83 replies to this topic

[Jason Perlow]

Saw a Pyrat white rum at a liquor store yesterday. Attractive bottle but I didn't buy it -- first time I heard of a Pyrat white, though.

[alphaiii]

Alpha,

Just wondering: is this the same as the "Mt. Gay Sugarcane Brandy"? Oddly enough, I found this at Deep Creek Lake, MD in McHenry Beverage on Rt. 219...did not expect that at all!

Bruce

No, it's a different product. I just can't seem to find anything about it. No reveiws or taste tests, no opinions on here. It just suprises me that a Mount Gay product seems so unknown.

[westsail]

On my last trip to the British Virgin Islands we stopped by at the Callwood Distillery ( as is my habit) and found it to be as pleasurable as ever ( after 200 + years why change ) Anyway , we tried the Arundel white rum , which I expected to taste just a little harsher than battery acid. Oh my !! It was fantastic! I have never beeen a fan of white rum , but this really opened my eyes. I guess being a rum agricole helps unaged rums as well as its darker cousins. If any of you get to the BVI, the Callwood distillery on Tortola is well worth a visit,they well give you a short tour and pour a sample of all 3 of their products ( dark, white, spiced ). I enjoy the white with a slash of tonic and a little lime. Yum Yum.

[Ed Hamilton]

Pyrat White rum is a new blend to complement their other rums. Light and dry and a pretty good mixer with tonic and a little lime.
There are a number of bottlers that are offering white rums to complement their other more expensive rums, seems the number of white rums is growing with the market.

[westsail]

I'm currently enjoying a bottle of La Muny....rhum blanc agricole from Martinique. This lovely stuff just might make me a white rum drinker after all. ( Not that I'll get my hands on another bottle any time soon )

Edited by westsail, 19 September 2004 - 07:27 PM.

[Ed Hamilton]

LaMauny white rhum agricole is very different from other white rums distilled from molasses. It is very flavorful and full of aroma. Distillled to only 72% alcohol by volume, rhum agricole captures much more of the flavor of the rhum than that distilled to 95% alcohol after being distilled from fermented molasses.

[drcocktail]

Hi. I'm so used to being a know-it-all, this is my first post in these waters. I mean direct or online contact with the rum greats of the world, Edward Hamilton right here in this forum with his amazing geographic and sipping knowledge, Steve Remsberg with his astonishing collection of VERY vintage rums, and Jeff "Beachbum" Berry with his platinum palate for the complexities of tiki drinks...it's been enough to keep even a blabbermouth like me from waxing too pithy on subject rum!

But I must take the plunge, Ed. I've been following your adventures since you first put up the old pink Tapia website. I sure am glad this blog format has expanded our internet info-gathering and communicating horizons! Though I remain largely mute on the subject, my relationship with rum is one of love - and I keep a LOT of rum and related spirits on hand. Many of my past and current holdings may be viewed here.

That said, there is one rum related product also seen on the site which long ago wrested itself from my grasp. This is a mantra more and more people are repeating too: I want my Pimento Dram!

Wray & Nephew called theirs simply "Pimento Liqueur" -though eventually they gave it the cute name of Berry Hill Allpice Liqueur, presumably so folks wouldn't think it was a cordial composed of the red wadded up things that inhabit olives. Sangster actually CALLED theirs Pimento Dram, but seems to have discontinued its manufacture some time ago. So, Ed, here are my questions: Why did Sangsters stop making the stuff? What can be done to encourage W&N to A) sell the stuff online and B) export less than a container into the U.S.? Finally, failing all else, how might I, short of a Jamaican vacation, replenish MY supplies of the stuff? I think it is the most versatile liqueur in the world, and I have 1/2" left in my last bottle!

Please help, my sanity depends on it!

Thanks! --Doc.

[Bill Poster]

I get the impression premium white rums, along with'premium' cachasas are the growth product at present. White spirits are the big seller(vodkas and Bacardi), so i guess its only natural this should happen. Rum brands are making more effort on the packaging too.

I remember trying Don Q many years ago and thinking it was vodka. Would like to try some of the above mentioned white rums, along with Orinocco and yes, 10 cane just out of curiosity.

