good white rum

I'm trying to find a good white rum for making mojitos, and I just can't bring myself to use Bacardi.

I remember I liked the taste of the Tommy Bahama White Sand (as ridiculous as it is), but there's no way I'll pay that price for a whole bottle.

What is a white rum that is so good it would actually make something like a mojito taste different?

In Intoxica, The Bum says he likes substitute a Virgin Island Rum for the Puerto Rican - like Cruzan White.

You might want to try Ron Matusalem Platino, which is "made in the Cuban style" and is very good for a reasonable price. I have not yet tried it in a mojito though.

This does give me an idea - I should compare Platino to Havana Club Anejo Blanco, now that I have a bottle...

For white rum I have been pretty happy with Appelton White, Don Q Cristal and my favorite which is Barbancourt Blanco.

Very good.

I was already eyeing Appleton White and Cruzan White. Thanks for the help.

[ Edited by: DJ HawaiianShirt 2007-06-11 06:31 ]

I really like Appleton rums but I can't seem to find the Appleton White anywhere... None of my local marts seem to stock it.

They make a great 12-yr though, fwiw.

On 2007-06-11 11:22, whinylittlerunt wrote:
I really like Appleton rums but I can't seem to find the Appleton White anywhere... None of my local marts seem to stock it.

They make a great 12-yr though, fwiw.

Can you get other Appleton rums? If so, just ask if they can get the White in. If not, Appleton may not be available in your state. In this case, you can be the impetus/hero for getting Appleton into your state by contacting Appleton's US importer. It can be a long process, but I've done it here in Kansas with Velvet Falernum (very proud of that I must say).

On 2007-06-13 12:16, DemeraraDrinker wrote:
In this case, you can be the impetus/hero for getting Appleton into your state by contacting Appleton's US importer. It can be a long process, but I've done it here in Kansas with Velvet Falernum (very proud of that I must say).

Please fill me in on the "how" part. I'm going to go crazy until I can start getting some key rums into Massachusetts... I'm willing to do a bunch of leg-work...

On 2007-06-13 12:16, DemeraraDrinker wrote:

Can you get other Appleton rums? If so, just ask if they can get the White in. If not, Appleton may not be available in your state. In this case, you can be the impetus/hero for getting Appleton into your state by contacting Appleton's US importer. It can be a long process, but I've done it here in Kansas with Velvet Falernum (very proud of that I must say).

I just found the white rum yesterday at a a place a few towns over from me. We definately get Appleton runs, as I have the 12yr, Special, and now the White - it was just weird how none of the large liquor stores locally had it.

On that note, the Appleton White is particularly nice, probably a great mixing rum but I still drink all spirits neat or on ice. I also like the Myers white rum. Too bad I have to do my rum drinking at home seeing how none of the good bars have anything white other than Bacardi or the flavored junk.

Pyrat Blanco is a nice choice, I also enjoy Matusalem as mentioned above.

For my mojitos, I realy lik using Pyrat XO reserve... it's way off from being a light rum, but boy do those majitos taste good.

Another twist is to throw some Brinley Gold Mango rum in with light rum, to make a mango mojito.

-adrian

You guys are so lucky.The only white rums we have in Australia are,Bacardi,Havana Club,Matusalem,Beenleigh(which is Australian)and Santa Maria which is a caribbean white.They also have a gold and it's the cheapest of the lot.
I can get an El Dorado white,but it's not easy to find.

On 2007-06-13 21:02, swizzle wrote:
You guys are so lucky.The only white rums we have in Australia are,Bacardi,Havana Club,Matusalem,Beenleigh(which is Australian)and Santa Maria which is a caribbean white.They also have a gold and it's the cheapest of the lot.
I can get an El Dorado white,but it's not easy to find.

Check this out...the rum page at Liquorstore.com.au.

They have Appleton V/X, Extra, Reserve, and 21; Coruba; as well as Mount Gay Exclipse and Extra Old.

Oh, wait. You said "white" rum. Hmmm! Sorry. I'm not really into white rum. One thing I see a lot in Australian online liquor sites are references to "Bacardi White Barbados Rum." What's up with that? Bacardi is Puerto Rican.

As far as being "so lucky," it seems as though Absinthe is readily available in your territory (Green Fairy, Pernod, and Techenné brands in particular). In the US we've been wormwood-challenged for ages. In that respect, you're kind of lucky.

[ Edited by: The Gnomon 2007-06-14 07:31 ]

Your right Gnomon about the absinthe.I've seen about a dozen different brands available,including a coffee flavoured one.Not sure what it tastes like though.
As for the Bacardi,i cant say i've actually seen it mentioning it being from Barbados.You're right it's a Puerto Rican rum but the bottles still say Cuba on them.
Thanks for the website,i'll give them a try.I just hope they ship internationally.

