Favorite sipping rum (accompanied by a cigar)

I've done a search and, though there are several posts discussing favorite rums, I couldn't find anything specifically about high quality "sipping" rums. I have always enjoyed a good snifter of cognac with a cigar, but am starting to experiment with good aged rums. So far, I've had good results with Appleton Estate and Cruzan Single Barrel. This weekend, I think I'll try El Dorado 12 year old Demerara.
Any other suggestions?

Anyone try either of these?

Cohiba Rum

or

Montecristo Rum

Although I haven't tried either with a smoke, it seems alittle obvious to try 'em. Right?

Hoity-Toity Wanna Be

[ Edited by: tikimug on 2004-09-08 08:57 ]

While they may be decent rums, I've tried some of the cognacs and single malt scotches that were marketed to profit from the surge in cigar popularity to be pretty mediocre and overpriced- simply a merketing gimmick. I plan to give those a try, but they're not at the top of my list. Anybody out there who tried them already?

Barbancourt 15 year, Pyrat XO Reserve, Noa Noa Rhum Brun (Tahitian) are all great. cognac like sipping rums and go great with a cigar. I have not tried the Montecristo or Cohiba rums yet, but if the rums are anywhere near as good as the cigars are they must be spectacular. If the cohiba rum came with the redhead I'd drop everything and go get some today.

Sign me up!

I've never thought of pairing a cigar with rum - I stick to Oban or Bushmills. If it were me I would especially infuse a decent rum with pineapple and have it in a hi-ball (or lo-ball?) on ice.

Please, for the love of god, don't try a "rum-infused" or "rum-flavored" cigar.

On 2004-09-08 10:57, dangergirl299 wrote:
Sign me up!

I've never thought of pairing a cigar with rum - I stick to Oban or Bushmills. If it were me I would especially infuse a decent rum with pineapple and have it in a hi-ball (or lo-ball?) on ice.

Please, for the love of god, don't try a "rum-infused" or "rum-flavored" cigar.

Oban is my absolute favorite single malt. Infused cigars of any kind are to be avoided.

On 2004-09-08 09:40, PiPhiRho wrote:
Barbancourt 15 year, Pyrat XO Reserve, Noa Noa Rhum Brun (Tahitian) are all great. cognac like sipping rums and go great with a cigar. I have not tried the Montecristo or Cohiba rums yet, but if the rums are anywhere near as good as the cigars are they must be spectacular. If the cohiba rum came with the redhead I'd drop everything and go get some today.

Mmmmmmm...Barbancourt.

Cohiba and Montecristo - neither is worth the money really.

For sipping - PyratXO is awesome but my favorite is Ron Pampero Anniversario - the one in the leather pouch.

Plantation (any country) is terrific for sipping as well.

This Friday - we're tasting 7 year Flor De Cana, Ron Zacapa Cent., Ron Pampero and Cruzan single.

One of these days I'll post our crew's tasting journals we've been keeping for 3 years now.

I agree with Pablus' rec of Ron Pampero Anniversario. Other favorites for sipping are Ron Zacapo Centenario and Zaya. It also depends on the time of day. I prefer sweeter rums for after dinner sipping over dryer rums like Barbancourt 15-year, which are a little better before a meal.

[ Edited by: thejab on 2004-09-09 14:07 ]

I can't sip rum. It's a problem. Or, so I'm told.

Haven't had the Montecristo (can't afford it) but I do have the Cohiba" It's $11 a bottle, which should tell you that it's no good for sippin'

Zaya was on sale at Hi-Times on ITD! Woo Hoo! Victory!

I just tried RedRum's "VooDoo" Spiced Rum and I must say it was pretty good. Plus it came in a cool bottle!

Try the plantation rums. I had a long talk with my liquor store owner who is very knowledgable. A rum snob maybe even. The plantation rums are his top pick. He gave me the whole history of these rums, which I won't try to recount. $40 a bottle, but I would tend to think this guy knows his stuff. I have never heard anyone who knew as much as he did.

