!) and Don's Navy Grog - both of which call for white PR

I tend to use the Cruzan white for most things and have it on the bar in a decanter but I also have a few drinks I prefer with the Bacardi so there is always some underneath.

The local liquor stores just started carrying Mount Gay Eclipse Silver so I was considering a comparison if I can find a 750ml bottle, so far I have only seen 1.75l.

On 2008-04-02 21:37, Kahuna Kent wrote:
Following the Bum's advice, I've substituted Cruzan white for the PR white, and I think the Cruzan gives the cocktail an astringent taste that I'm not fond of...

Anyone else have thoughts on the Cruzan White?

I'm glad I'm not the only one. "Astringent" is a good way to describe it - I've been thinking "paint thinner".

I have a back stock of Pyrat Blanco I use when a recipe calls for a white. When it's part of the mix, I'll substitute a nice Cruzan 2 year gold (they call it 'dark') or Appleton white if I must. I'm not a fan of white rum on general principal.

Oh, and another vote for Coruba for your Jamaican dark usage. Seriously, just do it, you'll thank us.

Another vote for Coruba!

Aye Coruba!

I'm going to echo the Cruzan White recommendation. Here in VA, it's cheaper than Bacardi, yet twice as good at the very least.

I've even sipped it before. How many white rums have you sipped?

For many years, I used Ron Rico for my white and gold Puerto Rican rums. But somewhere along the way, I noticed it had become "a blend of finest Caribbean rums", or somesuch. I took that to mean, "mostly the cheapest Virgin Islands rums". To be fair, though, it still tastes pretty much like it used to taste - good blending job, I suppose.
Now, I mostly use Castillo silver and gold. Hard to resist, since it's $6.99/liter at my favorite discount store (the 1.75l is $14.99 - a worse deal!).
For dark Jamaican, I use Coruba, Myers's, or Appleton. The dark Appleton is harder to find, lately, around here. And I actually like that "signature Myers's taste", in many drinks.

I must pipe in.

I like the Cruzan over the Bacardi. Less astringent and cheaper than Bacardi.

Another note, I think that Bali Hai uses Caruba for their mai tai. And the TC peeps seem to dis' the Bali Hai mai tia. Hmmmm??? Is it the Caruba?
To me, Myers is a nice and noticable type of darkish rum. Sweetish, not the country, the flavor.
I like the Appletons also.
Pyrat is good, 10 bottles worth in two years, (no, really, I do like it) kinda like all the Paul Mitchell shampoo products. Makes me feel like I am at the beach sucking on a girls coconutty...... :) Don't tell the Head Shrinker. :blush:
I wont buy their tequila though. It is just tequila. It ain't Noble or anything.

Don't bring up Grey Goose. I'll suck up a Red Bull before a Grey Goose. :) HA!

Sorry!!! This was about rum, right? Whoops. :D

Living outside the USA has something good, and that's the fact that we can buy Havana Club in the supermarket just around the corner, so that's my choice. Bacardi Carta Blanca, as everyone knows, is crap. But Bacardi 8 is quite good. For Jamaican, It depends. If it's a fruity, juicy drink, I use just Myer's. For a more rummy cocktail, I use Appleton Estate, V/X or Extra.

On 2008-04-11 12:34, BastardoSaffrin wrote:
Living outside the USA has something good, and that's the fact that we can buy Havana Club in the supermarket just around the corner, so that's my choice. For a more rummy cocktail, I use Appleton Estate, V/X or Extra.

Its the same for me..i love HC7 and i like to mix it with Appleton VX for my Mai Tais if i dont use the Extra with St James Hors d`age.