I just recently picked up an African rum called STARR. It comes in a weird triangular red bottle. It's a white rum, and it's actually pretty good. Kind of expensive, though, and I'm not sure it is that much better than something like Myers's Platinum. Pyrat Blanco is much better for less money.

On 2007-06-14 18:59, swizzle wrote:
Thanks for the website,i'll give them a try.I just hope they ship internationally.

Oh. I thought you were in Australia. It's an Australian site.

I compared 6 white rums Saturday night: Havana Club Anejo Blanco, Matusalem Platino, Pyrat Blanco, Cruzan Superior Light, Clement Premiere Canne, and - I had to do it - Bacardi.

I was pleasantly surprised at how the Matusalem came close - but not quite as good - as the Havana Club. The Matusalem is a very good substitute for the HC.

There was no real winner in all this - they're too different - but the Bacardi was the clear loser. It had the worst ethanol smell, and was the harshest of the bunch. However, mixed in Rum & Cokes only the HC & Bacardi tasted good - the others were OK, though the Clement was the worst (it's just not right for an R&C).

I hope to get a full write-up within the next couple days. I kept good notes during the process.

I've never had a good experience with Bacardi. In my opinion, it's just nasty stuff. I'm sure many would agree.

(though I've never tried the Bacardi 8, which i was told is good... I'll probably be safe just sticking with others that I actually like) :)

I'm fortunate enough to have Havana Club readily available,so thats what i use for a white rum.I'm yet to try Matusalem as its $50Aus compared to $30Aus for the Havana and i cant justify spending that much more just on a base mixer.
As for Bacardi 8,i have to say its one of my favourite rums to drink neat.If all Bacardi rums were that good maybe people would think differently about them.

For Mojitos I like 10 Cane for Top Shelf and Matusalem for well. I also have Myers Platnum and Cruzan White which I have not tried in a mojito, I generally use those for mixing with juices. I have been enjoying the heck out of Oronoco Brazilian rum. I bet that would make a killer mojito although a bit pricing for slammin. For a twist try Corazon Blanco Tequila in a mojito in place of rum, very yummy!

I just posted a comparison - of sorts - of 5 white rums.

http://scottesrum.com/2007/06/19/5-white-rums/

Not quite surprisingly, Bacardi lost. :)
But I have to admit that I didn't plan this comparison very well, so your mileage may vary...

On 2007-06-09 21:17, DJ HawaiianShirt wrote:
I'm trying to find a good white rum for making mojitos, and I just can't bring myself to use Bacardi.

I remember I liked the taste of the Tommy Bahama White Sand (as ridiculous as it is), but there's no way I'll pay that price for a whole bottle.

What is a white rum that is so good it would actually make something like a mojito taste different?

I'll probably get laughed at for this, but have you ever tried Port Royal? It's a very nice, inexpensive, Virgin Islands' rum. It's not as nice as a Cruzan, but then again, it's better than Bacardi. I picked up a Liter for around eleven dollars last week, and I have been happy with its results. There is another brand "Chesapeake" that tastes about the same, and if memory serves me, also comes from the Virgin Islands. They are pretty easy to get there in Baltimore, but then again we are home to about a dozen distilleries.

Havana Club is the best white rum I've ever tasted, but 1: I'm not an expert in whites, just to say "cool" and "sucks", and 2:Havana white it's not exactly white. It's 3 years aged and it has a (very) pale golden color. Still, it's the best I have tasted, great for daiquiris.

Anyone has tried St James white? They got it in the store where I get the Ambre, and I always look at it with desire, but never get a bottle of it, and it's 10 euro (like 14$) the fifth, not very expensive, but still a couple of bucks more than the Havana. I think I never got it because I can't remember any recipe that calls for "white Martinique rum". Any comment?

St. James white will be an agricole blanc, which is most likely going to be very different from any whites you've had. I would not recommend it until you get a chance to try an agricole, but if you like to try new thing you might want to try it. Agricoles are quite fruity, very floral, and won't taste much like molasses.

I had my best white rum the other night. Oronoco.
http://scottesrum.com/2007/10/24/oronoco/

The Pegu Club, The Flat Iron Lounge and the Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan (all of which are pretty much Cocktail Mecca) all pour Brugal White as their well rum, and with good reason. It's clean, reliable and ridiculously inexpensive.

I like the Ron Matusalem Platino Rum as well as the 10 Cane, but I think that they are both overpriced for use in a mojito. Cruzan White is alright, although I think it's not very clean tasting (it has a bit of a funky, peasantish aftertaste, and I love their Blackstrap Navy Rum however). Flor de Caña White (and Gold) is another nice, clean inexpensive rum. In many markets you can find 1.75 Liter bottles for a steal in many areas.

