Capn Jimbo

Not so fast... By now most experienced rum afficianados are well aware of the wacky claims of many rums, most of which are heavily altered with unlabelled additives (yes, including sherry, sugar, glycerol, and flavorings), yet are still labelled "rum". Age statements are unreliable, since none of them are bottled in bond (although US law allows this). I'm sorry but this rum is very suspect for lots of reasons: 1. Color: no new make or young rum can possibly be dark mahogany short of the addition of large amounts of E150a coloring and/or molasses, and/or caramel. Light gold, possibly. Mahogany, never. 2. Plum and banana are the product of sincere and significant aging, absent here. This distiller makes perhaps one of the strangest claims ever - his wood/barrels are treated with special light which magically causes a rum to age years in apparent months. He also inserts wood staves into the barrels, a technique that has never worked. Trust me, if either of these outrageous claims were true he'd have already sold his amazing ideas to the majors for at least $10M or more. 3. Tossing a rotting banana peel in the ferment does not make it dunder. Real dunder pits in Jamaica are at least 20 years old, open pits, filled with the leftovers from thousands of distillation, and which has thus developed hundreds of esters. Tossing a banana peel in the mix a couple days before distillation? Spare me. 4. The poster who attributes its "funk" to the copper still is wrong. Copper is used to remove funk (actually sulfer), not add it. Real "funk" refers to the especially high esters, etc., that result from the use of dunder. Banana peels result from overfed monkeys. Personally, I am particularly bothered by both the marketing blather, impossible color and failure to admit honest time in the barrel. A rum without an age statement is a rum without much age, tanning beds aside. Carry on...

Thanks to all who signed the petition to Save Caribbean Rum. Some of the other signers or supporters include the above mentioned authors Dave Broom and David de Kergommeaux, and recently Beachbum Berry. Webmasters include Wayne Curtis, the Bilgemunky, Ina a Kena, Liquorature and many more. The petition now has its own email, Facebook and Twitter and the signatures are mounting at a good pace. If you love Caribbean rum and their special culture believe me, these people are desperate and the crisis is real. If you do nothing else at least read the petition and if you agree, join Dave Broom and the rest of us: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-massive-u-s-rum-subsidies-to-the-usvi-and-puerto.html

The petition to Save Caribbean Rum has really taken off, particularly since it was signed by both authors Dave Broom and Davin Kergommeaux. Davin wrote a must read article about this issue... http://www.canadianwhisky.org/news-vi... The petition has also been signed by a number of rum webmasters, and other spirits experts who understand this tremendous threat to both Caribbean and US distillers of rum who can simply not compete. For those who wish to read and perhaps sign the petition, it is in the OP. We must all stick together on this one.

There are many news items about this rum crisis. Here's a couple: From Phil Prichard of Prichard Fine Rums (NY Times): “If our own federal government is also letting its taxes subsidise foreign corporations and offshore producers, it makes it harder to survive,” said Philip E. Prichard, whose independent distillery in Tennessee makes rum and bourbon. “It flies in the face of entrepreneurship.” Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/16/business/16rum.html?pagewanted=all Sir Ronald Sanders, Commonwealth spokesman: "The reduction of sales in the US market, and the EU due to this legislation will have an adverse effect on Caribbean CARICOM distillers financial capacity to survive, let alone continue to manufacture rum at a competitive price.” Link: http://sirronaldsanders.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=336 Friends, it's really a matter of survival. We don't want to lose the famous rums of Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana or the Dominican Republic among others. Please read the petition, linked above, and sign it if you agree...