Does anyone know of any more white rums due to be launched? I predict Cruzan may target Bacardi, now they are owned by Absolut.

Edited by Bill Poster, 22 April 2006 - 05:10 PM.

[Ed Hamilton]

There are a number of other white rums coming to the market. Some are better than others, but until they are actually released I don't like to comment on them since rum companies commonly tweak things a bit before they launch a product in a new market.

[Bill Poster]

Can you give us any names? Are they a mixture of styles and premium?

[eje]

[...]
I remember trying Don Q many years ago and thinking it was vodka.
[...]

I tried Pyrat White Rum last year and had a similar response to it. So clean as to be nearly vodka.

On Ed's recommendation I picked up the Flor de Cana Extra Dry, and quite enjoy it. Makes an excellent daiquiri, is very reasonable, and has a decent amount of rum character.

There is a one page feature on 10 Cane in this month's Gourmet magazine. Reading it, I was interested to discover that they don't burn the cane fields before harvesting. I guess, they just cut them green and press.

[Bill Poster]

Anyone tried Bambu? Its a premium vodka-like white rum produced in Antigua; I would guess by Antigua distillery?

[Ed Hamilton]

Bambu is produced by the Antigua Distillery. It is a very light bodied white rum bottled in a sculptured glass bottle. The label proclaims that this rum is four times distilled which accounts for the very light taste.

[stickyii]

I found out that I can obtain both Brugal white and Don Q in Pennsylvania. I am greatly pleased that I can also order a single bottle of each as SLOs.

Any suggestion as to which to try first?

Note: My goal is replace bacardi silver, which currently functions as my light Puerto Rican rum when making cocktails (i.e. Mojito, Waikikian, etc.)

[Ed Hamilton]

I would suggest trying both of these rums straight before you mix them. Pour an equal measure in two similar glasses and assess the aroma. After about five minutes smell them again and note any differences.

Then I'd start making cocktails and evaluating the fruit of your labors.

[elixirofthetropics]

I recently read somewhere that if you're drinking white rum you might as well drink Bacardi since they're all the same.
There are huge differences in white rums made from molasses.

I strongly agree. There are differences in dryness, body, and tasting notes among those that I've tried: Cruzan Light, Bacardi Silver, Brugal White, and Appleton White. I prefer the latter 2 as they've more flavor. I don't like Bacardi Silver as it seems that it is too neutral (no taste IMHO).

Don Q I've not tried but will if I find it.

I recently tried Aguardiente (advertised as a cane neutral spirit). I learned a little later after my first try of it that they add liquorice flavoring to it.

[KatieLoeb]

I recently tasted the Appleton White side by side with Bacardi and was stunned by how much more flavorful it was. Sadly the Appleton White doesn't appear to be available in PA, but I personally intend to try and remedy this. You might have to visit a *cough* "neighboring" state.

[stickyii]

I recently tasted the Appleton White side by side with Bacardi and was stunned by how much more flavorful it was.  Sadly the Appleton White doesn't appear to be available in PA, but I personally intend to try and remedy this.  You might have to visit a *cough* "neighboring" state.

Katie,

You mentioned you might try to remedy the fact that a certain spirit isn't carried in the state. Is there something the average consumer can do to assist in this or to take action?

[KatieLoeb]

I recently tasted the Appleton White side by side with Bacardi and was stunned by how much more flavorful it was.  Sadly the Appleton White doesn't appear to be available in PA, but I personally intend to try and remedy this.  You might have to visit a *cough* "neighboring" state.

Katie,

You mentioned you might try to remedy the fact that a certain spirit isn't carried in the state. Is there something the average consumer can do to assist in this or to take action?

Since I have to deal directly with the purveyors, I plan to find out which one carries the Appleton's line for SLO orders and head up the flagpole there. I figure if they already carry the other items in the product line, perhaps no one has expressed an interest in the White before, and they just need to know there are interested potential customers. You (or any interested individual) could mention it to the SLO manager at your local store and perhaps if they see a groundswell of interest they might be more inclined to jump through whatever hoops need to be jumped through to apply to carry a new product in the Commonwealth of PA.