Cheers,

Craig in Cincinnati

Blackstrap is my hero.

On 2007-10-26 16:25, BastardoSaffrin wrote:
2:Havana white it's not exactly white. It's 3 years aged and it has a (very) pale golden color. Still, it's the best I have tasted, great for daiquiris.

Anejo 3 Anos isn't Havana Club's "white rum." That's Anejo Blanco. You can see the full lineup here:
http://www.havana-club.com/

At Scottes' FOM Rum Tasting, Palo Viejo was the best of the bunch, which included Cruzan and...and...man, we tasted a lot of rum! We tried it neat, which is not usually the function of a white rum, but we'll be putting it through it's paces tomorrow night. Full report will be posted first thing Monday! Well, maybe second.

Cruzan is not bad either, though; big fan of Havana Club too.

You're having a rum tasting without me?? ?? ??

On 2007-11-08 09:12, arriano wrote:

On 2007-10-26 16:25, BastardoSaffrin wrote:
2:Havana white it's not exactly white. It's 3 years aged and it has a (very) pale golden color. Still, it's the best I have tasted, great for daiquiris.

Anejo 3 Anos isn't Havana Club's "white rum." That's Anejo Blanco. You can see the full lineup here:
http://www.havana-club.com/

Well, yes, you're right. But for some reason, here isn't available the "añejo blanco", but the three years. And this one isn't a gold rum, so I think it's just an slightly aged white rum, without being a gold one. I guess that gives it some more body and character. But just guessing. And I can't buy the "añejo blanco" one, so what else could I do?

On 2007-11-09 04:12, BastardoSaffrin wrote:
Well, yes, you're right. But for some reason, here isn't available the "añejo blanco", but the three years. And this one isn't a gold rum, so I think it's just an slightly aged white rum, without being a gold one. I guess that gives it some more body and character. But just guessing. And I can't buy the "añejo blanco" one, so what else could I do?

Interesting. Well, I can't get any Havana Club rums in my country -- but I live 20 minutes from the border of Mexico where I can buy it. And the only rums that I've seen available are Anejo Blanco, Anejo Especial and Anejo 7 Anos. Haven't seen nor tasted the 3 Anos. So I guess you can consider yourself lucky in that regard. And you're probably right, the 3 Anos is probably very close to Anejo Blanco, but perhaps with a light oak flavor?

In my bar, we have been using Barbancourt White in our mojitos for two years. The guests seem to love it. It is very flavorful and aromatic, so it takes Bacardi drinkers a little while to adjust.

so what IS the best white rum? (esp., spanish style?)

i generally prefer the english-style white rums: Appleton, ED3, even Myers's.

but, some drinks really need a spanish-style white rum. i've enjoyed Caliche. am trying out Matusalem platino for first time- seems very nice.

not a fan of bacardi, flor de cana, or of cruzan white rums...

For "Spanish" white rum, my current fave is Bacardi Heritage, ostensibly made to the original Cuban standards. Definitely more flavorful the Puerto Rican expression. Here in Miami it weighs in at $16/750ml.

White Rhum Barbancourt is a lower-case-a agricole (as opposed to capital-A Agricole) which goes beautifully in a Ti Punch, or similar.

I also think highly of El Dorado 3 and Doorly's White, but I can't say they taste particularly "Spanish."

YMMV.

A while ago I compared Flor De Cana, Cruzan, Bacardi, Havana Club Blanco, Havana Club 3 & Brugal Blanco in Mojitos.

Bacardi you all probably have an opinion on, I apply that same opinion to it & Cruzan (ie no thanks). Flor De Cana was good. Havana Club 3 had a woody edge that none of the others did so, as I have subsequently found, it can work better in certain drinks.

My favourite white rums were Havana Club & Brugal Blanco (first equals), they had the cleanest crispest taste by far with a little fruity edge - it was difficult to pick between them so I go with either based on price / availability (in the UK Havana Club Blanco usually wins).

At the moment I have 2 bottles of Brugal Blanco in stock (cheaper imports) so I'm using them :)

I picked up a bottle of El Dorado Silver for $13 at Total Wine yesterday. I was curious and will be tasting/testing soon.

I think you will be unimpressed with the ED silver. The Ed 3 white rum on the other hand. . . Yum.

I have yet to find that Bacardi product supposedly made to historic standards that people keep telling me about. I will keep looking.