To my fellow rum lovers: we have a problem! Our wonderful Caribbean rums are now in danger of going out of business. In general these are small to medium size enterprises and include the hundreds of rums that we together have reviewed and blogged about. I’m talking about Mount Gay, Seales, Appleton, Wray & Nephews, Sangster, Myers, Barbancourt, Brugal, Barcelo, Ron Matusalem, Flor de Cana, the Demeraran Distillers Ltd., Ron del Barilito, and so many more. What has happened are two things: an exponential growth of rebates to the Big Three (Diageo, Fortune and Bacardi) in the USVI and Puerto Rico. Import taxes from the USVI/PR and surprisingly also from all their small Caribbean competitors, are almost all rebated – to the benefit of the Big Three alone. These rebates were only about $87 Million to the USVI in 2007, but have escalated to about $500 Million annually today to the USVI and Puerto Rico. The pressure on the Caribbean distillers has increased and reached a breaking point in 2012. Then things got much, much worse when the USVI instituted a “rum war” against Puerto Rico last year. What happened is almost unthinkable. The USVI gave Diageo nearly $3 Billion – not million, billion! – in subsidies. These subsidies were so rich that they amount to more than double the cost of actually producing rum! Diageo is actually being paid to produce rum. The USVI also gifted Fortune Brands (Cruzan) $1 Billion, yes billion – for all manner of free improvements and facilties, including a guarantee that Cruzan can buy molasses for just 16 cents/gallon – far under the market price of $2.00/gallon that the Caribbean producers must pay. The result threatens all the Caribbean distillers, but especially those in Barbados, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Guyana to name the most important. Still, smaller Caribbean labels everywhere fear for their survival, to no longer be able to produce rum at a competitive price. You see, almost all of them depend on sales of whites, gold and bulk rum to justify the time and expense of producing their far more expensive aged products. KEY points: 1. This is real and serious, and it is happening right now. 2. Caricom has concluded that these subsidies constitute a violation of WTO (World Trade Organization) rules regarding fair trade. The Dominican Republic has filed a request for an official WTO Opinion, the precursor to an actual Complaint and hearing. This is a very serious and necessary step. 3. We must overlook our personal differences which are petty in comparison, and work together to publicize this impending disaster. We should not wait until we have lost any of these very fine rums which once gone, are gone (or modified) forever. 4. A Formal Petition has been created and continues to grow and garner signatures. The petition is designed in such a fashion to be accepted into official government records, and depending on the agency, is treated in the fashion as actual testimony. Please read, sign if you agree, and aggressively promote it. Adding personal comments is possible and encouraged. It is here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-massive-u-s-rum-subsidies-to-the-usvi-and-puerto.html 5. Last, a background and press kit follows which will illustrate the issues. If you have any questions or disagreement, kindly write me for additional and corroborating detail. If you do nothing else read the formal petition’s preamble and formal demand for an overview, and assuming you agree, sign it. Forgive the length of this post, but our beloved Caribbean rums are at great risk. Let me quote Sir Ronald Sanders, a spokesman for the Commonwealth... "The reduction of sales in the US market, and the EU due to this legislation will have an adverse effect on Caribbean CARICOM distillers financial capacity to survive, let alone continue to manufacture rum at a competitive price.”

I'd guess you aren't a big fan of the cane juice style, which is typically earthy, caney, reedy. At The Rum Project this rum was rated quite acceptably, particulary in view of the amazing price. Your dislike illustrates one of the main issues with rum appreciation - there are four or five basic styles, and the cane juice style, like cachaca, presents as quite apart from the rest. Cane juice rums are an acquired taste - I'd recommend you buy a bottle of Barbancourt Three Star and start by making a few ti punch or caiparinha type drinks.

