Kristian

So, what kind of a part does rum have in your life? If you cannot find your preferred choice in the list, please write a comment!

That sounds like a good explanation for the differences that I and Bolivar found in the rum (in addition to the normal preference issues). Perhaps one of us got 'last year's model'... And I seem to recall reading somewhere that the master blender behind NO Rum himself admitted that their earlier products were not really of the quality that he would have liked and that they are improving it with each passing year... If I had a better access to the said rum (I doubt it will be imported to Finland anytime soon), it might be nice to follow its progress from year to year...

Well, Koskenkorva is used for night-after-night smashing as well. Normal people resort to beers and drinks... And your father was probably right. Kids rarely see alcohol as anything but means to get wasted, and many adults have the same problem. However, I believe this discussion forum is populated by people who know that alcohol, especially rum, can be enjoyed in a reasonable and responsible way and are not seeking to pickle their brain.

I guess the people who succumb to alcohols in the big way often find some local or regional product that they prefer. In Finland, the drink of choice for these people is 'Koskenkorva', which is also one of Finland's most renown products, I'm told...

Yup, I agree here. I bought a larger bottle (even this time only 35 mm) for last weekend and tasted the rum some more and ended up using more of it for rum and coke and some other recipes than for enjoying it straight up. The smell was rather empty (there is not much one can say about it) and the taste... Well, even though it was still smooth (this time I tried it in lieu with ice cream) and rather mellow without being too sweet, it did lack in character. Still, not bad for a kitchen rum... Makes one wonder about the tasters at Tastings.com, doesn't it?

At least in Finland, all on-the-job training includes also theoretical studies, so that they complement, rather than replace, each other. It has to be noted that on-the-job training/learning (or work-related learning, for you americans) is a separate issue from self-learning or learning solely from work. On-the-job learning is usually used as a technical term related to the field of education and their modern (actually re-invented (apprenticeship)) teaching methods, while the latter has nothing to do with formal education and does not produce certificates. On-the-job training usually includes a formal agreement between the workplace, the student and the educational establishment. The workplace is required to assign a tutor/mentor for the student for the time of the training period. Thus far, including on-the-job training to various fields of vocational education has given good results, and given the students a possibility to make contacts with the companies and get a feel of actual worklife. From this point of view, I'd trust in the skills of cooks etc. who have been in on-the-job training.

It seems that we have different meaning for the word harsh here... Or I've become more used to rhum agricole than the molasses-based rums... I prefer rums that have some (but not too much) edge to them, rather than the very mellow and sweet varieties... However, I dislike strong rums, such as some Jamaican products...

I think you cannot put your finger down on one general difference between types of rums made out of molasses or cane juice (I'm presume cane syrup belongs under cane juice...). Ageing and distillation methods decide much of what a rum will taste like. However, I've come to think that molasses-based rums (rhum industriel) are generally harsher than cane juice rums (rhum agricole), unless they have been aged for a relatively long time. Cane juice rhums achieve certain fullness and character after a relatively short period of ageing (see, for example, Clement's Rhum Vieux). However, both varieties can reach excellence if made properly and people's preferences vary, so there are no clear rules one way or the other. If you like sweet and smooth rums, you could try, for example, Barbados Plantation Rum, which is a cane juice rum. It is a bit smoother and sweeter than I'd like, but a good rum nevertheless.

It seems that this rum is unknown to the people here, so I'll add some info... Negrita has been rated by Tastings.com and they rank it at 94 points, only a point below Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva Rum and two points below Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum... It's also 5 points above Kaniche Guadeloupe... On the other hand, AllAboutBooze says that it's a kitchen rum...

Sugar Cane Brandy is Sugar Cane Rum and vice versa. A quote from the site of Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd.: Visit the page for an image of a rum bottle label, where the word rum is in small print and brandy in large... Interesting! As is this following site:History lesson

We have similar experiences, then... I'm in the process of building up my personal tasting notes and was wondering whether my comment about rather a long and ever-lasting aftertaste did enough homage to the rum, or if it was too subtle... I did not notice the foam, though... I wonder how much their shipments differ from each other...

