Kohala Bay Rum

On 2017-05-15 22:32, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
Without further ado ...

First off, congratulations to Quince_at_Dannys and LeftArmOfBuddha ... your blends made the top three. The results break down into four tiers: There are three in the top tier, four in the upper middle tier, five in the lower middle tier, and two in the bottom tier.

The top three are:

No. 1 — Equal parts Smith & Cross and El Dorado 12. Facing tough competition, this simple yet effective blend remains the preferred substitute.

No. 2 — 5 parts Appleton Reserve, 1 part Lemon Hart 151, 1 part Hamilton Black. Very close in flavor to Kohala Bay, just not as balanced as No. 1. This blend created by Quince_at_Dannys wisely combines the richness of Appleton Reserve with the funkiness of Hamilton Black, plus just the right amount of Lemon Hart to raise the proof and add heat.

No. 3 — 4 parts Coruba, 2 parts Hamilton Black, 1 part Plantation O.F.T.D. The difference between No. 2 and No. 3 is ever so slight. This is slightly funkier, but it doesn’t have the breadth of flavors of No. 2 or the sophistication of No. 1. This blend was the handiwork of LeftArmOfBuddha.

I swear, I did all the tastings completely blind. Even the final cocktail tastings. And the old standby continued to rise to the top. Maybe it was because it seemed so familiar, or maybe because it really is the next best thing to Kohala Bay. But kudos to everyone who took the time to make up their own blends. All of the rums in the middle tiers are great, they just fall short of the top 3.

Click here to see the full results and analysis:
http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#kohala-bay-substitutes

I'll leave you with a big tease. I was recently thrilled to discover a rum from Jamaica (not available in the U.S.) that may not look exactly like Kohala Bay. But the taste is so close, you'd swear it was an aged version of the same rum ...

More to come ...

Outstanding work HH!

Without asking you do spill the name of the teased rum, is it A) a Wray & Nephew affiliated product, and/or B) the possible source of Kohala Bay?

Outstanding work HH!

Without asking you do spill the name of the teased rum, is it A) a Wray & Nephew affiliated product, and/or B) the possible source of Kohala Bay?

Yes, it's indeed from Wray & Nephew.

I'm glad to see the trusted ED/S&C blend reigns supreme among all the others tested. It's simple and effective. I've decided to go ahead and enjoy my last few ounces of kohala bay. There's just no sense in preserving it for posterity. Rum is meant to be enjoyed. Not left in a cabinet to evaporate. Here's some money logic for you though. A 1.75L jug of Kohala Bay costed what, $30? It's the fluid equivalent of two standard fifths plus about 9 ounces. Essentially I could take a bottle of El Dorado 12 (about $25 when on sale) and a bottle of Smith & Cross (always $30) and dump them into my soon to be empty handle of kohala bay. This will give me a mostly full bottle of the best kohala bay sub. At a cost of $55!!! That's rough when you put it in perspective. Kohala bay was a work horse and a tremendous value.

I assume there's no regulation on how much rum you can bring back from Jamaica. And would guess this mystery product eluded to above is relatively inexpensive. Some Floridian (Frank?) oughta take a cheap party cruise down there and bring a few cases back to the states to dole out to the rest of us!

[ Edited by: mikehooker 2017-05-17 09:41 ]

On 2017-05-16 07:53, LeftarmofBuddha wrote:
Wow! I didnt even realize you were considering my blend in the shootout! That's awesome! My blend came about from trying to recreate the flavor of your #1 pick (smith and cross and el dorado 12) using slightly cheaper bottles that are readily available to me. Also, I did a bit of research into which rum you were saying would be a possible replacement for KB the other day and believe I know which one you tried. I will let you reveal that when you see fit. Thanks for considering my blend at all!

Your 4:2:1 is better than my 5:1:1 in that I can get Hamilton a LOT more easily than Coruba!

On 2017-05-18 06:13, jokeiii wrote:

Your 4:2:1 is better than my 5:1:1 in that I can get Hamilton a LOT more easily than Coruba!

