Rating:
www.krakenrum.com

By and large I don’t give spiced rum much consideration these days. Sure, rum&cokes are fine things now and then, and the rare exception of Kilo Kai managed to tap into spiced rum’s more impressive potential, but mostly I prefer my rum untarnished (‘neat’, as landlubbers call it.) I do owe Captain Morgan’s Private Stock a debt of gratitude, as it ushered my early days of rum consumption, being rather more approachable than others available to me. But over time I found myself outgrowing Private Stock as its cheap alcohol undertones became more noticeable beneath a seeming increasingly thin veil of spiciness.

So yeah, the world of spiced rum largely remained outside of my field of vision – but then along came the Kraken (‘Along Came the Kraken,’ incidentally, sounds like the title of a smashing children’s book or romantic comedy, but I digress.) First off, you can’t mention Kraken Rum without mentioning their ad compaign – one minute spent at their website will tell you that this is a rum company that not only has great pride in their product, but a smashing sense of humor to boot. Whatever Kraken pays their ad guys, it’s not enough. But fun videos and goofy humor aside, ultimately the proof is always in the pudding, and I’ve been hurt before. So let’s examine the rum on its own terms…

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Rating:

www.kilokai.com

Click to buy!
from Internet Wines and Spirits

And I quote:

“We love great rum and that’s why we made Kilo. It’s uncompromising. Take a sip of Kilo straight. Do the same with any other spiced rum. Enough said.”

Thus reads the back label of Kilo Kai, and thus is the reason I had profound respect for this rum before I even opened the bottle.While the two primary spiced rum contenders are duking out who has the highest proof, Kilo seems focused on making the better product – and they’re doing so with an “in your face” attitude that any pirate can respect. The bottle is tall and dark, the logo forms a rather intimidating skull that any rum would be proud to bear, and the back label – well, any rum that challenges its drinkers in such a way is off to a fantastic start in my book. [read more »]

Rating:
Sailor Jerry Rum
www.sailorjerry.com

Click to buy!
from Internet Wines and Spirits

I’ve not stumbled across too many “premium” spiced rums (i.e. those that can be enjoyed alone.) In fact, Captain Morgan’s Private Stock is the only one that comes to mind. Still, Sailor Jerry caught my eye, and I remember reading somewhere that it worthy of being consumed straight, so I gave it a shot.

Like Morgan’s Private Stock, the smell is very spicy, but Sailor Jerry doesn’t smell as “rummy” as Morgans – less alcoholly too. I found the taste followed suit, being very spicy, but very “middle ground” – no rum, but no alcohol in the flavor either. [read more »]

Rating:
Captain Morgan’s Private Stock
www.rum.com

Click to buy!
from Internet Wines and Spirits

Way back when I decided it was time to move up from Rum&Cokes, this was the rum I started with. Higher quality than standard Captain Morgan, it was very drinkable. The spiciness was appealing and exotic, and it nicely toned down the shock that would normally accompany drinking rum straight for the first time, thus making for a very smooth introduction. [read more »]