Rating:
Gosling’s Gold Rum
www.goslings.com

I’m to the point where I pretty much recognize every rum in all the local stores, even if I’ve yet to try them. This is why it’s so much fun to see a new face, and that goes double when it’s produced by a brand name for which I’ve a fondness.

Gosling’s Gold came out of nowhere – never heard a thing about it – their own website doesn’t even mention the stuff. Truly uncharted waters, I naturally had to check it out.

Gosling’s is most famous for their Black Seal rum – a blacker than black concoction that casts off any pretense of character or subtlety, instead opting for the “I am rum – hear me roar” approach. Not for amateurs, but now that I’m a bit more experienced it’s a very worthy experience. [read more »]

Rating:
Santa Teresa 1796
www.ronsantateresa.com

Santa Teresa 1796 is a truly glorious rum out of Venezuela. Some rums require time to get to know them, but Santa Teresa was love at first site. When first I saw it, the dignified wine-like bottle hidden beneath a rugged cardboard tube, complete with ribbon and wax seal, I expected I was in for a treat. And upon uncorking the bottle and taking a sniff of the amber rum inside, my expectations were instantly confirmed. To the nose, Santa Teresa is cool and spicy – and ultra, ultra smooth. It carries an extraordinarily soft aroma of oak, with underlying subtleties of banana and vanilla.

On the tongue, Santa Teresa is surprisingly unimposing, tasting richly of what I can only call “almost-fruit.” As it warms in the mouth it seems to thicken and cool. And yet when swallowed, it leaves behind a wonderfully penetrating heat along the roof of the mouth.

Incredibly gentle yet maddeningly seductive, this is a rum well worth experiencing.

Rating:
Ron Zacapa Centenario
www.ronzacapacentenario.com

Click to buy!
from Internet Wines and Spirits

Ron Zacapa Centenario is a legend amongst rums. According to many sources, it’s won so many tasting competitions that it’s actually been retired as a contender, and is instead used by the judges to calibrate their palettes as to what a truly fine aged rum can achieve. With such a lofty reputation, I was quite excited to finally try a bottle.

Centenario stands out on the shelves. The bottle is entirely wrapped in palm leaves – intriguing, but it does conceal the rum within. Upon opening the bottle, I was disappointed to note it was a plastic screwcap. And even worse, it had a non-removable plastic diffuser that one may expect from mixers, but certainly not from a 23 year aged rum with such a sterling reputation. (new bottles of Centenario seem to have a new, more sophisticated packaging.) [read more »]

Rating:
Cockspur 12 year
www.cockspurrum.com

In the glass, Cockspur 12 year is remarkably cool across the nose, and smells of ripe bananas and caramel. These factors, combined with its light amber color, make for an inviting, un intimidating first sip. On the tongue you’re instantly met with a surprisingly light yet peppery kick. Almost a pulled punch, it’s just enough to get your attention, but not enough to hurt anyone. The flavor is light and alcoholly, but not mediciny. It holds just enough musk to be interesting, yet remains crisp and smooth. Subsequent sips continue in this vein, and go down all too easily. Even when consumed at a measured pace, this rum goes quickly to your head. Combine this with its extreme sipability and it’s a clear recipe for trouble.

A decent rum, and a relatively gentle one. Somewhat on the shallow end, but – like many shallow things – good for an occasional fling when you’re feeling frisky yet noncommittal.

Rating:
Rhum Barbancourt 15 year
www.barbancourt.net

Click to buy!
from Internet Wines and Spirits

Amber rums are tricky beasts. Light rums are so often weak and hollow (although there are exceptions.) Dark rums are often – for better or worse – brutal and in-you-face. Amber rums, though, run the gamut. By most appearances they are unintimidating. But sometimes this benign appearance conceals a soul of fire. And so it is with Rhum Barbancourt 15 Year.