Haha. I love the funkiness of Hamilton black and feel like it subs in well enough for the sophisticated but bold funk of Smith and Cross. As much as I love Coruba and use it all the time, it has a weird homogenized flavor thing going on, if that makes sense. I love the added funk it brings and the heavier dark molasses flavor. I agree with Hurricane's assessment that his #1 blend has more subtlety and depth of flavor compared to my blend. My blend is just currently easy to get in my town and the bottles are all bargains in terms of quality to price ratio. El Dorado 12 in my neck of the woods runs $37-45! Smith and Cross is a more reasonable $27, typically but I have to either drive 30 mins or special order both. No one currently stocks them in my town.

*On 2017-05-18 21:09, LeftarmofBuddha wrote:*Haha. I love the funkiness of Hamilton black and feel like it subs in well enough for the sophisticated but bold funk of Smith and Cross. As much as I love Coruba and use it all the time, it has a weird homogenized flavor thing going on, if that makes sense. I love the added funk it brings and the heavier dark molasses flavor. I agree with Hurricane's assessment that his #1 blend has more subtlety and depth of flavor compared to my blend. My blend is just currently easy to get in my town and the bottles are all bargains in terms of quality to price ratio. El Dorado 12 in my neck of the woods runs $37-45! Smith and Cross is a more reasonable $27, typically but I have to either drive 30 mins or special order both. No one currently stocks them in my town.

I prefer the Coruba/HB/OFTD combination, frankly (at least for the recipes in my rotation...YMMV) and when you factor in the costs of S&C and ED12, even more so. Also, for MY purposes -- which aren't anyone else's -- having Coruba/HB/OFTD in my inventory gives me more flexibility.

Has anyone experimented with Doctor Bird as a Kohala Bay replacement, either on its own or in a blend? I'm hearing great things, but unfortunately it hasn't made it to Florida yet.

Two James Doctor Bird Jamaica Rum Moscatel Cask Finish
100 proof

Brought in by the Two James Distillery in Detroit, this Worthy Park distillate is aged for 6+ years in Jamaica before being shipped to Michigan and filled into fresh Moscatel Sherry Casks. Full of estery goodness, the Moscatel cask round out those intense aromas. Bright fresh tropical fruit, hints of citrus, pineapple, passion fruit and rich caramel to balance. At 100 proof it stands up nicely in a drink, but has plenty of depth and character to sip straight or on the rocks.

Sounds delicious.

A new contender has emerged ...

Introducing Plantation Xaymaca special dry, a 100% pot still Jamaican rum from the mythical Clarendon and Long Pond distilleries. Complex and intense, Xaymaca special dry rum honors it’s ancestry with pronounced Hogo aspects. I'm told it clocks in at 86 proof.

I'm hoping to get a taste of this along with Doctor Bird in the coming weeks.

Exciting. I just hope it's not one of their limited expressions in the $40+ range and is readily available for a nice price. You just couldn't beat the value of Kohala Bay at like $30 a jug.

Doctor Bird still hasn't made its way to Texas so I've only used my sole bottle sparingly. It's a nice rum but I don't think it quite cuts it as a KB sub.

On 2018-05-21 10:57, mikehooker wrote:
Exciting. I just hope it's not one of their limited expressions in the $40+ range and is readily available for a nice price. You just couldn't beat the value of Kohala Bay at like $30 a jug.

Doctor Bird still hasn't made its way to Texas so I've only used my sole bottle sparingly. It's a nice rum but I don't think it quite cuts it as a KB sub.

http://cocktailwonk.com/2018/05/xaymaca-deeply-deconstructed.html

Looks like it will be a regular part of their regularly available "Signature Blends" lineup, which means the price may clock in anywhere between $17 and $40 going on the current members of that family. Depending on where it falls it could become one of my regular pours or a special occasion thing. Still tentatively excited, there's no such thing as too many Jamaican rums as far as I'm concerned.

