Lemon Hart 151 question

Sorry it took me a minute to reply. Trader Morts in shelter island right before you get to Bali Hai. They just restocked, it is the red label 151, but they also found the regular Lemonhart with the tan label. I was really excited about that. I believe that the red label is not the same as the original, but I hope it is close. At least someone is keeping it alive...

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2012-08-20 13:34 ]

On 2012-08-20 13:33, lunavideogames wrote:
Sorry it took me a minute to reply. Trader Morts in shelter island right before you get to Bali Hai. They just restocked, it is the red label 151, but they also found the regular Lemonhart with the tan label. I was really excited about that. I believe that the red label is not the same as the original, but I hope it is close. At least someone is keeping it alive...

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2012-08-20 13:34 ]

Does anyone know if Trader Morts usually stocks Lemonheart? I picked some up yesterday and that was the first time I ever noticed it there. I don't go there on a very consistant basis so it's possible they are just out when I've stopped by in the past.

thanks,
SK

I bought some there a couple of years ago, but it wasn't in a special display like this. It was just a few bottles on the shelf with the other rums.

Yeah, I go here every few months to grab it. I always ask if they are out if they are going to keep carrying it. The owner tells me that they will. I don't know about the regular but the 151 for sure. This was the first time that they had the non 151, and this special display was just for Tiki Oasis. They try to be very tiki friendly by carrying mugs and mixers and a few other items. They get a lot of publicity from the tiki magazine.

For what it's worth, it sounds like the southern California distributor for Lemon Hart and El Dorado ran across some old stock of LH 80 and it's popping up here and there. I bought 6 bottles this afternoon today at Van Nuys Wine & Liquor Depot, and it sounded like they had a little more. It might be a good time to check around if you're missing the 80.

Kevin

On 2012-08-14 11:03, Swanky wrote:
BTW, Ed took his new stuff to Martin Cate at SC and they shot video of the tasting as they compared old and new:

Old Lemon Hart 151 vs new Lemon Hart 151

My initial reaction to this video was "Well, of course they are not going to say it tastes different or is not as good as the original; Edward imports it, and Martin uses it in his drinks."
However, recently I was able to score a bottle of the new red label and did a side by side comparison myself. The results? These guys were right on the mark. There is virtually no difference, or as Martin put it: "indistinguishable."
The red label is slightly lighter in color, and there is a minute...VERY minute difference in taste, but as Edward pointed out, this is a batch product and would probably have slight differences between batches anyways. To me, there is just no way you would ever be able to taste the difference in a mixed drink.
So, rest assured, the new LH151 is just as good as the old LH151. Now, it's time for a Zombie!

Ouch! Huge price increase at Trader Morts on Lemonhart 151. Was $31.95 now $38.95.

Bring in your tiki magazine and get 10% off to make it somewhat affordable again.

Greetings all

I have a question I hope some of you can help me with.

I have a friend who will be in New Port Beach, Orange County over the next couple of days. He’s offered to bring a couple of bottles of Lemon Hart 151 back to Australia. (Lemon Hart is unavailable here in Oz.)

Do any Californian natives know if there’s a liquor store close by that would stock Lemon Hart? It looks like he’ll be close to Fashion Island(?) on Santa Barbara Drive.

Thanks in advance

Here you go, it is about 3 miles from Fashion Island, over in Costa Mesa:
I saw Lemonhart 151 in stock tonight.

Hi-Time Wine Cellars
250 Ogle Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Hours of Operation:
Sunday 10am -7pm
Mon-Wed 9am-8pm
Thurs-Sat 9am-9pm

Phone:
Toll Free - 800.331.3005
Local - 949.650.8463
Fax - 949.631.6863

[ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2012-11-29 19:30 ]

Thanks Atomic

I shall drink tonight in your honour and bow in your general direction

Jimmy, If your friend doesn't manage to bring any of the good stuff back for you, check eBay for a seller from Germany who will ship LH151 to Australia. I ordered 2 bottles last year and they were shipped marked as "collectibles" which managed to slipped through through the mail without me having to pay any duty.

On 2012-12-12 01:26, Kane Tiki wrote:
...check eBay for a seller from Germany who will ship LH151 to Australia. I ordered 2 bottles last year and they were shipped marked as "collectibles" which managed to slipped through through the mail without me having to pay any duty.