Come to think of it, I tried a planatation rum a while ago, and it was very good. I think it was from Barbados.

Santa Teresa 1796. Mighty fine sipping rum. Almost tastes like a top drawer bourbon. Very nice.

I can't say I care much for cigars--I find them to be akin to having a dry, burning piece of shit in my mouth, and the more expensive the cigar the more turd-like the flavor; Cuban cigars being the worst of the lot.

That said, I will give my recommendation for Lemon Hart Demerara Rum as a sipping rum. It has a rich, woody, almost tobacco-like smell and taste. It's my favorite rum overall, and would probably go quite well with a good cigar.

Been drinking a bit of the Nicaraguan 7 year-old Flor de Caña recently. Got it free from a neighbor who owns a nightclub and had a hurricane party in his front yard when we had no power. Mighty smooth. And you can't beat free...
I also enjoy Appleton Estate when I can get it.
I am staring at an 8 year aged bottle of Rhum Barbancourt that my new roomie brought over and placed in my Tiki bar. Unfortunately, it was a birthday present to him from a close friend and he hasn't cracked it open yet. Would be bad form for me to open it first. So I must wait.
Yes, my precious, I will wait...

Last night I had some 15 year Rhum Barbancourt, and it was excellent- almost cognac-like. I have some 8 year Barbancourt that I use to mix with, but I tried some straight to compare to the 15 year. I was somewhat surprised to find that there was not that much of a difference. If money is an issue, the 8 year makes a very fine sipping rum.

[ Edited by: Urban Tiki on 2004-09-17 07:50 ]

At the Bev-More near my house they had some high test Haitian Rum on sale for 4.99 a flagon. I bought some to clean paint brushes(It was so cheap)...it turned out to be excellant.

Soft slightly wood to vanilla, no burn, no aftertaste...I took it camping, it was quaffed, and when I went back to buy a case, it was gone.

It went perfect with a Fuente "Short Story"

I don't even remember the name...the point of this is..there are some real treasures that are not topshelf names.

[ Edited by: Gigantalope on 2004-09-17 08:24 ]

On 2004-09-17 08:22, Gigantalope wrote:
I don't even remember the name...the point of this is..there are some real treasures that are not topshelf names.

[ Edited by: Gigantalope on 2004-09-17 08:24 ]

I agree. I think rum is a relative bargain, compared to other liquors. For example, my favorite cognac is Delamaine Vesper at $120 a bottle. The 15 year Barbancourt is $25 and quite tasty. For martinis, I get $30 bottles of Bombay Sapphire- for martikis, I use $11 bottles of white Rhum Barbancourt and like it better.

When it comes to rum&cigars I recommend the 12 year Coruba cigar blend.
My favorite sipping Rum right now is the Botran 1893 Solera.
I'm not a big "agricole rum" fan. There are some fine Rums from Martinique but I don't like Barbancourt too much.

El Dorado 15 year old special rum gets my vote, but I've not had the opportunity to do a real taste test comparing sipping rums.

Just looking at the website and it seems to have been voted best rum in the world a few times.

"Then in 1999, 2000 and 2001, the 15 years old Special Reserve rum was judged Best Rum in the World, won the Wray and Nephew Trophy and is today known as the world's only rum to achieve such a feat."

Trader Woody

On 2004-09-17 07:49, Urban Tiki wrote:
Last night I had some 15 year Rhum Barbancourt, and it was excellent- almost cognac-like. I have some 8 year Barbancourt that I use to mix with, but I tried some straight to compare to the 15 year. I was somewhat surprised to find that there was not that much of a difference. If money is an issue, the 8 year makes a very fine sipping rum.

[ Edited by: Urban Tiki on 2004-09-17 07:50 ]

I'm still new to the sipping rums. I almost bought some of the 15 year, but got the 8 year instead. Not disapointing at all, and pretty cheap! Try it with a little fresh lime.