I’m not sure about other states, but my favorite shop said they talked to their distributor and was told it’ll be hitting TX in early August.

Mahalo to Matt for mentioning Kohala Bay in his story on "Tiki's lost rums" ...
https://punchdrink.com/articles/resurrecting-tiki-lost-rum-smith-and-cross-hamilton-151-oftd/

Meanwhile, almost on cue, I received this report from a fellow Jamaican rum enthusiast somewhere in South Florida (he won't disclose the exact location) ...

Apparently the hole-in-the-wall liquor store is run by a Jamaican family, and the shelves are loaded with Jamaican rums ...

He walked away with 12 bottles ...

He's well aware of their value, so I'm not sure I'll get my hands on any, but I wouldn't be surprised if one turns up at The Hukilau.

We're hopeful there's still more out there ...

I will hold on to my stash until I'm dead and buried!

I'm trying to decode the location by the labels on the shelves...

Haul of the century!!! This is totally unprecedented - one or two bottles, yes, but not 12 bottles! Unbelievable.

On 2018-05-24 06:32, jokeiii wrote:
I'm trying to decode the location by the labels on the shelves...

Good luck, but unfortunately all the Kohala Bay is gone. :

Man, I got my one handle that I cherish and store at the back of my bar cabinet. That's ridiculous!

This just goes to prove that it pays to walk into all the hole-in-the-wall liquor stores...

Some interesting new updates to the "Rums of The Mai-Kai" story on The Atomic Grog ...

http://www.slammie.com/atomicgrog/blog/2012/05/08/rums-of-the-mai-kai-legendary-lemon-hart-returns-to-the-promised-land/#dagger

I look at the history of Dagger, along with the lesser known Appleton Punch, in the historic cocktails that started with Don the Beachcomber.

Then I reveal that The Mai-Kai actually now uses Appleton Estate Signature Blend, not Reserve Blend, in all the cocktails that previously featured Kohala Bay. I did some head-to-head tests, and while neither approach Kohala Bay's funky flavor, it doesn't matter much which one you use.

I also look at a few other obscure Jamaican rums that could serve as a Kohala Bay replacement. Neither is available in the U.S., but one that's currently available in Jamaica could be Kohala Bay’s long-lost brother ...

Okole maluna!

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[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2018-06-03 20:27 ]

So glad I stocked up on this.

On 2018-06-05 18:40, PalmtreePat wrote:
So glad I stocked up on this.

Explain, sir. Also Col. Tiki said that Doctor Bird could provide some fun in recipes like Black Magic where that Kohala is needed. Anybody have thoughts on that as a substitute?

On 2018-06-06 09:59, kkocka wrote:

On 2018-06-05 18:40, PalmtreePat wrote:
So glad I stocked up on this.

Explain, sir. Also Col. Tiki said that Doctor Bird could provide some fun in recipes like Black Magic where that Kohala is needed. Anybody have thoughts on that as a substitute?

I hunted the stuff down while I was in Jamaica and brought back the maximum permitted amount of 5 bottles. Been rationing it out for special occasions and really crappy days ever since. As for the Doctor Bird, it has the proper funk and heat I'd say, but it doesn't quite have that same woody, smokey, demerara-like finish that Black Label and (I'm assuming) Kohala Bay have. If you paired it with a little bit of your favorite demerara I think you'd be very much in the same ballpark but I haven't actually done any experiments yet.

After receiving a bottle recently, my take on Doctor Bird is that it's not really a 1:1 replacement for Kohala Bay. It's a great, funky Jamaican rum but more akin to Hamilton Pot Still and Smith & Cross on the extreme end of the Jamaican rum spectrum. Remember, Kohala Bay was a general mixing rum, not too far removed from Coruba.

However, I would not hesitate to try different blends with Doctor Bird, similar to those that call for Smith & Cross in small doses.

