good white rum

Eagerly awaiting the arrival of a bottle of Havana Club 3. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up with the rest of my white rums.

I tried to special order a bottle of Bicardi a Heritage, but was told they only made it for a short time and it was no longer available. My go-to white rum has lately been Caliche (Puerto Rican), but have also been pouring Privateer Rum from Ipswich, Ma.

My new Top 5:

• Havana Club Anejo 3 Años (Cuba) - 3.5
• Havana Club Añejo Blanco (Cuba) - 3.3
• Plantation 3 Stars (Jamaica/Barbados/Trinidad) - 3.2
• Papa's Pilar Blonde (Central America/Caribbean) - 3.0
• Flor de Cana Extra Dry (Nicaragua) - 2.9

Anejo 3 Años is nothing like the crisp and light Añejo Blanco. It has a woody, even spicy flavor more akin to Plantation 3 Stars. It makes a wonderful Daiquiri and edges out the others by a slight margin.

I am finding this thread, somewhat racist....

[ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2015-01-11 22:57 ]

On 2015-01-11 22:56, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:
I am finding this thread, somewhat racist....

[ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2015-01-11 22:57 ]

Not enough blue food coloring?

I just looked and Applebee's doesn't serve a Mai Tai.

What a tool.

On 2015-01-12 19:38, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:
What a tool.

Thats not polite. I just came here to say how much I enjoyed your YouTube video on making a maitai: http://youtu.be/9ieHWcvaZl4

Come on guys ... let's not move the fight to yet another thread. :music: Let it go! :music:

Back to the topic at hand ...

I finally found a bottle of Bacardi Heritage in the back corner of an obscure store I rarely check out:

I will put it to the test and see how it stacks up against the mighty Havana Club white rums mentioned above.

In the same store, I also found a dusty bottle of Brugal Ron Blanco Especial, which I don't think is even available in the U.S. anymore (it's not listed on the Brugal USA website). It comes highly touted (by AdOrAdam), so I'm looking forward to seeing how this compares. And to complete the trifecta, I also picked up The Real McCoy 3 white, which I've been seeking for several years.

Daiquiris are in the works.

picked up a bottle of Papa's Pilar blonde for $15 from the clearance rack at Winn Dixie. bottle says 3 yrs solera blended, finished in sherry casks.

tried it neat, tastes very smooth, hints of oak, lots of vanilla, too sweet for me- this tastes more like a spiced rum than a spanish-style white rum.

still need to try it out in a few cocktails...

I got a little sidetracked, obviously, but a few recent purchases brought me back to ranking all my white mixing rums. My biggest take-away: I own entirely too many white mixing rums.

So without further adieu, here are the white rums rated 2.5 or higher (on a 1-5 scale). For comparison's sake, my overall No. 1 is Lemon Hart 151 (4.4).

• Havana Club Anejo 3 Años (Cuba) – 3.5
• Havana Club Añejo Blanco (Cuba) – 3.3
• Plantation 3 Stars (Jamaica/Barbados/Trinidad) – 3.2
• Bacardi Heritage/1909 (Puerto Rico) – 3.1
• Denizen (Jamaica/Trinidad) – 3.0
• Papa’s Pilar Blonde (Central America/Caribbean) – 3.0
• Bacardi Maestro Gran Reserva (Puerto Rico) – 3.0
• Flor de Cana Extra Dry (Nicaragua) – 2.9
• Brugal Ron Blanco Especial (Dominican Republic) – 2.9
• The Real McCoy 3 (U.S. via Barbados) – 2.9
• Cruzan Estate Light (U.S. Virgin Islands) – 2.8
• Don Q Cristal (Puerto Rico) – 2.8
• Mount Gay Eclipse Silver (Barbados) – 2.8
• Mount Gay Special Reserve (Barbados) – 2.8
• Tanduay Silver (Philippines) – 2.8
• Wicked Dolphin Silver (Florida) – 2.8
• Clement Premiere Canne (Martinique) – 2.7
• Doorly’s Macaw (Barbados) – 2.7
• Ron Matusalem Platino (Dominican Republic) – 2.7
• Tommy Bahama White Sand (Barbados) – 2.7
• Appleton White (Jamaica) – 2.6
• El Dorado Superior (Guyana) – 2.5
• Vizcaya Cristal (Dominican Republic) – 2.5

Bacardi Maestro Gran Reserva is new. It's Bacardi's "super premium" mixing rum. I actually like the 89-proof Heritage a little better. The extra proof gives it some extra kick. Here's a good article that breaks down all the Barcardi whites:
http://www.alcademics.com/2015/05/the-difference-between-all-those-bacardi-white-rums.html

They still can't touch Havana Club, of course. And I also picked up a bottle of Bacardi's Havana Club (U.S. release), which of course is rubbish. It didn't even make this list, along with a few other bottom-shelf whites (Trader Vic's, Ron Carlos, et al.) I find it hard to believe Captain Morgan White is worthy, but I may have to give it a try just out of curiosity.

Okole maluna!

I’ve been using Meyer’s Platnium or Ballast Pt. White in my Mojitos and Daiquiris. Very tasty.
Cheers

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2015-10-20 21:45 ]

Oronoco from Brazil. Never for mixing, but for sipping. Yes, it's a sippable white rum. Too bad Diageo stopped making it.

Heyward-- I don't see El Dorado 3 yr old on your list-- that would be in my top 3 for sure.

I find Havana Club Añejo Blanco very harsh, and rate it much lower. The Papa Pilar Blonde tastes almost like a spiced rum to me, I rate it very low.