It was really incredible how much better it was in the side by side comparison. Go find some and let me know if you agree.

[Ed Hamilton]

Appleton white is another of those rums which is aged and then carbon filtered to remove the coloring gained from aging which makes it so much better.

[westsail]

I saw a bottle of 'Chauffe-Coeur' white rum from Martinique at High Time Wine in Costa Mesa ( near Newport Beach CA. ) the other day. It is labeled as being aged for 4 years. I didn't purchase it as I got the 7 year dark instead...very tasty !

[Ed Hamilton]

I saw a bottle of 'Chauffe-Coeur' white rum from Martinique at High Time Wine in Costa Mesa ( near Newport Beach CA. ) the other day. It is labeled as being aged for 4 years.  I didn't purchase it as I got the 7 year dark instead...very tasty !

Does the label say it is made in Martinique or does it say product of France on the label? If it was made in Martinique and is aged 4 years it wouldn't be white as none of the French distillers age and then carbon filter their rums. But if the product is bottled in France there's no telling where it came from or what is actually in the bottle.

I've seen some rums that have the word Martinique in the label name with a Appelation Rum Controllee designation which doesn't exist in France.

[westsail]

I think you have nailed it Ed. I thought 4 yrs was rather a long time. As far as Martinque or France, it says both ! The lable reads ( this is the 7 yr dark )
" Chauffe-Coeur "
RUM
Appellation Rhum Controlee
Martinque
Agricole
Dark Rum
Aged over 7 years in oak casks
Produced in Martinque
750ml 47% ALC by vol.
Produced and bottled in France
By Chais Chauffe-Coeur
E. Laborie, Le Costil Rouge F14340

Whatever the origin of this rum, it is certainly top notch...compares favorably with the 'real stuff' I brought home from St. Martin last year....Pere Labat, Trois Rivieres, Damoiseau, Montebello, J Bally, Saint James...Quite a haul !!
I'd post a photo...if I knew how ! I will post some photos in an album.

[El Ron de Cuba]

As a quick note: Appleton White is available in Maryland. I get it all the time for cocktails.

[Ed Hamilton]

Produced and bottled in France could mean Martinique but if it was produced in Martinique they would probably tell you. That rum could be made in any of the French territories including Guadeloupe and French Guyana.

[Rapping Bartender]

Can you give us any names? Are they a mixture of styles and premium?

2 new premium white rums that have been launched here in Europe are BAQUBA, a blend of Caribean rums aged for up to 5 years then charcoal filtered. Its the only rum in the world bottled in an ALUMINUM bottle. The 2nd rum is Elements 8, a four year old charcoal filtered rum from St. Lucia. The packaging is great and the rums not bad too. Both rums are to be marketed as super premium, similar to 10 Cane. Don't know when they will reach the states but as soon as they tell me I will post it to let you all know.

[Ed Hamilton]

Call me crazy but the last thing I want to drink is a rum that has been bottled in an aluminum container.

[Rapping Bartender]

Call me crazy but the last thing I want to drink is a rum that has been bottled in an aluminum container.

I'll send you a sample bottle, once i get hold of some

[scheer]

Call me crazy but the last thing I want to drink is a rum that has been bottled in an aluminum container.

I'll send you a sample bottle, once i get hold of some

Buy it at Gall & Gall you can get it there.

[Ed Hamilton]

Mount Gay Sugar Cane Brandy is not the same as their white Reserve Rum. I haven't tasted the Reserve for a few years after I made a special trip back to a liquor store in Antigua to buy a bottle because I didn't have enough money in my pocket at the time to buy another bottle of rum and the other things that I had to have.

Frankly, I was very disappointed and although I have since seen this rum in the US since, I haven't had the desire to spend more money on something that I thought should have been discontinued many years ago. According to my liquor store friends it isn't flying off the shelves so you might find it around for a while. My guess is that if it isn't discontinued, it should be. On the other hand, Mount Gay used to make a very good white rum called Mount Gay Premium White Rum, which was far better than the Reserve White.