I'm now excited about the new offering from Plantation:

http://cocktailwonk.com/2018/05/xaymaca-deeply-deconstructed.html

From what I've heard, it could be exactly what we're looking for.

The wait for Xaymaca is killing me. I can’t wait to try it!

[ Edited by: davidphantomatic 2018-06-28 18:50 ]

On 2018-06-24 17:26, davidphantomatic wrote:
The way for Xaymaca is killing me. I can’t wait to try it!

God, tell me about it. I check my favorite liquor store's websites once a day to see if its in yet. It ain't healthy.

On 2018-06-28 13:33, PalmtreePat wrote:

On 2018-06-24 17:26, davidphantomatic wrote:
The way for Xaymaca is killing me. I can’t wait to try it!

God, tell me about it. I check my favorite liquor store's websites once a day to see if its in yet. It ain't healthy.

I asked my favorite local shop and was told their distributor is telling them early August for it to drop in Texas.
I’ve been seeing it pop up on Instagram overseas, so hopefully it won’t take that long.

During my Mai-Kai cocktail class at The Hukilau, we held a silent auction for one of the bottles recently discovered in South Florida ...

The winning bid topped $200! The lucky winner sent me this photo of his haul from the weekend ...

On 2018-06-24 17:18, Hurricane Hayward wrote:

I'm now excited about the new offering from Plantation:

http://cocktailwonk.com/2018/05/xaymaca-deeply-deconstructed.html

From what I've heard, it could be exactly what we're looking for.

I had the opportunity to sample Xaymaca the other night at Lei Low. Alexandre Gabriel was in town for Mai Tai Tuesday and Lei Low was making the classic Vic recipe with various Plantation expressions. To my delight, there was a partial bottle of Xaymaca on hand (the X is pronounced like a Z - if I recall correctly, it's phonetically Zai - Mah - Ka. Or maybe it was Zay - Mah - Ka). This wasn't part of the rum list for the Mai Tai's they were serving cuz there was so little available.

I received a small pour and my eyes lit up. THIS is what I've been waiting for. No, it's not going to be a 1:1 Kohala Bay sub (it doesn't have the proof or funk), but it's full bodied and flavorful. Bottled at 43%, it's extremely approachable (I immediately asked for a second pour cuz the first went down real quick). It doesn't have the burn of Smith & Cross cuz the lower ABV, but it also wasn't as bold and funky as Hamilton pot still. It's just a perfectly balanced rum. I'm curious (and forgot to ask) how long the rums in this blend were aged cuz it's shockingly mellow yet very flavorful.

My invalidated impression is that this is what rum USED to taste like decades ago, before column still became the norm and bold flavors were essentially eradicated. I don't imagine this has near the aging of the old J. Wray 17 or 15 year rums Vic used in the '40s to make his original Mai Tai, but perhaps this is more in the ballpark of the flavor profile of those rums than others on the market today. The home blends that everyone is doing now (and even products like Denizen) are mimicking the later iterations that Vic had to employ when the aged Jamaican rum supply ran out. The original Mai Tai relied solely on one spectacular rum. With this in mind, I pleaded for a 2 oz pour of Xaymaca in a Mai Tai, to which the Plantation rep in charge of the bottle obliged. It was FANTASTIC! Later in the night when the crowd had dispersed and the bottle remained with just a couple ounces left and no one there demonstrating any interest, I asked if they could do me another Mai Tai. So grateful they allowed it. Truly divine.

My takeaway. This is a delicious rum than can be sipped and will make an incredible mixer. I imagine a blend with Smith and Cross will produce a suitable Kohala Bay sub. I can't wait to get some bottles and start playing with it. It comes to Texas in September. Not sure about the rest of the country.

