What is Your favorite Rum?

I know that there are different rums for different drinks, but on the whole what would be the one rum you just could not live without. Either a favorite or most used rum.

Thank U, Drive Thru

without a doubt...
Rhum Barbancourt
...like liquid sex!

favorite I have tried: Myers' Legend

favorites I use regularly for cocktails:
Havana Club white (when I can get it),
Appleton Estate VX (for gold rum)

most want to try:
Ron Zacapa Centenario

It would depend on what I was making. We go through a lot of Bacardi gold and silver for mixed, bacardi 8 for highballs, Bacardi Solara 1878 or Pyrate for sipping.

http://www.tikiking.com Neat Tiki Stuff
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[ Edited by: Tiki King on 2002-09-25 16:39 ]

My favorite rum has got to be the Appleton Estate in the fancy bottle - still haven't had the extra cash to shell out for the Appleton 21 year-old stuff but, it's got to be good.

I used to go through a lot of Bacardi silver and Captain Morgan for making cocktails but ever since I bought the Grog Log and Intoxica that has changed - I am in the process of tracking down the various rums mentioned in the books and plan on recreating the recipes exactly as printed from now on - I just got my special order for Lemon Hart Demarara today...got my eye on the Rhum Barbancourt next!

:drink:

Just Cool!!

JohnTiki

Greetings to all from The Pi Yi Lenai in luxurious Bel Air Maryland!

[ Edited by: johntiki on 2002-09-25 17:12 ]

Lately, I've been digging the Ron Anejo Anniversario Pampero rum. This stuff is hard to get, though.

Someone mentioned Appleton - that's good too. I want to say that Trader Vic used rum from a brand that was eventually absorbed by the Appleton estate, so Appleton seems closest to what Vic used.

Demarara(sp?) is a fave.

Sailor Jerry Rum has that cool Hula Girl on the bottle, so it looks good in the Tiki Bar...

Not big on rum, but my favorite island drink would have to be a Scorpion, The Hale Hawaii in Torrance makes the best around.

My favorite Rum?. The one that comes in a bottle and mixes well with coke. I agree with The Jab, that list is some good stuff.
Al

[ Edited by: Alnshely on 2002-09-25 20:39 ]

If it comes in a plastic bottle, that's great. No, but really I would have to say Habana Club.

Cockspur is an excellent golden rum with a mellow flavor that's good enough to drink straight. For dark rum I love the surprisingly inexpensive Saratoga ($10 in Wash.). It's smooth and has a deep, complex, spicy flavor that blends beautifully with tropical juices (Saratoga and pineapple juice is great). If cooking/baking I recommend Meyer's. It stands up to the heat and you can really taste a true rum flavor in whatever it's used in.

very nice poll. quite fitting for the myriad of tropical drinks that rum is the staple.

myers for the drinks
goslings for sipping
brother's overproof for getting crazy (plus it is only 4 bones/750 ml in BVI)

pusser's for ....what else... painkillers to nurse that tropical hangover

j

Koko Kanu coconut rum. Straight up, straight from the freezer (purists will no doubt heave at the very thought). I don't normally have a sweet tooth, but this stuff is nectar. I used to have to buy crates of it from the importers (Wray & Nephew) but you can buy it in a couple of places in London now. Otherwise - the Havana Club (3yo if I can get it) is what goes in my Mojito Royales.

I dunno...call me a purist, but to me there's sipping rum and mixing rum....And I wouldn't waste a good, say, Appleton Estate in a Scorpion Bowl...If I had a lifetime supply of one rum....it's probably be Myer's Dark...To me it goes best with Coke, Fruit juices...Hot Buttered Rum...Toddies...desserts, etc....Grey

Woofmut recomended Saratoga, another great inexpensive rum is Old Mill $9.99. I see it in Grocery stores.
Al

Sipping: Pyrat XO, Cruzan Single Barrel Estate, Barbancourt Aged.
I actually thought the Appleton 21 year was a little harsh and a pinch overrated when I tried it in the islands. The Havana Club 7 is pretty good as well.

Mixer: Nothing wrong with Bacardi, but if you were at my party, you saw that I pour the good stuff when called for. (Lemon Hart regular and 151, Rhum St. James, Appleton Estate, etc.)

-martin

Martin offered a great list. I also have a bottle of the Rhum St. James when I want to make an original Mai Tai with Martinique rum.

As far as the Barbancourt, once I bought a bottle each of 3-star, 5-star, and the Estate Reserve and did a comparison. I found the 3-star was fine for mixing, and the 5-star was a great buy as I found it to be almost as good as the Estate, at almost half the price! So, I would go for the 5-star next time.

Another taste test I recently tried was Bacardi light, followed by Myers's Platinum (their light rum), and then Havana Club light. And the winner is ....... Havana Club! The Myers's was very close but the Bacardi tasted quite harsh by itself.

woofmutt wrote:
Cockspur is an excellent golden rum with a mellow flavor that's good enough to drink straight.