Perhaps a comparison with single malt whisky or bourbon would help. Here's a definition of Scotch (single malt) whiskey... * Produced at a distillery in Scotland from water and malted barley (to which only whole grains of other cereals may be added) all of which have been: o Processed at that distillery into a mash o Converted at that distillery to a fermentable substrate only by endogenous enzyme systems o Fermented at that distillery only by adding yeast o Distilled at an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 94.8% * Wholly matured in an excise warehouse in Scotland in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 litres for at least three years * Retains the colour, aroma, and taste of the raw materials used in, and the method of, its production and maturation * Has no added substances, other than water and plain (E150A) caramel colouring * Has a minimum alcoholic strength by volume of 40% As you can see, these regulations are simple, relatively complete but allow plenty of room for individual variation in still design, type of yeast, conditions and length of fermentation, aging beyond three years, etc. If you are a whisky drinker you are aware of the great variety of aromas and flavors that these minimal regulations encourage. Most important, you know that the whisky you buy and drink has not been altered with any additives or flavorings other than miniscule amounts of E150A coloring (to adjust color). Indeed many single malts don't even use this, and further are not even filtered! Bourbon goes a step farther and won't even allow miniscule E150 coloring. But rum? Anything goes, and although there are a few pure and unaltered rums, most contain all manner of unlabeled additives. Some will argue that up to 2.5% of additives is legal, I would argue otherwise - but no one will dispute that this is done. The AOC regs go to an opposite extreme: their voluminous regulations define the variety of cane, the type of yeast, the type and number of plates in the still, ad infinitum. These regulations are not the simple paragraph of whisky, but literally pages and pages of micromanagement, overseen by layers of testers, administrators, and licensers. There is very little room for art, but at least these cane juice rums are relatively pure. One of the big promoters of purity in rum is Richard Seale of Barbados. All of his rums are pure and unaltered, and his age statements are accurate. These include his Seales Ten, Doorlys, and others, all made at his Foursquare Distillery. There are other quality producers. Unfortunately the many countries that produce something called "rum" cannot seem to agree on any meaningful, enforced standards. WIRSPA tried and failed, the US regs are loosely defined and poorly enforced. The Carribean states have met over the years in the attempt, without success. The most we can do is to be aware of the issue, try to learn which rums are real, pure and unaltered and speak with our purchases. At The Rum Project we have spent many hundreds of hours to produce a source of independent, non-commercial information intended to help one and all in this regard. Hope that helps.

It's sad to say that agricole cane juice style rums are not well experienced or understood by most rum drinkers. Like all spirits cost is not an especially good indicator of quality. We have reviewed Rhum Negrita Bardinet (link), and it garnered a surprisingly good rating. That it was also available at a measly $17 was even better. Here's a few notes on it... The aroma is classic cane juice - caney, reedy and earthy. Actually beyond earthy, with a sort of petrolatum, leather, cork and cachaca aromas. I found a nice spicy background of ginger, cinnamon and clover - all together like a spiced baked apple pie, and with a hint of orange zest. The palate was equally interesting and opened like a cognac, very different, with hints of berries and dark fruit, so unusual. I found anise and licorice. Rhum Negrita has a Jamaican feel with a Barbadian twist, including cherry, and deep raisin and prune, dried dark fruits (think mincemeat), and a touch of molasses, pecan, coffee, cacao and mocha. So nice, and unexpectedly complex. As far as development, Rhum Negrita opened with a honey sweetness, transitioning into spicy heat and leather, and finishing with a dry white pepper. Think of a Werther hard candy, as the caramel dissolves in your mouth... Hope that helps...

This is wonderful post, thank you. Yes, you are right I've included cachacas for your stated reason, as it is made from cane juice and is the Brazilian national drink. Here in South Florida I am blessed to have Brazilian friends who "imported" some of their uncle's home made cachaca (there are literally thousands of cachacas in Brazil). Lovely and vegetal, an acquired taste. Aguardiente is another matter. This "category" has never really been defined and is different all over the world, where it is made from all manner of grains, fruits and yes, cane juice or molasses. We do have them here, and they are very inexpensive. For example, Columbian aguardientes are very common here, made from cane but only about 30% alcohol, and noticeably flavored with anisette. I understand that the Ecuadorian aguardiente is unflavored, but sadly I've never seen any for sale here. Other South American countries make what means "firewater" from grapes (Chile). What we call "rum" is minimally defined, and much of it is altered with unlabled flavorings, sugar, glycerol, even sherry. Aguardiente really has no international standards, and varies from country to country. Still, I'm glad you've drawn attention to those aguardientes that are made from cane and are well worth exploring. I only wish the Reposado you named were available here, we'd be sure to review it...

