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For the sake of tradition, I add water at times as the original recipe calls. However, I've been experimenting with juice since the rum punch I had in Barbados didn't have strictly water as a "weak" ingredient in it and I like a varied taste. I've yet to get to a juice combination that tastes exactly like what they served in Barbados.

I'll try that suggestion (ginger beer, lime, etc.). Maybe I will like it better. Right now, I'm rating it a 2 on a scale from 1 to 4 (highest) after trying it neat, chilled, and with a splash of water.

The first scotch I had in the Glencairn glass was a blended Gordon's (which was the complimentary whisky the Heritage Centre gave to the visitors....a less expensive whisky). Notably hot especially to my nose. I paid extra for a 4-whisky tasting after the tour (not as cheap as Gordon's but not as expensive as the Limited Edition). Warm but not hot. I got 2 bottles of Premium-equivalent Single Malt whisky (and 2 bottles of Limited Edition blended Irish Whiskey during my layover in Dublin). Those compared to the same grade of rum I can't tell any difference regarding hotness in the Glencairn. (Maybe that is because the Gordon's singed my nose hair, lol)

I opened my bottle of Angostura 1919 two days ago. Predominantly medium vanilla and maple with light oak. Off-balance somewhat though. The flavors didn't seem to marry as nicely as some other rums.

The 1-2-3-4 recipe is the recipe from Bajan/Barbadian Rum Punch. It is in my Barbadian cookbook (and the website below). Just lime juice, water, sweetener, and rum. Nothing more except bitters or nutmeg. http://barbados.org/recipies/rumpunch.htm Now other rum punches have other tropical fruit juices (pineapple, mango, orange, etc.).

Would the Glencairn Glass or Single Malt glass be conducive to enjoying premium and higher grade rum?

Tannins do not necessarily mean bitter -- think over-brewed tea; THAT is tannin (it makes your mouth feel dry). While I do not drink POM straight, I have it in the house almost all the time now as a GREAT mixer for cocktails (working well with both Gin and Vodka) as well as weekend mimosas and just sparkling water. ← It was also dry.

The Aberlour 15yo Whiskey neat.

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.

I am wondering what rums out there are 100% pot still and not a blend of pot still and continuous/column/Coffey still. I like pot still whisk(e)y as it has richer flavor and more body (e.g, Red Breast 12yo), and I like the Appleton blend as the pot still part gives it more flavor. (I went to Scotland a few weeks ago, and the people at the heritage centre kept talking about a Coffey still at a heritage centre there. I asked if it was the same thing as a continuous/column still, but it seems that they never heard of it. From the pictures and description at the centre, I reasoned on my own that a Coffey still is the same thing as a continuous/column still. I love the Scots as they name things for people, such as Mr. Coffey, and thus help preserve a bit of history.)

Last week, I finished a bottle of Montecristo 12 yo, that reminded me a lot of Pyrat XO. I found it to be a little more complex and sweeter with a hint of berry.

I've not had bitters in mine. However, I did fix it with lime. And the taste was grand.

I know that where I stayed and visited in Barbados near Oistin and in Bridgetown, I know that they did not use Malibu in their rum punches (thank goodness). Mount Gay Eclipse is good but not as good as Appleton, and the XO is good for those who like a heavily oaked rum.

I would recommend structuring the tasting to illustrate to the people the variety of rums out there in terms of complexity, oaking, body, dryness. I would use Cruzan Estate 2yo rums instead of Bacardi Silver and Gold in the spirit of focusing on lesser known / less common rums. (I lament that the only rum some of my friends and family know and/or drink is Bacardi.) I would add the following (that I've tried) in addition to what has been already suggested: Montecristo 12yo (a sweeter rum a little similar to Pyrat's XO) Cruzan Black Strap Appleton Special Gold Appleton Special White Appleton VX Appleton XO Gosling's Black Seal Mount Gay Eclipse Mount Gay Extra Old (if you want a highly oaked rum) Cruzan Dark Estate 2yo Cruzan Light Estate 2yo Cockspur 5 Star Bacardi Select (AKA Bacardi Black) Brugal Añejo (one of the driest rums I've ever tasted....hopefully the tilde over the "n" will come through) Lemon Hart & Son Demarara Havana Club 7yo (I tried this at a club a few blocks from the infamous Atocha train station in Madrid, Spain....it cost about 15 Euros/US$18 for the drink) I did try Coruba and Flor de Caña 5yo, but they didn't impress me in a positive manner. And for St. Louis IX's sake (the patron saint of distillers although I'm Presbyterian and not Catholic), please don't include Captian Morgan in the tasting at all. For the "control", maybe Ron Rico, Myers Dark, or Aristocrat? Bacardi seems a little drier than Cruzan, and Cruzan seems has more flavor and body than Bacardi. I have difficulty seeing that Cruzan has a lot of similarity with Bacardi. Tuesday, I bought a bottle of Santa Teresa 1796 from Cranberry Liquors (a more reputable store in my region) in Westminster, MD for about $46. I currently don't have an opinion on that as I've yet to try it although I have heard many favorable opinions from those more experienced in rum than I am. I am an enthusiast of tea, coffee, ginger ale, root beer, beer, whisk(e)y, wine, rum, and their related apertifs/liqueurs. I can't stand gin or tequila although I did my new brother-in-law a small favor and took a shot of cheap tequila at his request during the wedding reception. Also, the ex officio drink of Tradewind Caribbean Airlines, for which I fly in cyberspace, is tequila-based, and I am trying campaign a rum-based drink. I tend to favor those whisk(e)ys with winter wheat over those with rye (unless the whisk/e/y with rye has been aged a long time). With any beverage, my taste is diametrically polar: either very light/simple or very dark/strong/complex.

Myer's is on my white list for mixing and black list for sipping. I did have a good Planters Punch, in Philadelphia, made with Myer's. That redeemed it from my black list as a mixer.

I was wondering if anyone has tried this and their impressions. It is one of the next three on my list to try.

Now that's an intresting twist for us who don't like to mix older rums with Coke.

I had a Sam Adams Lager a friend gave me. Wouldn't rate it highly. My taste lies on the polar opposite ends of the spectrum: dark stouts and Guinness & the lighter ales and hefeweizen. I don't like Lagers or Lambics.

I had POM Wonderful several months ago. My first and last time of drinking it. The taste was very good, but I found it bitter (high tannins possibly).

I had a Mango-Pineapple smoothie at a coffee bar Saturday evening. The taste was delicious and slightly creamy, but the texture left something to be desired. (To avoid grossout, I won't share the details on the texture.) Hence, I think I'm going to make my own Mango-Pineapple smoothie.

1. Appleton XO neat 2. Appleton XO chilled 3. #2 with a splash of lime juice.

I had everclear once (1993). I used it as a mixer. Not too bad. Here in MD, they've a version of Everclear called Clear Spring. Just as strong but different name. The highest I'll go is 100 proof, and it is a very rare exception that I'll go higher than that. The other day I bought a bottle of Bocador 151 rum to try; a 2nd exception to my personal rule of thumb in 10+ years.

I've had 2 forms of the legal Poteen. (Would like to try the original someday.) I like it.

Quite right. I am one of those who like Rum and Coke, but I can't conceive of mixing older rums with coke or other mixer.

I've tried Pusser's Blue Label that is available here in the US because it claimed to be closest to the original Royal Navy rum ration. That would have to also go on my short list. It seems incredibly young and unrefined (a tad hot) with a heavy caramelized taste to it.