Ed Hamilton

I just got back from Penthouse's World's Most Sensuous Cocktail Contest in Las Vegas and had my first chance to taste Montecristo Rum. Despite what you read from the marketing people they were serving this rum mixed with fresh watermelon, raspberries, strawberries and sour mix over ice. The idea, as I was told, is that a lot of women don't like to drink rum straight. Well if your woman doesn't enjoy a good rum straight, it's time to find another woman. Jason is right this is good rum, it enjoyed it straight A LOT more than in the foo foo drinks that were served at the Coyote Ugly bar. I am surprised that Montecristo is touting it as a 12 year old rum even though it is a blend of some younger rums. The age controversy will continue long after we go to sleep and I don't really care to me what is important is that I like the rum and I do like it. $30 a bottle may be a little stiff but I'm spoiled in the islands where good rum is a lot cheaper than in the states and I usually bring almost as much as I'm going to drink with me. If you haven't tried this one, don't miss it, but do yourself a favor and skip the mixer.

Looks like people have been researching the DR rum market pretty well. I have to agree with looking in the supermarkets and ask the manager if they have any others. I've found some amazing rums tucked in the back corner because they weren't selling. And most of the time these lost bottles were the high end rums that aren't generally consumed in mass by the locals. I also have to agree that there are few bottles worth the $50 charged by the fancy resorts or duty free shops but if you spend the time to visit the distilleries you'll be more than rewarded for your efforts.

I checked yesterday at Sam's in Chicago and they had the much sought after Ron Zacapa Centenario. No doubt it will go fast but distribution is trying to catch up with demand.

You have touched on the basic difference between rhum agricole and rum made from molasses. The French distilleries distill fermented sugar cane juice to only about 72% alcohol by volume. This relatively low distillation purity results in a spirit that is very aromatic and contains significant congeners which account for the taste, aroma and character of these rhum agricoles. On the other hand, during the sugar making process, relatively small amounts of sulphur and other trace elements are concentrated in the molasses by-product. When rum is made from molasses unless the fermented wash is distilled to a high proof, above 90% alcohol by volume, the congener level is unacceptable and the resulting alcohol is undrinkable. In practice most distillers that use molasses as their raw material distill to at least 94% alcohol by volume to reduce the congener level and the yield a spirit that is significantly devoid of the esters and aldehydes which give rhum agricole its character. When these two different spirits are aged their taste profiles converge and to a point that they can be hard to differentiate. If sugar cane juice is distilled to the high proof that is generally employed to make rum from molasses, the spirit will be lighter and contain fewer congeners that a spirit made from molasses. In fact several French distilleries make what is called ‘rhum industriel’ from molasses. Most of this alcohol is used to make punches and liqueurs in France. The differences in taste are the result of aging and the addition of flavoring. But due to the lower distillation purity, rhum agricole may seem to be more harsh but it depends on what you are used to. I drink rhum agricole mixed with a little cane syrup and a slice of lime. And although this drink is somewhat tart, I can name a number of rums made from molasses that are much harsher. The best advice it try as many different rums as possible and make your own decision.

Mount Gay is the only distillery in the Eastern Caribbean that bottles a sugar cane brandy. And like a previous response it is the same liquid as their sugar cane rum but it is sold in different markets. Good stuff and should be great in cooking, much different from Refined Eclipse.

You have a rare rhum that I have been able to buy on several occasions since my first book was printed. In fact I had a bottle of this rhum on board when I lost my boat but saved the rhum. Surprisingly this rhum has a somewhat pepper flavor and a lot of burnt oak as one would expect from a rhum of this age. Certainly one to sip on special occasions but once you open the bottle don't plan on keeping it another 20 years as it will degrade as oxygen is allowed to enter the bottle. Cheers,

Well the time has come to set sail again and continue the research. I'll be in Chicago this summer with trips to Las Vegas and New York. As I head down island I'll be picking up a few more bottles of Cuban, French and Bajan rums, as well as a few others. Looking forward to getting back to the forum after July 16.

For the best selection of cuisines and variety of venues, Trinidad is far and away ahead of every other island in the Eastern Caribbean. Martinique, St Barth's and even Puerto Rico have a lot of good places to eat but nowhere does food contribute so much to the quality of life as in Trinidad. Even in the smallest rum shop you can find food that is both good and affordable. For me a few, or even a handful, of gourmet restaurants don't make an island but when you can get such variety: Chinese, French, Creole, Vietnamese, Thai, Cuban, half a dozen varieties of Indian, to name a few, as well as the famous Trini cuisine there isn't much to argue about.

Pretty good price for an eight year old rum in the states, especially NJ. I tried a Trapiche, not 8 years old, in Trinidad and found it light and pleasant but at that price I would try it again.

Canada produces a number of rum bottles including those used by the Cruzan Rum distillery in St Croix. In fact both the bottle and cardboard cases the Cruzan uses in the islands are made in Canada. Unfortunately, it isn't always easy to tell where the rum was bottled. However looking at several rums bottled in Cuba, many of them say produced and bottled in Cuba. My experience is that if the label doesn't say there the rum was bottled, or distilled, they don't want you to know. This doesn't mean that the rum isn't as good as those bottled at the distillery but there is certainly room for quality control to slip. In the case of Cockspur VSOR, which I like very much, there are two different blends being sold, the one bottled in Barbados is far superior to the one blended and bottled in the states.