Barcardi Ocho Anos is nice.

Appleton Estate makes a great one too!

Tonight, Quince_at_Danny's and I were hanging out at my basement bar, enjoying a nice fire in the fireplace, a sparkling Christmas tree in the corner, sexy Mrs Quince knitting beside the fire, Eddie Arnold records on the console, and a game of cribbage at the bar. We tried sipping a bottle of Extra Old St. James Rhum.

It was excellent, though very "woody," almost Bourbon like. It crossed my mind to try and make a Manhattan with it some day -- that's how much like Bourbon it was.

Just would like to say THANKS to the posters at Tiki Central that gave us the idea to try a sipping session.

I, Zombie

HI, Zombie,
I wouldn't recommend "agricole rums" (rums made from sugar-cane juice instead of molasses) for sipping unless you're on the beach of Martinique. There are some exciting agricole rums like "Trois Rivieres" but they're rather expensive. Try a "Mount Gay Extra Old (Barbados)" or "Inner Circle (Australia)" Rum if you like the woody flavor.

My favorite sipping rum huh? Well...

I like Angostura 1919 with a little ice cold water and an ice cube or two. Clean and soft with delicate hints of vanilla.

Pyrat Reserve XO or whatever the hell they call it is good. I enjoy it as they recommend: on ice with a lemon twist. Smells and tastes of sugar cookies and butterscotch.

MG Extra Old (mentioned above) is nice, but I actually prefer the Sugar Cane Brandy. Makes a great ti punch IMHO.

Matusalem Gran Reserva is nice and holds up well to a cigar. Has a bit of heat to it which I like this time of year. In fact, that'd be my pick for smoking and drinking.

Cruzan Single Barrel is awfully nice for the price.

Sorry to ramble...I've got a lot of favorites.

Ahu

kaiserstyle

Haven't tried the "Inner Circle (Australia)" Rum you mention. I'll have to keep a look out for it. Thanks for the tip!

I have some Mt. Gay Extra Old, so I'll try that next time as well.

I have to say, though, that Extra Old St James is pretty special.

Hello all...
Found a store here in Orlando that has over 100 types of Rum, many of them extremely hard-to-find including:

Flor de Caña (4, 7, and 18 year)
Ron Barcelo
El Dorado Demerara (5, 12, 15 year)
Santa Teresa 1796 Solera (mixed age)
Prichard's
Wray & Nephew White Overproof (126 proof for those that can't handle 151)
Appleton Estates
Goslings
Chacacha
10 Cane Rum
Ron Matusalem
Toucano (by Ypioca)
Pyrat (and Pyrat XO)
Angosture Rum
Sea Wynde
Ron Zacapa Centenario
Rhum Barbancourt (multiple ages)
Mount Gay Tricentennial (only 300 bottles made)

His pricing is pretty good, but for the older stuff it can get pretty high (as to be expected). The Mount Gay Tricentennial was $500, but it was the last bottle still for sale anywhere...

Joseph's Liquor & Fine Wine (407) 351-4470

Me? I picked up a 23 year old Ron Zacapa Centenario from Guatemala.

Will be saving it for the Hukilau...
Pablus? Kona? Wanna try some?

Mmmm...Zacapa.

I just tried a quite nice rum from Barbados called Doorly's. Keep an eye out for it.

You can try the Mt. Gay Tricentennial at SF Vic's. $62 for a 2 oz pour.

Come when I'm working and I'll offer the TC discount price of $50.

we were just given a bottle of the el dorado 25 year millinium special edition (only 2000 of these exist) as a gift for stadin up in a wedding (the benzart ringed tom and melissa wedding in jamaica no less!)and im affraid to open it, but its killin me!....also my wife got me a bottle of the appleton 21 year for christmas....what a christmas!