I tried the Barbancourt 8 Year some time back, as it was actually recommended over the 15 Year by respectable sites like The Ministry of Rum. As it turns out, I wasn’t overly impressed (I should have known better – since when should you listen to someone respectable when it comes to rum?) Eventually, on the recommendation of a few loyal readers, I opted to give the Barbancourt 15 Year a try at long last. [read more »]

Rating:
Cockspur Fine Rum
www.cockspurrum.com/

Click to buy!
from Internet Wines and Spirits

Nothing makes my day like getting to try a new rum – and this goes double when the rum in question is from Barbados. Some of my very favorites come from this island, the fabled birthplace of rum itself. It’s my understanding that Cockspur is only now entering the U.S. Market, and I count myself fortunate to be able to get a sneak peak at their offerings so soon.

Upon first opening Cockspur Fine Rum, the first item of note was the rubber cork – something I’d not yet witnessed in the world of rums. Over the past several years, the wine industry has been experimenting with solutions to a growing cork problem – namely that natural cork is expensive, unreliable, prone to drying, and can lead to a ruined bottle now and then. Some wines have chosen to solve the matter with a practical – but classless – screw cap. Other wines have tried a more innovative approach – the rubber cork. This method effectively compensates for the shortcomings of natural cork, while still maintaining much of the tradition and ambiance that comes with properly opening a bottle of wine. [read more »]

Rating:
Pusser’s Blue Label Rum
www.pussers.com

Click to buy!
from Internet Wines and Spirits

After a long day of harassing portuguese lepers, you’re likely to want a healthy reminder that you’re still alive – and nothing does so quite like Pussers. Tasting of pepper and spice, each sip is rich and brutal. It burns the tongue in the very best way possible, and each swallow feels like ingesting raw warmth.

Perhaps no other rum in existence is more closely connected with its British Navy roots. Not only does Pusser’s boast sole ownership of the actual formula used by the limey fleet (before the shortsighted navy opted to forgo grog rations in favor of sobriety, that is,) but they also donate a portion of all proceeds to programs that benefit Brit swabs to this very day. This is all admirable, but not nearly so noteworthy as the simple fact that this is an affordable rum that kicks you in the jaw with the same gusto as other rums four times the price.

Rating:
Cane Rum
www.neworleansrum.com

Who the hell drinks white rum straight? Yeah, I asked that same question while standing in the lobby of Cane Rum as our guide poured me a glass of their premium white rum. I was a bit scared to take my first sip, as I can’t imagine anything fouler than swigging the likes of Bacardi Silver neat. Much to my surprise, Cane proved highly sippable. It smells much like any other white rum – light and alchoholly. But the taste is something quite different – not at all like I’d expect from a white rum.

I could best equate it to an extra crisp white wine, with a sharp kick playing backup. It even has a bit of fruitiness hidden in there, making for a rum experience that is truly unique. When I first tried it I was in the company of my wife and sister-in-law – neither a rum drinker. But they both found Cane very agreeable (my sister-in-law even snagged a bottle for herself.) It’s not widely distributed, but if you have the opportunity to snag a bottle or two, I highly recommend doing so.

Rating:
Cane Amber
www.neworleansrum.com

Earlier this summer I had the great pleasure of visiting a rum distillary in New Orleans – and it was during this visit that I first experienced their premium rum (indeed, the first time I’ve experienced any of their rums) while overlooking a warehouse full of hundreds of rum barrels. Truly, this alone makes the experience worthwhile, and if you’re ever in a position to see the rum process firsthand I highly recommend it.

Cane Amber is unlike any rum I’ve ever tasted – indeed, it’s rather unlike rum entirely. Were I to try it in a blind taste-test, I’m certain I’d have it pegged for scotch. Fortunately, I rather like a scotch now and then. Unfortunately, I’m not nearly well-versed enough in the world of scotches to review it on these grounds. [read more »]

Rating:
Mount Gay Extra Old Rum
www.mountgay.com

Click to buy!
from Internet Wines and Spirits

An opulent panorama of exquisite aromas and ambidextrous luminosity. Or something like that. I’ve not mastered the english language enough to write one of those fancy sounding reviews. But if I had, this rum would deserve a lion’s share of 50 cent words and phrases. [read more »]