Comments on: Review: Vizcaya VXOP http://www.bilgemunky.com/pirate-reviews/rum/vizcaya-vxop/ Pirate news, reviews, and commentary. Fashion, music, literature, rum - if it's piratey, it's here! Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:28:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Capn Jimbo http://www.bilgemunky.com/pirate-reviews/rum/vizcaya-vxop/comment-page-1/#comment-11211 Capn Jimbo Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:05:25 +0000 http://www.bilgemunky.com/?p=3334#comment-11211 My dear Bilgemeister... It is good, as always, to have a gam with you. As you may recall at The Rum Project (link above), Sue Sea and I have established a category called "Twiggie's Tie Dye Rums" - dedicated to surreptitiously altered/flavored rums that are simply, well, over the top and part of the old "rum as liqueur" marketing trend. Vizcaya VXOP is one of them. Do I buy the "...made from cane juice" by a Cuban family, that has been making rum since 1820? No, no senor! Not for uno segundo de Nuevo York! As far as I'm concerned this is a heavily flavored invention of Oliver's marketing department. Their is a remarkable lack of history regarding this "Cuban formula rum". The family is unnamed and all we get from the company site is a one line history which you - and most of the other reviewers are forced to quote. My own research does find a company - La Vizcaya - established by Jose Arechabala in 1878, not 1820. Vizcaya produced sugar, rum and all manner of byproducts and was taken over by Castro in the 1960's. Later they affiliated with Bacardi (not Oliver) to produce "Havana Club". The rum itself simply reeks with syrupy spice and is remarkable only in this regard. Ciao... My dear Bilgemeister…

It is good, as always, to have a gam with you. As you may recall at The Rum Project (link above), Sue Sea and I have established a category called “Twiggie’s Tie Dye Rums” – dedicated to surreptitiously altered/flavored rums that are simply, well, over the top and part of the old “rum as liqueur” marketing trend.

Vizcaya VXOP is one of them.

Do I buy the “…made from cane juice” by a Cuban family, that has been making rum since 1820? No, no senor! Not for uno segundo de Nuevo York!

As far as I’m concerned this is a heavily flavored invention of Oliver’s marketing department. Their is a remarkable lack of history regarding this “Cuban formula rum”. The family is unnamed and all we get from the company site is a one line history which you – and most of the other reviewers are forced to quote.

My own research does find a company – La Vizcaya – established by Jose Arechabala in 1878, not 1820. Vizcaya produced sugar, rum and all manner of byproducts and was taken over by Castro in the 1960’s. Later they affiliated with Bacardi (not Oliver) to produce “Havana Club”.

The rum itself simply reeks with syrupy spice and is remarkable only in this regard.

Ciao…

]]> By: Bruce Lambert http://www.bilgemunky.com/pirate-reviews/rum/vizcaya-vxop/comment-page-1/#comment-10887 Bruce Lambert Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:40:01 +0000 http://www.bilgemunky.com/?p=3334#comment-10887 I have went through half a bottle of Vizcaya in the last three montsh and have found it to be the best of any rum I have had for sipping. I always have at least 8 rums open and rotate with new brands. I found the above review to by completely inaccurate and NOT supported by any other rum review. I too was fooled into buying the Matusalem 15 due to reviews and found it to be harsh and only useable for mixing since its lack of flavor to burn ratio. I have went through half a bottle of Vizcaya in the last three montsh and have found it to be the best of any rum I have had for sipping. I always have at least 8 rums open and rotate with new brands. I found the above review to by completely inaccurate and NOT supported by any other rum review. I too was fooled into buying the Matusalem 15 due to reviews and found it to be harsh and only useable for mixing since its lack of flavor to burn ratio.

]]> By: Robert Burr http://www.bilgemunky.com/pirate-reviews/rum/vizcaya-vxop/comment-page-1/#comment-5886 Robert Burr Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:46:40 +0000 http://www.bilgemunky.com/?p=3334#comment-5886 Vizcaya is sourced from Oliver and Oliver in the Dominican Republic. O&O does not distill rum, but they do mature and blend rums quite well. Other brands sourced from them are Cubaney and Atlantico. Vizcaya, as it's cousins, feature a unique spicy finish that some compare to cinnamon. There are no distilleries making rum from fresh cane juice in the Dominican Republic, but the source may be partially aquadiente from Columbia. O&O has a talent for creating rums that are rich and complex, the finest of which is Opthimus 25, the ultimate expression of this genre and one of the finest rums I've ever tasted. Vizcaya is sourced from Oliver and Oliver in the Dominican Republic. O&O does not distill rum, but they do mature and blend rums quite well. Other brands sourced from them are Cubaney and Atlantico. Vizcaya, as it’s cousins, feature a unique spicy finish that some compare to cinnamon. There are no distilleries making rum from fresh cane juice in the Dominican Republic, but the source may be partially aquadiente from Columbia. O&O has a talent for creating rums that are rich and complex, the finest of which is Opthimus 25, the ultimate expression of this genre and one of the finest rums I’ve ever tasted.

]]> By: Rich McKee http://www.bilgemunky.com/pirate-reviews/rum/vizcaya-vxop/comment-page-1/#comment-5735 Rich McKee Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:52:44 +0000 http://www.bilgemunky.com/?p=3334#comment-5735 Yep, I've had a bottle of Vizcaya around for about a year and polished off about 80% of it, and find it a little lifeless, although quite drinkable straight. My favorite Cuban still is Matusalem 15, which has a decent rum bite that Vizcaya lacks. Plus M-15 is about ten bucks cheaper. I'll always have a bottle of that around, but this is my last Vizcaya. Too bad because it is a damn fine-looking bottle. Yep, I’ve had a bottle of Vizcaya around for about a year and polished off about 80% of it, and find it a little lifeless, although quite drinkable straight. My favorite Cuban still is Matusalem 15, which has a decent rum bite that Vizcaya lacks. Plus M-15 is about ten bucks cheaper. I’ll always have a bottle of that around, but this is my last Vizcaya. Too bad because it is a damn fine-looking bottle.

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