Oh, that kind of numb? I agree, then! At first I thought you meant that your tasting buds get numb, in which case drinking rum etc. is definitely an after-dinner event, but now we weren't talking about rums, were we..? But seriously, please tell us both about your dinner experience and about the rums you taste!

I read somewhere that the importing of Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva to Europe has been discontinued due to the well-known trademark dispute. Does anyone know what the situation with the dispute is currently and what the history behind EU's decision is? Why are they taking sides here?

Is there some reason why one wouldn't want to wash the barrel with soda, but rather with rum or some other alcohol?

I thought as much... However, the next thing that one wonders is if the traditionality of having a cork on the bottle is actually a part of the quality of the rum and shows that the manufacturer appreciates their own product enought to follow the said traditions... Even if the quality of the rum is not dependent of the type of cork, the image factor of having a cork top may play a part, no? Does anyone here buy only cork top bottles when they are looking for quality rums?

With my limited experience with rums, I'd say that every rum that Jason listed above is worthy of a taste. The difficulty here is that you have not enjoyed rum neat before and so you do not know what to expect and you'll probably be ill-equipped to appreciate the most expensive brands, unless you have experience with other quality spirits (e.g. cognac). However, I'd recommend you start out with one of the rums on Jason's list, rather than with Captain Morgan or other basic brands. They could turn you away from rum for good, if you happen to encounter a bad example. You could also compare some French tradition rums (Rhum agricole) with English tradition rums (Rhum industriel) to get some sort of basic feel of rums and their variety. And remember that there is more variety between rums than there is between cognacs and whiskies - if you don't like the first brand you taste, do try another!

grrr...

repeat...

Argh! Something must be wrong with this particular thread! The system insisted on some database error and seemingly did not add my msg to the thread but now there are many!

Reminded by the traditional Midsummer celebration, I have to say that one of the worst things that I eat must be grilled sausages with loads of hot mustard... Thankfully, it's a summer thing only...

My drink of choice goes for all seasons: good, aged rum - by itself. (I'd like to have a 'snob' smiley, please! The 'huh' is almost there, but the eyebrow should be tilted the other way...)

I'd like to hear everyone's opinions about N.O. Rum. I've been tasting it a few times now, and I have to admit that it's not one of my favourites. Here are some of my notes: The rum smells rather clearly of maple syrup and it is very sweet and spicy. The taste is medium-bodied and syrupy with a definite spicy edge that leaves rather a long and ever-lasting aftertaste. The overt sweetness is a small gripe. As an afterthought, I think the sweetness might suite the rum rather well as it reminds one of the city itself and the 'touristy' atmosphere there...

I missed one: mushrooms. (and, of course, the normal things that you have: tomato sauce, cheese...) I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of shrimp myself, but they are okay as one of the incredients (when they are not playing the main role). And these shrimp were not ruined by having been over-heated - were just about okay. And blue cheese just about rules the whole world of cheese!! Edit: Yes, they were of the tiny shrimp variety... I wouldn't put the big ones on a pizza anyway, since they would steal the whole show...

At this very moment, I'm spending my lunch hour in front of my computer, eating cold pizza straight from the fridge. It's a whole pizza (pineapple, blue cheese, shrimp) that we got from a pizzeria last night and didn't eat. I tried microwaving the first slice, but it only ruined the taste - it's better cold!

I've usually bought only such rums that have a cork top (by chance more than by plan) but there are many brands out there with simple screwtops. I purchased a bottle of Rhum Negrita (another thread) and despite its screwtop it seemed quite ok at the first tasting. Is there a clear trend that says that better quality rums come with cork tops or are there screwtop brands that are equally good, or even better? Does the type of the top have anything to do with the quality of the treasure inside?