Yeah, I kinda figured that might be the case. But I've been burning through "Demerara rum" at a high rate lately making Beachcomber Punch which is a new fave among my non-rum-knowledgeable friends. Initially I burned through 80% of my $40/bottle El Do 15. Oh, it was darn good, but I quickly went out and bought a bottle of El Do 5. Then I saw the $13/bottle price on the El Do silver and thought I'd give it a try and see if it might work for my less-particular friends. There's quite a price difference, and I'm sure it's well-justified.

Has anyone tried the "new" Havana Club being made by Bacardi after Cuba was stripped of the US copyright/patent/trademark for Havana Club? I'm waiting to see some of that show up in my market.

Alcohol doesn't solve any problems. But then neither does milk.

For Spanish-style whites, I usually go with Cruzan, Flor de Cana, or Cana Brava, depending on mood. I also use Banks, Denizen, or Ron Matusalem on occasion.

Cana Brava and Banks are probably my favorite. Definitely more expensive, though.

On 2014-07-23 05:14, AceExplorer wrote:
Has anyone tried the "new" Havana Club being made by Bacardi after Cuba was stripped of the US copyright/patent/trademark for Havana Club? I'm waiting to see some of that show up in my market.

I'm scared of that variety, though I'll admit I've only ever had the legit 15 year old stuff and it was fantastic.

On 2014-07-23 04:55, Sunny&Rummy wrote:
I have yet to find that Bacardi product supposedly made to historic standards that people keep telling me about. I will keep looking.

At our local Total Wine here in Miami it's in stock. http://www.totalwine.com/eng/product/bacardi-heritage/129442750 But other places (little liquor shops in the Little Havana area, usually) have it for $2-$3 cheaper. (The oldtimers swear this is like the old Cuban rum, as opposed to the "regular" stuff which is "rum flavored vodka.")

I recommended pretty much for those cocktails of the Spanish Caribbean -- classic daiquiris, mojitos, etc. -- and where the recipe specifically calls for a white PR/Cuban rum. ("English" and "French" Caribbean rums, to me, aren't shown to best advantage in the lighter, simpler Cuban classics, except for Doorly's 3 year old, which isn't quite everywhere.

My guess is the TW in Melbourne can order the Bacardi Heritage for you if they don't stock it.

-J.

PS If you're making daiquiris, mojitos, etc. for a CROWD (operative word there) Cruzan Light is your best bet, at $16 for a 1.75L bottle!

[ Edited by: jokeiii 2014-07-23 12:16 ]

ive always perfered captain morgan over bacardi

[ Edited by: Jay4 2014-07-23 12:33 ]

On 2014-07-23 12:28, Jay4 wrote:
ive always perfered captain morgan over bacardi

That's a little like saying you prefer getting kicked in the balls over a slap upside the head. :)

Heheheheh, go easy on Jay4. He's new here, just joined in Feb 2014.

Jay4, stick around here and you'll learn more about why "Bacardi" and "Captain Morgan" are generally considered bottom-shelf rums. Trust us when we say that there is much better stuff out there for the same or just a little bit more (or less) cost.

Cheers!

"I'm not a drunk - I'm an alcohol enthusiast!"

I've been curious how good DonQ is, given its another white Puerto Rican rum. Its typically on equal price point with Bacardi. I typically go Cruzan for a mixable white.

On 2014-07-23 13:37, AceExplorer wrote:
Heheheheh, go easy on Jay4. He's new here, just joined in Feb 2014.

Jay4, stick around here and you'll learn more about why "Bacardi" and "Captain Morgan" are generally considered bottom-shelf rums. Trust us when we say that there is much better stuff out there for the same or just a little bit more (or less) cost.

Cheers!

---

"I'm not a drunk - I'm an alcohol enthusiast!"

i guess im just not that much of a rum snob because captain morgan has always been fine to me

jokeiii thanks for the tip about Total Wine. I was at the Melbourne store a couple if weeks ago and did not see the Bacardi Heritage but I will certainly ask them to try and get it for me.

On 2014-07-23 14:43, Jay4 wrote:
i guess im just not that much of a rum snob because captain morgan has always been fine to me

I hope you know I was just teasing, Jay. Welcome aboard. I think you'll find that most people on here aren't rum snobs, although they do enjoy a good drink when they get one.

If millions of people didn't like Bacardi, they'd stop making it. But one of the wonderful things about rum is how much of it there is, in so many different styles and tastes. So you can spend a lifetime trying wonderful new things and never run out of material.

On 2014-07-23 14:57, Sunny&Rummy wrote:
jokeiii thanks for the tip about Total Wine. I was at the Melbourne store a couple if weeks ago and did not see the Bacardi Heritage but I will certainly ask them to try and get it for me.

It's VERY easy to miss, looks very similar to the "regular" Bacardí white rum if it's not in the "collectible tin." If the Melbourne store's website is to be trusted, it's currently in stock.