I rate the Tanduay much higher. I'd also put Matusalem a bit higher on my list.

El Dorado 3 is high on my list to try next. I've rarely seen it in stores around here, but just spotted it in Total Wine so I may be adding it soon. The ratings are almost purely based on how they compare in a daiquiri since I'm not a fan of sipping white rums neat. That may account for some placing higher or lower.

On 2015-10-21 23:35, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
El Dorado 3 is high on my list to try next. I've rarely seen it in stores around here, but just spotted it in Total Wine so I may be adding it soon. The ratings are almost purely based on how they compare in a daiquiri since I'm not a fan of sipping white rums neat. That may account for some placing higher or lower.

gotcha! i mostly sip neat, and then decide if they're mixers or sippers!

i dont think my TW has had the ED3- ive gotten that from a whole in the wall liquor store. worth the purchase when you find it!

The PC police think this thread is racist.....

The PC police can sip on this ...

LoL!

but, that's no way to talk about Plant City's finest...

:lol: :lol: :lol:

My top 3 white rums (non-overproof):

• Oronoco — really miss this rum, even as expensive as it was!
• Banks 5 Island — the little bit of Batavia Arrack in the mix gives this some amazingly deep flavors
• El Dorado 3 Year — great top shelf mixing rum

The first two on the list are perfectly sippable, they make you forget white rums are not supposed to be for sipping.

Sunny&Rummy, great post, I didn't know you were also a fan of Oronoco. I found what I think was the last case of 1.75 liter bottles in Memphis, and hired a trucking company to ship the case to my work. It was pretty funny when the big rig arrived at my work to deliver a case of booze!

Yes, few white rums are truly sippable. I will look for the Banks 5, your suggestion is appreciated.

Sunny&Rummy, great suggestions. Cana Brava is the other one I've got my sights set on.

AceExplorer, that's dedication my friend. What would it take to pry one of those bottles out of your grasp?

On 2015-10-22 22:41, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
The PC police can sip on this ...

Hurc, I dunno how I missed this- I’m having trouble using my keyboard. I’m bursting out in laughter when I try to concentrate. Sorry Lance, but It is funny.
Cheers all

Oh, no David, it is funny! I hope no one took my remark seriously.

I had a Cana Brava daiquiri the other night and it was the best daiquiri I've ever had.

Back to the whites.... Hurricane did you every try Cana Brava?
I've been using the following:

SelvaRey (recommend by Chad at Bootlegger Tiki)

Plantation 3 year

Flor de Cana (for drinks where the white will be overshadowed anyway)

Eldorado 3

I like all of them.

Plantation seems to mix great in the fruity drinks. SelvaRey makes a really nice daiquiri. But the one I need is Cana Brava. I only had it once but it was fantastic. I see a few people using it in the "what are you drinking now" topic, but I can't find it at my local TotalWine. Might have to go down to Hi Time for a bottle. What do you all think?

I’ll have to try that SalvaRey-never tried a Panamanian rum.Most whites,imo, don’t have a lotta flavor. Since you’ve been messing with “Barrels O’ Rum” try Meyer’s Platnium or Blue Chair White. More flavorful than most whites without a strong alcohol taste.
Cheers

Flor de Cana has always been my go to but lately I've been experimenting with Cana Brava and Plantation 3 year with great success. I just spotted the Denizen white here locally and was wondering if anyone had an opinion on it. I'm a big fan of their Merchant Reserve.

My top three white rums are: Cana Brava, SelvaRey, and Denizen. I also use Don Q Cristal when I want something more neutral. Cana Brava really is exceptional and it is usually my go-to when I'm inventing new drinks.

The Denizen white rum is quite good. I've only had one bottle of it but I'd buy it again in a heartbeat if I saw it on a shelf. For some reason it and the Plantation 3-year are not easily found at any of my locals.

Diplomatico recently did a tasting at Cask and I have to say: their Blanco Reserva might be the best white rum I've ever sipped on. Absolutely delicious stuff.

Finally got a bottle of Cana Brava! What are the best showcase drinks for it, besides the classic Daiquiri?

On 2016-03-22 21:58, wupput wrote:
Finally got a bottle of Cana Brava! What are the best showcase drinks for it, besides the classic Daiquiri?

Try it in a rum Saturn (regular Saturn recipe, but with rum instead of gin). It's great in drinks with delicate flavors since it's quite smooth and you don't really need to hide the alcohol. I almost used it in my Test Pilot last night, but decided not to waste it on something where it wouldn't shine. Ended up using Don Q Cristal instead.

Believe it or not Don Q provides a very smooth mojito.

On 2016-03-23 06:04, JenTiki wrote:

On 2016-03-22 21:58, wupput wrote:
Finally got a bottle of Cana Brava! What are the best showcase drinks for it, besides the classic Daiquiri?

Try it in a rum Saturn (regular Saturn recipe, but with rum instead of gin). It's great in drinks with delicate flavors since it's quite smooth and you don't really need to hide the alcohol. I almost used it in my Test Pilot last night, but decided not to waste it on something where it wouldn't shine. Ended up using Don Q Cristal instead.

I always feel bad saying I use Havana Club rums when you can't get em, I use Havana Club 3 in most tiki drinks but there are a few were it really sings - I'd love to know what you think of Cana Brava I these drinks:

• Sumatra Kula
• Hawaiia Kai Treasure (actually a cheaper Orgeat works better)

Also don't forget the Cuban Classics, Havana Club 3 also improves them:

• Cuba Libre
• Diaquiri
• Mojito
• Hemingway Diaquiri

Cheers! :)