Ah Cockspur, my introduction to the wonders of rum. Years ago a group of us
went to Barbados from our Geography dept at university, and it wasn't long before
we ventured out from the research institute where we were staying. A rum shack
was set up across the road, and we wandered over, rather unsure if this was wise
or not, and started talking to the locals. Their Bajan accent was incedibly thick, and
took some getting used to. One of my friends misheard the man his was talking to,
and thought he'd just been warned that it 'was a trap'. Paranoia took over as word got
round that we might be in some danger, and my immediate reaction was to get a drink.
I bought a small bottle of Cockspur, and had difficulty in opening it. I looked up to see
one of the guys from behind the counter coming out with a machete in his hand.
My immediate thought was that those were my final moments, until he grabbed the bottle
from my hand and proceeded to expertly open it with the machete!

The Cockspur went down incredibly well after all that, and it wasn't long before
were getting along with the locals like old pals. Great stuff, that Cockspur.

Trader Woody

I actually thought the Appleton 21 year was a little harsh and a pinch overrated when I tried it in the islands. The Havana Club 7 is pretty good as well.
-martin

At a bar, never trust that what's on the label is what's in the bottle. I remember a mixology teacher telling us the best way to up profits was to refill a bottle of Bailey's with O'Darby's and the same with any other liquor. He said this is common practice in Ontario and everywhere else he's been behind the bar.

Pyrat XO is definitely my favorite sipping Rum. Anguilla (where the Rum is made) is also my favorite Caribbean island. Get your hands on the Jamaican beverage called Ting (grapefuit soda) and mix with Pyrat "Pistol" over ice. Yum!!!

I like the kind with alcohol in it.

And if it's free!!!

TikiGuy-

Good advice, but I was sipping it in an upscale shop that wanted me to buy it, so I'm sure I tried the real thing. Also- try this newish rum that's out these days called Sea Wynde. Very nice.

And: Just got a bottle of the new product from RedRum, VooDoo Rum, it's spiced and has a tiki on the label. It looks great in your bar, and is solid in Coke, but isn't quite as tasty as the Sailor Jerry spiced rum.

-martin

I haven't gotten into rum as a sipping alcohol yet, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time. I've heard good things about Pyrat Pistol, but I haven't tried it myself. I got a bottle of Cruzan Clipper 120 as a birthday gift last week. Hooowhee! I just tried some; I suppose it's smooth for being 60% alcohol.

Here's a bar devoted to rum in the heart of South London. 300 different rums to try....I guess you could get through them all in a year if you visited once a week.

I'd be flabbergasted if there weren't similar bars in the US. Anyone know of any?

http://www.brixtonian.co.uk/pages/about.htm

Trader Woody

Isn't there a place called Rum Jungle at Mandalay Bay in Vegas? A friend of mine said they had a huge rum selection. Other than that, I know nothing about it.

Yes, the Rum Jungle at Mandalay Bay has a huge rum selection. They are a bit expensive, but I've never seen a better selection in the US. The mixed drinks are cruddy- too sticky sweet and weak. The food looks very very good, but I didn't have time. The interior is ultra-sleek and contemporary- it's cool, but it sure ain't tiki. At night it becomes a lousy nightclub with bouncers and velvet ropes and all that crap that vegas seems to love. ("Ladies night! If you have big tits, and your skirt wouldn't even normally qualify as a belt, then you get in free!!!") etc....

-martin

Rum Jungle in Vegas did give me my first taste of Stroh 80. 160 proof Austrian Rum. It will certainly clean your teeth. The go go dancers at night are cool. Suspended by wires dancing on top of a 20 ft high glass bar shelf. The bar is tiered. At each tiered section there are 50 ft high glass panels with water running through them. At night the dudes pay $20.00 cover the lady's are free.

In San Francisco there's a bar in the Haight called Hobson's Choice. They might not have 300 but they have plenty of fine rums and they make a house punch every day.

http://www.hobsonschoice.com/

First free rum is the best!

Then cheap rum!

Finally drinkable rum!

Really I just got the Cruzan Banana and it is great, either as a shot or mixed into whatever you like.

The Rhum Barbancourt is probably one of the best one ones I've had. It really is a fantastic all around Rum.

You just gotta take my word and go get this rum:

Flor De Cana, Extra Dry 4 year old. Mixes beautifully and can be sipped straight. Great with just a dash of lime.

Flor De Cana 7 year old amber is the best Mojito mixer I've ever come across.

My favorite sipping rum is Anniversario Ron Anejo from Venezuela. It has a rich caramely flavor, with a wonderful warm mouth feel and just the right amount of heat to rival a fine cognac. It's barrel aged and has nuances of oak. We, in Southern California, only get about 24 bottles shipped in from the distributor each year. Seems Vendome Liquors in Toluca Lake has cornered this year's shipment and sold it off to a waiting list. I was in there yesterday and much to my surprise, there were four bottles not spoken for on their shelf. One went home with me, but there are three more waiting to be enjoyed. Look for it in its distinctive leather pouch. Mmmm...

