Ed Hamilton

From my experience, I like the Mount Gay Extra Old better than Cockspur VSOR, but always seem to drink more of the VSOR. But I have to say that I have been severely disappointed with the VSOR that is bottled in the states, it has been a very different spirit from what I drink here in the Caribbean. I'm not sure why Mount Gay is cheaper but there are a lot of factors, since Cockspur is bottled in the states it should be cheaper, but then I never judge rum by the price.

Thanks for informing me about rums in Japan. I've only met Japanese who were interested in importing from the Caribbean and they told me a different story but things are changing fast, just seven or eight years ago you couldn't find a dozen rums in the biggest stores in Chicago, now that has changed.

Thanks for the clarification of SA. Of course!

No, I don't have a clue how it is defined in Japan. But I would imagine they use something from the EU or the US since rum isn't made in Japan. There are a few rums sold in Japan now but very few.

Glad you liked the Rockley rum, that one is also called the West Indies Rum Refinery and distills many of the Barbados rum such as Cockspur, Old Brigand, etc. Did you think these rums were reasonably priced?

Under US federal regulations, "rum" is defined as "an alcoholic distillate from the fermented juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses, or other sugar cane by-products, produced at less than 190 proof in such manner that the distillate possesses the taste, aroma and characteristics generally attributed to rum, and bottled at not less than 80 proof; and also includes mixtures solely of such distillates." In reality the biggest distilleries distill to almost 190 proof, 95% alcohol, 94.5% alcohol seems to be the standard. I'm surprised that the EU would specify more than 96 % alcohol since that would be a neutral spirit and very hard to achieve. I don't know of any Caribbean rums that are distilled to that proof.

I drink Barbancourt on the rocks but then I only drink the 3 and 5 star, I find the 15 yo quite a different spirit and not as good as the 8 yo 5 star. I also mix Barbancourt with other rums from time to time such as Cruzan Estate Diamond, which has a drier taste. The results are surprising. Purists may disagree with me, but to each his own and that's why there are over 2000 rums in the world today.

Try rubbing a few drops of the spirit between your palms to heat it up then smell your hands. Caramel and other candy flavors are easily exposed. Try this with several different rums and I think you'll be surprised at what you discover.

Most rums have some added caramel for consistency of color and some distillers make several different blends of the same label but I seriously doubt that Cuban rum producers would add things like Mellow Age which is added to rum to artifically age the rum. The addition of caramel alone won't give rum an aged taste though it will be slightly smoother, Meyers's for example isn't nearly as old as most consumers guess. But on the other hand there are plenty of conterfeit Cuban cigars on the market so why not rums? I for one can tell when someone it trying to claim a 7 year old product is less than say 5 years and I have no doubt that others can do this as well. There are also a lot of dirty campaigns to smear the competition. Does anyone in this forum think that they've tasted mismarked Cuban rum? I am also aware of a couple of rums that claim to be very old and I know for a fact that they don't contain much if any of the old rum. In the US market rum or any spirit can only claim the youngest age spirit in the blend as the age. But even with that you have to read the label carefully.

Santa Teresa from Venezuela is now importing two of their best rums to the US. Distribution is growing but it is coming. 1796 Antiguo de Solera is certainly a premium rum that I always look for and seldom find outside Venezuela, it has been available in short supply in a few places in the past but well worth looking for, check my site Ministry of Rum then look at the Rum Locator to find the latest distribution outlets according to the importer. The Orange rhum liqueur, no it's not French, but great orange flavored rum. The label says Liqueur but it's 40% alcohol again according to the importer, I can' t remember from the last time I actually drank that one but again well worth the look. Cheers from Sint Maarten.

There are a few distillers that have discovered that flavored rum additives are photosensitive. Most commonly the liquid gets cloudy and may for percipitates that don't look enticing, hence dark bottles.

Sorry to say that I won't be available for a few weeks while I sail south and continue the research but look forward to reading your posts when I get to a good cyber bar.

Unlike some white rums which are aged, carbon filtered and then bottled. To my knowledge Barbancourt White is relatively young. If you are looking for a good white rum try Barcelo Gran Blanc or Brugal White or Flor de Cana Extra White. Cruzan white is also aged at least 2 years.

I drink Foursquare with Ginger Ale but I try to use one that isn't too sweet. Foursquare doesn't any added sugar cane syrup as a sweetener. Sugar also tends to take some of the bite out of young rums. Foursquare starts out as a two-year-old rum that is then spiced. Cheers!

I ran across a bottle of this near Boston in October and noticed that it says "Simple Syrup" on the bottom of the label. What I'm looking for in the US is real sugar cane syrup. I brought some back from Martinique and haven't found anything like it in the states.

Actually there are only a couple of American bars that have more than 50 rums, and they are few and far between. The Americans are learning and that will change. The main problem right now is that the bars that do have a lot of rums don't have a clue what they have. For example I ordered Zacapa Centenario in Las Vegas and was served a clear spirit, the waiter then wanted to try to convince me that this was Centenario. Finally, I asked to see the bottle and was given the nectar I had ordered. On the other hand the number of bars that are discovering rum is growing quickly. Unfortunately, although Americans are some of the biggest consumers in the world they are also some of the least educated, not all by any means, but . . . This is one of the reasons for the success of this forum.

You're absolutely right that it is hard to find rhum agricole but that will change eventually, patience is rewarded. But if you are lucky enough to have cane syrup you'll be spoiled and won't want to use sugar. In the sugar crystallization process a lot of the flavor is removed. Sugar cane syrup is more like honey than sugar.

On my site this is listed as Doorly's Fine Old Barbados Rum. The importer wanted it listed that way before it was actually available, but now everyone knows this rum as Doorly's XO. You can find a list of distributors by state on the Spirit of Hartford website. This rum is a little lighter than some of the other aged rums but it is very nice on the rocks and is sometimes confused with an aged whisky. I certainly don't want to be out of this one.

Sugar cane syrup from Martinique is now available at the gift shop at the Ministry of Rum for a limited time.

Actually these are the same product but in the US, you can't say Brandy on the label since it is a sugar cane spirit and not a grape product. In Barbados, where I got the label on my site, it is called Sugar Cane Brandy. I like this one and often find it in bars where the bartender doesn't know what it is so it is often sold as a cheap rum, which it certainly is not. I drink it on the rocks when I find it.

I would love to find a bar with 60 rums, it's hard to find that number anywhere today, but that is changing.

I found the licorice taste to be overwhelming. Fortunately, I didn't buy it but did open the bottle. I expected something better.

There is some information on these rums on the Rum Profiler on my site. Anejo is my favorite Bacardi rum. Doorly's XO tastes like a light whisky on the rocks, the final aging is done in Sherry casks at the distillery in Barbados.

The only way I drink Pusser's Blue Label is ice cold as a shot at the Tot Club in Antigua. The Blue Label is nearly 100 proof and was blended to mimic the rum served to Royal Navy sailors. When you consider that this was originally military issue for seamen, you have to accept that this wasn't made to be connoisseuer's quality.

This may be but I honestly doubt it, since this is only a small part of Bacardi's product line and they don't mention Solera blending in their marketing material for this rum. But I could be wrong.