Hey Everyone,

I came across this bottle a while back and have been trying to figure out how old it is. After seeing a similar bottle that is part of Stephen Remsberg’s collection on the 2nd page of this thread I was hoping someone could tell me more about it! Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Mahalo Mike for your due diligence and determination! Sounds like we'll find lots of uses for Xaymaca, which is pronounced "zay-muck-uh" according to Cocktail Wonk. But I like your pronunciations better.
http://cocktailwonk.com/2018/05/xaymaca-deeply-deconstructed.html

It will be interesting to see if an age statement is included in the promotion of this rum. As the Wonk's blot post points out, there are various rums in this blend from two historic Jamaican distilleries (Clarendon and Long Pond). Three of the main four rums in the blend are aged 1 year in Jamaica and 1-2 years in Cognac barrels in France per the Plantation formula. One of the four is aged 8 years in Jamaica, then 1 in France.

There's also a mysterious fifth rum component from Long Pond that is reportedly aged 17 years, mostly in Jamaica. (It was distilled in 2000.) But, as Matt points out, rum No. 5 "is not necessarily a permanent part of the Xaymaca blend and may be replaced with another marque (or marques) at some point."

It hasn't appeared on the Plantation website yet, but with the negative attention lately on age statements, I would expect Plantation to just promote this as a young, blended, pure pot-stilled Jamaican rum and let the taste speak for itself. Now I really can't wait to try it!

On 2018-07-12 12:02, mikehooker wrote:

On 2018-06-24 17:18, Hurricane Hayward wrote:

I'm now excited about the new offering from Plantation:

http://cocktailwonk.com/2018/05/xaymaca-deeply-deconstructed.html

From what I've heard, it could be exactly what we're looking for.

I had the opportunity to sample Xaymaca the other night at Lei Low. Alexandre Gabriel was in town for Mai Tai Tuesday and Lei Low was making the classic Vic recipe with various Plantation expressions. To my delight, there was a partial bottle of Xaymaca on hand (the X is pronounced like a Z - if I recall correctly, it's phonetically Zai - Mah - Ka. Or maybe it was Zay - Mah - Ka). This wasn't part of the rum list for the Mai Tai's they were serving cuz there was so little available.

I received a small pour and my eyes lit up. THIS is what I've been waiting for. No, it's not going to be a 1:1 Kohala Bay sub (it doesn't have the proof or funk), but it's full bodied and flavorful. Bottled at 43%, it's extremely approachable (I immediately asked for a second pour cuz the first went down real quick). It doesn't have the burn of Smith & Cross cuz the lower ABV, but it also wasn't as bold and funky as Hamilton pot still. It's just a perfectly balanced rum. I'm curious (and forgot to ask) how long the rums in this blend were aged cuz it's shockingly mellow yet very flavorful.

My invalidated impression is that this is what rum USED to taste like decades ago, before column still became the norm and bold flavors were essentially eradicated. I don't imagine this has near the aging of the old J. Wray 17 or 15 year rums Vic used in the '40s to make his original Mai Tai, but perhaps this is more in the ballpark of the flavor profile of those rums than others on the market today. The home blends that everyone is doing now (and even products like Denizen) are mimicking the later iterations that Vic had to employ when the aged Jamaican rum supply ran out. The original Mai Tai relied solely on one spectacular rum. With this in mind, I pleaded for a 2 oz pour of Xaymaca in a Mai Tai, to which the Plantation rep in charge of the bottle obliged. It was FANTASTIC! Later in the night when the crowd had dispersed and the bottle remained with just a couple ounces left and no one there demonstrating any interest, I asked if they could do me another Mai Tai. So grateful they allowed it. Truly divine.

My takeaway. This is a delicious rum than can be sipped and will make an incredible mixer. I imagine a blend with Smith and Cross will produce a suitable Kohala Bay sub. I can't wait to get some bottles and start playing with it. It comes to Texas in September. Not sure about the rest of the country.

Hawkfan22, that's very interesting. My best guess is that it's an earlier version of what later became Appleton's standard gold mixing rum, aka Appleton Special. It was recently re-branded as "J Wray Gold", but it's essentially the same rum.