I did something like this in October when I found a German reseller who shipped a large box of very well-packed 750ml Grassl gentian liqueur bottles to me. Their Lemon Hart prices are very high, however, but no duties where charged, and I was amazed that I pulled off buying things which I could not find in stock anywhere in the US. (I looked around alot!) The only downside was that their web site was a bit difficult to use, but their order accuracy and their customer service was superb. They also threw in some small bottles of other products as freebies. I didn't find this reseller through eBay but found them in my Google search results and gave it a shot.

http://www.worldwidespirits.de

You can ask for "neutral packaging" so that everything arrives in a plain white box, although they seem to know to do that automatically when shipping overseas. Be careful when you read the cost calculations. I believe they do not charge foreign customers the 19% VAT (tax) and this can be confusing. I found that in October they quoted two prices for my products - I qualified for a discounted price by "paying in advance" with a credit card, and I still don't understand exactly how that happened, and I do speak the language pretty well. But it was completely worth the effort for me. Your mileage may vary. But this merchant made it happen for me, at a reasonable price for my personal indulgence, and I am a very happy customer.

Hope this helps someone else who is looking for hard-to-get stuff...

Sidenote - if you've never had high-quality gentian root liqueur (Grassl is the smoothest and best, bar none, in my opinion) then you should know that the flavor is very unique. Definitely very "earthy" in a very good sort of way, and it may lend itself to some sort of tiki cocktail although I havent tried yet. It has a pleasant aftertaste which develops and lingers in the mouth for an amazing length of time. It can strike you as a bit strange the first time you taste it, but if it does capture the attention of your palate, you're probably going to be hooked for life. I know I am...

Hey folks -- I just visited with Ed Ledger at Ledger's Liquors in Berkeley, CA and discovered he has at least six cases of the old label 151 and a few of the 80. So if you're in the SF area, you might want to pop over and grab a case or two. Huli pau!

That's a hot tip for anyone who can get there. I just called, they were very friendly, and they cannot ship to Florida... He said to "send a friend who can pick it up for you!"

Just got several bottles of Lemon Hart 151 & another old Red Label 80 Proof LH bottle from Potomac Wine & Spirits in Georgetown (Washington DC) He can ship if its legal in your State to do so. They "stock" LH 151, but call ahead they can order more quickly if sold out on the shelf. The old red label LH 80 is another matter.

It appears to me that Maryland liquor distributors are keeping LH out of the state. Have NOT been able to find anyone that stocks LH or is willing to order it in Maryland proper. Just Barcadi 151 or Gosling 151. Thortiki

Thortiki

Drinkup New York I believe will ship to you

they have LH 151, that is where i order mine from

That's new label, right?

How is that doing? Anyone know? Selling okay? Accepted as the real thing?

I'm still working on the old stock...

As far as I can tell, the new label stuff is selling well in FL.

wish i could find any of it in florida...

It's at least in Miami. Check with this place, http://www.sunsetcorners.com/browse.cfm/lemon-hart-rum-151-750ml/4,7922.html (copy & paste the whole URL, for some reason it gets cut off at the comma) certainly they should be able to ship from Miami to Tampa.

-J.

[ Edited by: jokeiii 2013-06-19 04:07 ]

Jokeiii THANKS for the heads up on Lemon Hart suppliers. If you look hard enough LH can be found. Heard some say that the taste difference between the old red label & new label LH 80 proof is not noticeable. Also the readily available El Dorado 80 proof (5 yr) is just as good as LH 80 proof. Thortiki

I have the old label Lemon Hart 151, Lemon Hart 80, El Dorado 5 year, El Dorado 12 year (just finished the 15 year) and Bacardi Select (among many others) in stock so I did a comparison of the others to Lemon Hart 80. I diluted the Lemon Hart 151 to 80 proof to compare apples to apples. The diluted LH 151 tastes very similar to LH 80 although it has a more prevalent spicy smell. That will be my choice once my supply of LH 80 runs out. Surprisingly the Bacardi Select is a close substitute for LH 80, closer than the El Dorado 5 year but the LH 80 has a slightly wider flavor spectrum. The El Dorado 5 year tastes great but is not as close in flavor to LH 80 as the others. It is mellower but not sweet like the El Dorado 12 year which isn't even close to LH 80.

I would have never thought of Bacardi Select as a substitute for LH 80 but a few years ago "Registered Astronaut" posted on Tiki Central about the similarity and I agree: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=24303&forum=10 .

Martiki (a.k.a. Martin Cate) pointed out that Bacardi Select isn't nearly the rum that LH 80 is but I maintain that in a cocktail with several modifiers you would be very hard pressed to tell the difference. He writes:

"Bacardi Select is a molasses-based rum that is column distilled to 190 proof so that it is virtually vodka, then aged (as it is required by PR law) for 1 year. It is, however aged in stainless steel which imparts no character. It is then heavily colored, possibly flavored, and very lightly sweetened. It takes very little sugar to smooth out any spirit.