I've tried a lot of different rums, strictly for sipping. I find that Zacapa is a very good rum, and goes down smooth, but doesn't have a lot of flavor, aside from the alcohol. It reminds me of high end vodka. You don't really taste much. Pyrat XO is pretty flavorful, and so is Zaya. In fact, I think that the two rums taste almost the same, though I've never put them side by side. I think El Dorado is good rum, but not great for sipping. I like Zacapa better. El Dorado is however, very nice in a mai tai.
Sailor Jerry is very cheap, but has a hint of something like cherry, maybe cough syrup :). With the right cigar, it could be good. It doesn't come close to most of the other high quality rums, but the interesting flavor makes it noteworthy.

I like the El Dorado 12yo even better than the 15 yo.

And i am also very fond of Maltecoron 15yo from Guatamala.
Vanilla, cacao and honey.

TikiJosh,
By all means, try them side by side (Pyrat XO and Zaya). I like the Zaya quite a bit more. The Pyrat's too fruity for me, though I will choke it down (he he). Reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum. Zaya's just plain smoooothe.

JTD

What, you're encouraging me to drink? Not a bad idea, at that. Zaya is definitely one fine rum, though. Possibly my favorite. There's a local place that was selling bottles of pyrat for $20, so it's a bit hard to beat the price.

Wait til you guys try Oronoco...keep an eye out for this gem.

Do you know of a place that usually carries it?

Haven't seen it retail yet- was just rolled out in NYC, SF and LA two months ago. Found it at the Redwood Room in SF last night.

Well, ought to arrive in these parts by 2010, but I'll keep an eye out just in case. Thanks.

I tried some Pusser's last night. Not bad at all. As a shot, on the rocks and British Navy style: a shot in about 5-6oz. of water (grog?). Good any way you drink it. A bit stiffer than your average rum. A lot of rum gets drunk here in the Vortex, gotta expand my horizons with some of the suggestions you folks have made.

I admit that my rum tasting is fairly limited, but I can now safely say that my 2 fav tasting sipping rums I've had so far are Ron Diplomatico from Venezuela (slightly sweet, but not too with a great after taste) and Lemon Hart Demarera (after the initial hit, the buttery aftertaste lingers wonderfully).

Third fav to sip, Ron Viejo de Caldas 8 year. Caramel aftertaste but not overly strong.

Just tried Ron Diplomatico today. Really nice rum for a really nice price.

[ Edited by: I dream of tiki 2006-04-10 12:19 ]

I really like the Pyrat XO, not as a sipping rum though...really good with Diet Coke and a lime. Zaya 12 year is tasty by itelf, but the best sipping rum that I have found so far is the Mount Gay Extra Old. A little pricey, but can't go wrong. Big fan.

On 2006-04-10 11:10, sutherland_a wrote:
I really like the Pyrat XO, not as a sipping rum though...really good with Diet Coke and a lime. Zaya 12 year is tasty by itelf, but the best sipping rum that I have found so far is the Mount Gay Extra Old. A little pricey, but can't go wrong. Big fan.

Diet Coke? Well if your gonna consume stuff like that then you must try the new Coke Zero. Or is that Zero Coke. Either way it's still a huge improvement.

I tried Mount Gay Cenntenial last weekend, wow! that has some awesome flavours going on.

On 2004-09-07 14:01, Urban Tiki wrote:
I've done a search and, though there are several posts discussing favorite rums, I couldn't find anything specifically about high quality "sipping" rums. I have always enjoyed a good snifter of cognac with a cigar, but am starting to experiment with good aged rums. So far, I've had good results with Appleton Estate and Cruzan Single Barrel. This weekend, I think I'll try El Dorado 12 year old Demerara.
Any other suggestions?

Rhum Barbancourt 15 Year Special... without a doubt the finest Rum on the planet. I break it out every now and then, or when special guests come over to the pad.

Sunday some buds came over for steaks and stogies. We enjoyed Cask Strength Havana Club and Rocky Patel Conneticuts afterward. Sweeeeet!