On 2018-07-12 23:34, Hawkfan22 wrote:
Hey Everyone,

I came across this bottle a while back and have been trying to figure out how old it is. After seeing a similar bottle that is part of Stephen Remsberg’s collection on the 2nd page of this thread I was hoping someone could tell me more about it! Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

I kick myself for missing this ...

According to an official statement by Plantation, "The Collector" Jamaican Rum is a blend of very old and rare rums distilled in 1996 (ITP mark) and 2000 (CRV and ITP marks) in a combination of Blair column and John Dore pot stills from Long Pond Distillery. The rum was aged in Jamaica for 17 years in bourbon casks and 1 more year in Ferrand casks in France. Presented at 43% ABV, only 999 bottles of “The Collector” will be released in the U.S. and Europe.

The full story from Cocktail Wonk:
http://cocktailwonk.com/2018/07/plantation-honors-legendary-rum-collector.html

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2018-07-24 18:05 ]

Drunken Tiki weighs in on Kohala Bay ...
http://drunkentiki.com/2018/07/24/kohala-bay/

On a related note, Appleton senior blender David Morrison will be at The Mai-Kai on Aug. 1 for a special a meet-and-greet and exclusive rum tasting. I'll be in attendance and hope to ask him about a certain "lost rum."

Boy, was I excited to find this on the shelf this weekend (even though I’ve never tasted Kohala Bay....)

Can’t wait to open and try it, especially in a Mai Tai, based on Mike’s review.

Excellent! Can't wait for this to show up on near me.

Still eagerly awaiting it in South Florida as well ... but I'm hearing good things. If not a 1:1 replacement, it could easily be deployed in a blend.

I've been able to get my hands on the Xaymaca, and I think it's the Real Deal. I've used up two bottles making a variety of classic DTB drinks and it mixes like a dream--intense rum flavor that holds up in a drink from start to finish, a touch of funk, and a great full-bodied mouthfeel. Sampled side by side with Kohala Bay, I would describe it as KB's, more flavorful, drier, gold brother. It can be deployed as a viable Kohala Bay alternative when mixed 1:1 with a rich dark rum (like Coruba or Plantation Dark or even El Dorado). My favorite is a 1:1 mix of Appleton Reserve and Xaymaca. It isn't as identical to KB as using Coruba, but tastes like a much higher quality, sippable version of it.

AND, if that weren't enough, it's very affordable (24.99 for a 750 from Binny's in Chicago; 19.99 in Minneapolis.)

On 2018-09-04 08:14, Quince_at_Dannys wrote:
I've been able to get my hands on the Xaymaca, and I think it's the Real Deal. I've used up two bottles making a variety of classic DTB drinks and it mixes like a dream--intense rum flavor that holds up in a drink from start to finish, a touch of funk, and a great full-bodied mouthfeel. Sampled side by side with Kohala Bay, I would describe it as KB's, more flavorful, drier, gold brother. It can be deployed as a viable Kohala Bay alternative when mixed 1:1 with a rich dark rum (like Coruba or Plantation Dark or even El Dorado). My favorite is a 1:1 mix of Appleton Reserve and Xaymaca. It isn't as identical to KB as using Coruba, but tastes like a much higher quality, sippable version of it.

AND, if that weren't enough, it's very affordable (24.99 for a 750 from Binny's in Chicago; 19.99 in Minneapolis.)

Terrific news, thanks!

In reference to the Kohala Bay find.... I also was able to locate what is now my stash of KB (4 1/2 jugs) in a rundown store in North Miami. It was next to a skanky little strip club at that time. I always thought about going back to see if there was anything left, but assumed it was all gone. My mistake, but someone's delight. Recently I had a party and had left the 1/2 bottle on the shelf. Luckily at the last moment I prevented someone from adding some to a diet coke. Close call...

[ Edited by: Tonga Tiki 2018-09-12 16:02 ]

On 2018-09-12 15:48, Tonga Tiki wrote:
In reference to the Kohala Bay find.... I also was able to locate what is now my stash of KB (4 1/2 jugs) in a rundown store in North Miami. It was next to a skanky little strip club at that time. I always thought about going back to see if there was anything left, but assumed it was all gone. My mistake, but someone's delight. Recently I had a party and had left the 1/2 bottle on the shelf. Luckily at the last moment I prevented someone from adding some to a diet coke. Close call...