So what you are tasting with Lemon Hart is rum, and what you are tasting with Bacardi is sweetened flavored vodka. If you prefer it on your palate and in your drinks, then it's simply your taste preference, which is of course fine and up to you, but know that they are not particularly comparable."

By the way, the Lemon Hart is artificially colored as well so you can't hold that against Bacardi Select and while El Dorado 5 year is a fine rum it isn't the closest substitute flavor wise. Don't take this the wrong way as I always use top shelf rums when I make drinks at home but now that LH 80 is impossible to find one must be prepared to compromise. If the Bacardi label causes too much embarrassment one could fill an old LH 80 bottle but you are better off diluting LH 151 instead, if you can find it.

Yes Drink Up NY has the new label, I still have the old label 151 LH & the new one, and am out of the LH 80 original

I have been using ED 12 year as a sub for it because I have not toned down the 151 bottle on my own yet

[ Edited by: Dapuma1 2013-06-20 21:10 ]

It's been years since I've found the LH 80, so I've been using the El Dordado 5. I've tried Bacardi Select as a substitute and definitely prefer the ED. While the Bacardi Select smelled promising I found the taste to be a rather plain, "alcohol" flavor. Since we're on the subject any other Bacardi rum worth trying out, like Bacardi 8?

On 2013-06-21 08:21, Kill Devil wrote:
It's been years since I've found the LH 80, so I've been using the El Dordado 5. I've tried Bacardi Select as a substitute and definitely prefer the ED. While the Bacardi Select smelled promising I found the taste to be a rather plain, "alcohol" flavor. Since we're on the subject any other Bacardi rum worth trying out, like Bacardi 8?

YES on Bacardi 8. It works well in most any cocktail specifically calling for gold PR rum, is typically easier to track down that Ron Barillito, and at ~ $20 a bottle is a bargain.. I think that is the only essential rum out of the entire Bacardi line.

Agreed on the Bacardi 8. It's my go-to in any recipes calling for a gold PR rum.

there is a vast difference btw Bac8 and Ron de Barrelito...

On 2013-06-21 20:11, thePorpoise wrote:
there is a vast difference btw Bac8 and Ron de Barrelito...

Agreed, they are different rums, and if I had my druthers and deeper pockets to keep the home bar stocked I'd always keep the 2 star and 3 star Barillito on hand as well. When I use Barrilito 3 star in recipes calling for an aged PR the resulting drink is usually quite acceptable, but I rarely have that and Bacardi 8 at the same time so I have yet to do much in the way of side by side cocktail comparison.

I have a soft spot for the unassuming Barrilito 2 star. Mixed with fresh coconut water over a couple of ice cubes, that is one of my favorite summer libations.

Oh god I so want to insult you Bacardi lovers! but I will curb my proclivity for violence
this one time and say "Bacardi is not allowed in my Cocktail Dojo, not ever!"

Now kneel before Zod!

IF you need a good aged gold puerto rican, try DonQ. Don't believe me? RumXP

On 2013-06-23 14:51, Hale Tiki wrote:
IF you need a good aged gold puerto rican, try DonQ. Don't believe me? RumXP

DonQ Anejo is pretty much impossible to find here. Can get the gold anywhere, and the Gran Aneji too if you are willing to plunk down the money, but the regular anejo never shows up on local shelves.

On 2013-06-18 22:21, thePorpoise wrote:
wish i could find any of it in florida...

Just picked up a bottle of LH151 today at Roy's Liquors in Fort Pierce. There are four more bottles still on the shelf, as well as Smith and Cross and a couple of 1.75L bottles of Kohala Bay. Also picked up a bottle of Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters that I am looking forward to finally playing around with.

Since we're talkin' Gold Puerto Rican, how about DonQ vs Cruzan? Cruzan is my usual go-to PR

On 2013-06-24 14:28, Kill Devil wrote:
Since we're talkin' Gold Puerto Rican, how about DonQ vs Cruzan? Cruzan is my usual go-to PR

Cruzan is from St. Croix, but I assume you meant that Cruzan Gold is your go-to gold mixer. Based on the UK navy rum traditions of the Virgin Islands I am not sure the rum is supposed to be Spanish style, but the 5x column distillation doesn't leave much in the way of ester funkiness so I guess it's functionally more Spanish than English style. The 2 year gold is not one I have ever been too enamored of as a mixer. On the other hand, their now discontinued Estate Diamond (a 5 year expression iirc) was a favorite top shelf mixer that I miss very much.