Ah, you just hit the heart of marketing vintage rum. 1991 means that it was distilled in 1991 without any indication of age. I have to agree with you that this rum lacks much character since it is most probably highly distilled and aged less than 10 years, can I be more diplomatic? I wouldn't suggest not buying such vintage rums but unless the bottler puts some kind of age statement on the bottle the consumer can only guess. Unlike wines, distilled spirits vary only slightly from year to year. The biggest changes occur when the distillery changes the distillation equipment, which in most cases means higher distillation purity and less character. Since rum is made from molasses, it is much less affected by the climatic conditions during the time the cane was grown, and since we are talking about a distilled spirit the climatic conditions are even less important when related to the year the cane was grown.

The only containers used to transport or store rum for many years were oak barrels. When stored in London the colder temperatures reduced the amount of evaporation through the oak but also changed the character, if only slightly, from what would occur in the tropics. Before the end of the Royal Navy abolishing the tot on July 31, 1970, rum was bought from distillers in the Caribbean and then shipped to London where it was blended and rebottled to be shipped around the world with the Navy. It wasn't uncommon for barrels of aged rum to be misplaced in the warehouses only to be discovered after some time, but it wasn't common to aged rum 30 years or more purely for the consumption of the sailors.

You mentioned already having the Appleton VX in your rum locker, I am always pleasantly surprised when I drink that rum as it is certainly one of the best values from Appleton. surprised you didn't like the Anejo from Brugal, it is a little heavy but I enjoy it as a change with ice and a little lime occasionally.

I saw "The Barbadian Rum Shop" some time ago, but since I was in the islands I wasn't that impressed. If you aren't planning on going to the islands you will enjoy this book but if you are heading down island you'll find plenty to love in the rum shops. If I sound prejudiced I may well be. When I wrote rums of the Eastern Caribbean the only book about rum in the islands was a Macmillan book called "The Barbados Rum Book" which was little more than an advertisement of about 50 or so pages.

I'm sorry to say that I haven't seen Images of Rhum but most of the French publications that I have seen were pretty good. As for Euros, Martinique is as French as Paris. By the end of the year you won't be able to even use francs in Martinique.

The tannins from a new small barrel came really detract from what you want but I have had good luck by filling a new barrel with rum and then emptying it after a month or so and keeping this strong tannin influenced rum to add to later batches. I don't like to wash the tannins with soda but that will work as well. I also prefer to use a toasted barrel which is tricky to do if you buy an assembled barrel. I have used an oxygen acetylene torch with pretty good results. Try to avoid the bung hole with the hot torch and have plenty of water around to cool things off. I don't know of any distillery that uses new barrels, they all use once used barrels, mostly from the states.

Buying a barrel of rum isn't any problem at compared to importing it to the US, if you live in the freest country in the world, forget it. As for most rum being imported in bulk, a lot is but the numbers as a percentage of total imports is dropping. The easist thing to do is buy a barrel, then buy rum to fill it. I blend different rums in a barrel and the flavors marry and change over time. I really enjoy adding more rum as the barrel is depleted.

Due to the recent downtime problem posts dated before March 2 are locked, you can't respond. However, you can start new topics. Sorry for the inconvenience. If you want to learn more read the explanation of recent downtime above. It would be amusing if it didn't happen to us.

My schedule is pretty crazy right now but send me an email as the date approaches and I'll know more, I hope. Have to go to the BVIs and St Croix, then head down island.

My schedule is pretty crazy right now but send me an email as the date approaches and I'll know more, I hope. Have to go to the BVIs and St Croix, then head down island.

If you are traveling to Culebra, you better bring your own spirits, it's a resort island and hardly well stocked on anything out of the ordinary but it is better than it used to be. But if you're heading that way drop me a line, I'd love to meet you as I spend a few winter months Jan - April in the wonderful harbor in Culebra, one of the best in the Caribbean. And as the international headquarters of the Ministry of Rum I know where the rum is. Cheers!

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Botran Imports USA, LLC. in Miami, Florida. The Botran line of rums which include Ron Zacapa Centenario, Botran Solera, and Botran Anejo, are now being shipped to the US and being distributed in Florida by Southern Wine and Spirits. Recognizing the distribution problems in the past years since these rums were introduced to the US rum lovers, Lazaro Carbajal, Managing Director and Gardner Blandon, National Sales Manager are commited to expanding distribution in a sustainable manner. I'll be posting more distribution information on my website as it is verified, Ministry of Rum.com

Seven Dreams of Elmira is the second book that any self respecting rum lover should have in their collection. As for the distillery when I was first there in '94 it had been closed for 7 years. But what a picturesque place. About ten miles or more from any major town, the distillery is now a tourist site featuring the plantation houses and they are working on the distillery. The rum is now being distilled by Simon on the east coast of the island, also a place to see. Aging is done in warehouses around the island. As for Elmira, I haven't seen her but I'm sure I've seen at one of her daughters living in Martinique.

As someone who has access to both the Cuban and American Matusalem, I can only tell you to READ THE LABEL. The American Matusalem says Cuban tradition, not distilled or bottled in Cuba. The Cuba label however states that this is a product of Cuba. Sure Matusalem of Miami can seize shipments from Cuba under international law. But try seizing a shipment in a third country and then taking Cuba to court. Good Luck. I'm happy to say that although they are different rums I drink both regulary and hope I can continue for a long time.

Store your rum like other things of value, in a cool dark place. High temp won't kill the spirit but it may make it evaporate through a seal that has shrunk due to the higher temp. I like to make sure the cap is tight and then store rum on it's side. After about half the bottle is gone you may notice that the spirit has oxidized and you will loose some of the lighter alcohols and esters, less full flavor. When there is less than 25% of the bottle left, I start to drink it up.