[ Edited by: Tonga Tiki 2018-09-12 16:02 ]

Good save!

At long last, it's somewhat available in South Florida ...

Let the testing begin.

The Plantation Xamaca Showed up a few months back at total wine in Gainesville. I live in Ocala and Gainesville is the closest town that has a decent liquor store other than ABC. I tasted it, pretty good, tastes very similar to an Appleton product. I have never had Kohala bay, so I’m not sure what a comparison would be like. From my experiences, I have not had a plantation product at all that has disappointed me. I love the look of the bottles, the packaging, and the product is always very very good.

On 2018-08-30 23:28, Hamo wrote:
Boy, was I excited to find this on the shelf this weekend (even though I’ve never tasted Kohala Bay....)

Can’t wait to open and try it, especially in a Mai Tai, based on Mike’s review.

What was your impression on the Mai Tai?

I've gone through one bottle so far, doing either 2 oz pours of the Xaymaca or mixing it with other Jamaican or Agricole rums as the El Dorado offerings are too sweet for me.

I've experimented with it in a variety of other drinks as well but haven't attempted to use it as a direct 1:1 replacement for Kohala Bay as I just don't think it'll hold its own.

On 2019-03-27 10:33, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
At long last, it's somewhat available in South Florida ...

Let the testing begin.

Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

On a side note... I know Plantation is very transparent about additives in their rums and was told by Alexandre Gabriel himself that this particular expression had no added sugar. But I recently spoke to what I consider to be a knowledgeable rum guy who insisted they did in fact dose this one too. Do you happen to have the inside scoop?

On 2019-03-28 10:50, mikehooker wrote:
Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

On a side note... I know Plantation is very transparent about additives in their rums and was told by Alexandre Gabriel himself that this particular expression had no added sugar. But I recently spoke to what I consider to be a knowledgeable rum guy who insisted they did in fact dose this one too. Do you happen to have the inside scoop?

Aloha Mike! I've been enjoying Xaymaca neat and in a few cocktails (it's great in a Planter's Punch, naturally) to get a feel for it. IMHO, it occupies a new niche between the ultra funky Hamilton/Smith&Cross territory and the more refined Appleton 12. I sure hope Appleton is taking note.

It's not a 1:1 replacement for Kohala Bay (which was not a pure pot still rum and lacked the sophistication of Xaymaca), so it will need to be blended with at least one other less polished rum. I'm starting with the suggestions above from Quince_at_Dannys and trying some of those combinations. I'm fairly sure it will end up among the top substitutions for Kohala Bay.

If anyone has tried any other combinations, please let me know.

Re the added sugar issue, I believe I've heard the same thing from Gabriel more or less. And Cocktail Wonk, who I totally trust, wrote this deep dive on how the rum was constructed, including the statement: "There is no added sugar, aka dosage."
https://cocktailwonk.com/2018/05/xaymaca-deeply-deconstructed.html

Round one of blind tasting is complete ...

On 2019-03-28 10:50, mikehooker wrote:
What was your impression on the Mai Tai?

I tried it first with two ounces and really enjoyed it. I've also mixed it with Coruba and Myers's (and maybe my infinity bottle, but I don't remember exactly). I thought it was also good in a Shingle Stain, and I've used it as the funky rum in a Buz-Tai to good effect.

On 2019-03-31 13:49, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
Round one of blind tasting is complete ...

Hurricane, the suspense is getting to me, do tell!

On 2019-04-05 20:48, CincyTikiCraig wrote:

On 2019-03-31 13:49, Hurricane Hayward wrote:
Round one of blind tasting is complete ...

Hurricane, the suspense is getting to me, do tell!

Seriously.... you can't leave us hanging!!!!