Here's a nice little tipple for those who like to drink their rum pirate-style. It comes from a very old pub called The Bell
and they call it 'Winter Auberges', as it's meant for the colder months of the year. The recipe is very simple....just add two
measures of ginger wine to one measure of dark rum. They specified Crabbes ginger wine and Capt Morgan's dark rum, but I imagine it would be vastly improved with a decent demerara. You may want to experiment
with the measures, too.

Not really one for the Tiki bar, but as the nights get cold it'll warm you up and have you singing sea shanties in no time.

Trader Woody

Someone has to speak up for Mount Gay. they have a "gold" verion too, don't they? Regardless-- it will always have a special place in my heart. And drinks.

eric

Just had the opportunity to try the full Wray & Nephew range. Obviously a pleasure rather than a trial. While the rums are well known and highly rated, it was intersting to give their 'Rum Cream' a go. I guess they were pitching it at the 'Baileys' market, (You have Bailey's in the US?) as it's a sweet, thick, n'bcreamy rum combo.

Sadly, it's not as nice as it sounds. They use their overproof rum rather than their classy stuff, and the overproof over-rides the other tastes. Saying that, it's very sweet too, and there's a strong faux-butterscotch taste which soon kicks in. You soon find your taste buds fighting over sugar, artificial flavours, and the lingering taste of the overproof. A shame really as this could have worked with a smoother rum and more subtle ingredients.

Trader Woody

the very best rum is FREE RUM!!!!!!!!!!!

You guys are gonna crucify me, but I have always loved good old dark Myer's (has sort of a single malt character). Bharbancourt would run a close second. And I have even tried a lot of rums (I have worked at two bars) but keep coming back to it. Redrum is pretty damned tasty, too. But Myer's for me.

Nothin' wrong with Myer's, man! Everyone has different tastebuds, so drink up and enjoy!

Cheers,

Uncle Arty

My current rum of choice is Mount Gay Barbados Sugar Cane Rum (also apparently labelled "Sugar Cane Brandy" in some areas...) Far and away the best rum I've ever had: simply excellent by itself or as the key ingredient to the best Mai Tai this side of Trader Vic's!
Myers's is an excellent dark rum (though Whaler's is a close second).
Can't argue with Appleton Estate, either, and have yet to taste a better demerara than Lemon Hart.

I've got quite a few rums on my Christmas list (hoping friends/family/Santa patronize Hi-Time this year!), including Mount Gay Extra Old, Barbancourt 15 year, Pyrat Pistol, Cruzan Estate Single Barrel, Monte Christo and Metusalem Gran Reserve. Anybody have any comments on any of these?

I have a fifth of Whaler's on the bar shelf. It's a good mixer.

I ashamedly have to agree with Myers'.

Whatever works, right?

My fave would have to be Sailor Jerry rum because of the hula dancer on the label. For taste I like coconut rum and Captain Morgan spiced rum.

Right now, I am drinking generic rum b/c I am dirt poor. And you know what? I can't tell the difference! If you're making cocktails, what difference does it make? It's not like you're going to taste it, really.

Begin flaming me... NOW!

To some extent, you're right, Trader Rick. There are some cocktails where the other ingredients are so overpowering that the subtleties of a decent rum are lost. Plus, when you are down to your last few bucks, a generic rum is usually better than no rum at all. Perhaps Tiki Centralites could pitch in a few 'cheap rum' reviews!

Trader Woody

we've been sippin' on redrum's new voodoo spiced, wont even know its in there til you stand up :) bacardi is also a close friend ;P

Goslings also makes a good, charactered dark.

A warning regarding my earlier comment about generic rum. Don't overdo it, as it packs a stronger hangover than name brand rum. Boy, do you find THAT out the hard way!

Of course, if you drink responsibly, you'll be fine.

I found this older thread and wanted to add a few to the list.

Brugal Anejo is usually rated among the top ten by the people who do such things.

For the price - it's my personal favorite and makes a terrific scorpion, mai tai... heck, all of it.

I have an affinity for Pusser's - the stronger one - since I got these nifty little tin cups from the factory store in Tortola.

The Coyopa isn't bad - but you're paying for that cool bottle that plays a video thingy on the label with some island music. I mean, you gotta have that in the bar even if you fill it with hooch.

It's smooth, though - the Coyopa - and places high in the tastings we have here at The Lagoon.

Thanks for the tips on Havana Club, I have a buddy who gets Cuban merchandise here in Tampa and has children that I can take hostage 'til he delivers.

Arrrrr.
(licensed Tiki-subculture lingo)

Anyone tried the Cohiba Rum?