Hey Sunny & Rummy. Maybe we can trade. I'll send down some DonQ, you send up some Kaloha Bay!

I use Brugal (from the DR) as my gold PR.

re Ron de Barrelito- I find that more similar to Pusser's, it has a whiskey character to it.

but back to LH 151-- aint there any in Tampa Bay?

So we have a method of turning LH 151 into LH 80. I have a case of old stock LH 80, is there a way to turn it into LH 151? Can I add PGA to it? :wink:

Hale Tiki, I agree with you than Don Q Gold is a fine gold PR rum. I stock it as my standard gold for mixing.

Kill Devil, I'm not sure which Cruzan you consider to be a gold rum, Aged White, Aged Dark, Single Barrel? I have the Aged White and Single Barrel in stock and did a taste test of the Aged White vs. Don Q Gold this evening. I didn't include the Single Barrel as I consider it a very fine dark rum. I've always compared the Aged White to other white rums and didn't consider it a substitute for gold but after tonight's testing I think it would do in a pinch but I much prefer the Don Q Gold though. It's not my favorite white either as it is a little too funky to be considered a PR white. It is a fine rum but I'm not sure how to categorize it. I consider El Dorado White, El Dorado 3 Year, and Denizen very good whites for mixing but my favorite white is Bacardi 1909 Ron Superior. Don't confuse it with the standard Bacardi Superior, which tastes what I imagine rubbing alcohol to taste like. I haven't actually tasted rubbing alcohol though, really!

Anyone else care to mention their favorite white mixing rums?

Mount Gay or Barbancourt are my favorites.

I know how to make Lemonhart 80 into 151... Just half and half it with JB! :)

Anyone tried this Jamaican rocket fuel, JB? Anyone know where to get it here?

My primary white mixing rum for most Tiki concoctions is Cruzan white. I am also one of those people who absolutely loves the way Banks 5 Island works in tropical cocktails that call for a hefty dose of white rum. That little bit of Batavia Arrak really makes that a white rum with depth.

For cocktails requiring a drier Cuban style white rum Flor de Cana 4 is generaly what I'll use. I judiciously nursed a stock of Havana Club 3 year Anejo for a year or so and once that was gone going back to Flor de Cana was somewhat underwhelming.

Does anyone know of a liquor store in the Ft Myers area that carries Lemon Hart? I tried to see if Total Wine or ABC could order it for me but they said none of their distributors carried it. West Palm beach would be an option as I am always going to concerts @ the Cruzan. On the plus side ABC now has Ron Barilito 3 star.

Thanks
Storm

For a white mixer, I usually go with Cruzan Light or Flor de Cana Extra Dry. The latter is dryer, I think.

I'll also use Denizen or El Dorado 3 on occasion, both of which are nice. If I want to go top-shelf, I like Banks a lot.

Really, I think they're all good choices.

Stormrider and thePorpoise:

I asked on Lemon Hart's Facebook page about Florida west coast sources for LH151 and they responded with the following information:

"Lemon Hart's distributor in Florida is BMC Fine Spirits, (T) 772-405-6988, and they will certainly be able to point your people to a retailer in their area."

Give them a shout and tell us what you find out about availability on your side of the state.

Thank you verry much Sunny. I will try to call them Friday.

Storm

BMC Fine Spirits is right here in my town . . . Stuart Florida yet, the only store to carry Lemon Hart 151 is Roy's Liquors in Ft. Pierce! Neither ABC. Crown, or Total Wine deal with BMC. Go figure!

On 2013-07-04 06:36, GentleHangman wrote:
BMC Fine Spirits is right here in my town . . . Stuart Florida yet, the only store to carry Lemon Hart 151 is Roy's Liquors in Ft. Pierce! Neither ABC. Crown, or Total Wine deal with BMC. Go figure!

Distribution is so illogical sometimes. There used to be a beer importer located here in Melbourne FL that was the sole importer for Rauchenfels Barvarian Steinbier (the beer featured on the PBS Michael Jackson Beer Hunter series that is brewed in wooden kettles and heated by adding big heated rocks), but you couldn't buy it locally at retail outlets. I had to have friends bring it down from Chicago!

[ Edited by: Sunny&Rummy 2013-07-04 08:35 ]

If your state doesn't allow shipping spirits (so you can order online), it can be very frustrating to try to get the stuff you want.

Those damn prohibitionists are still a pain in our ass!

Well I called BMC and the gave me the name of a liquor store chain call Friendly Frankie's. the closest store to me is in Cape Coral and I called them up and they said they would try to get it in. I will let everyone know my progress.

Storm

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

[ Edited by: stormrider 2013-08-20 12:39 ]