Agreed, the ultimate goal is to develop your own standards for each style of rum. However, most new rum drinkers don't have a clue about either the styles, and have not developed their own "standard". What I have attempted to do is to identify the styles, and then to suggest "reference standards" by choosing rums that are considered by wide consensus (especially by experienced tasters)to be very, very fine examples of each style. I defer to the wisdom of the consensus. Of course individuals will disagree here and there, but no serious rum afficianado will deny that any of these aren't great places to begin. As I have long said - once you understand a category and find a rum that's better to you, then congratulations! You now have your own reference standard. The other objective is to remember that it is wise to compare any new rum to your standard, as this will greatly help you to compare and contrast.

Theres is really no controversy about Barbancourt, except for a lone rum website, who claims otherwise. The Mariniquean AOC rums are hardly traditional as the AOC labeling scheme was not even created until 1996. The real tradition of cane juice rums in the Carribean began over 200 years ago in the form of Haiti's "clarin", a crude form of fermented sugar cane juice. Barbancourt is really a historic company and has been under the control of one extended family since about 1860. This French family brough their cognac stills and methods to Haiti, and has made fine, nearly handmade agricole cane juice rums ever since. Their use of pot stills and extended aging at lower proof in expensive French oak barrels results in an agricole that is considered exquisite (particularly the Five Star). In those days Martinique was making some pretty bad molasses based rums, and - much later - turned to making cane juice rums out of desperation. Agricoles are made throughout the Carribean in at least eight countries.

OK, let's cover the Matusalem Gran Reserva... This is a good reference rum for the Cuban style: light and smooth with a nice peppery finish. We also call it one of our "dangerous" rums, inasmuch as it is way, way too easy to drink. We're serious. Another you might try in the "dangerous" sense is Santa Teresa Anejo - a best buy at around $14, and extremely pleasant in its smooth, light way. This is a tough style, as we are unable to buy real Cuban style rums from Cuba anyway, and the Cuban styles made elsewhere are pretty unremarkable. Actually, that was the idea, as it was Bacardi's gamble and objective to make rums that were easy to drink, smooth and light. But along with smooth and light comes the idea of unremarkable. But you might try the Abuelos, the Anejo and also the 7 Year and see if you like the Panamanian take on this style. Many exiled Cubans headed for the Dominican Republic (see Ron Matusalem). Another great rum that has Cuban elements is one I already recommended, the Westerhall Plantation - a truly superior, well made rum. You might also want to try the Bermudez Aniversario 12, not exceptional but a solid, decent Cuban style. And I would be remiss if I didn't recommend the Bacardi 8 Year, which also illustrates the style, if not very remarkably. Hope that helps...

Sure Hassouni... Let's first cover the rums you named and that you like: 1. Pussers, Smith & Cross and Sea Wynde: these are all Jamaican style which feature very aromatic rums that use what is called "dunder" as a starter for fermentation. Dunder is really leftover from previous distillations, and is actually stored in "dunder pits". These are actual, open air pits in the ground - some of them are many years old. This "dunder" is really pretty nasty, but contains hundreds of different esters and flavors (compare to the 30 or 40 esters in a typical rum). So when you add a little dunder to a new fermentation the result is a much more complex and interesting rum. The Jamaican style. Perhaps the best known Jamaican style happens to be from Jamaica, and this would be the Appleton rums. Perhaps the best (and also very affordable) is Appleton Extra (12 years old). We can find it here for about $29. It is easily one of the best rums in the world, and deserves a place on your shelves. 2. Mount Gay XO (Extra Old) - Barbadian style, smooth and complex, perhaps even a wee bit whiskylike. I recommend almost any other Barbadian style rum, and anything made by Richard Seale. If you can find Seales Ten (about $25-30), this too is a world class rum in that style. Seale also makes the amazing Doorly's XO, which is aged in both used bourbon and sherry barrels. Doorly's sells here for an unbelievable $17, very good and will teach you what flavors that sherry barrel aging can accomplish (deep fruits, nutty). Great stuff. 3. Scarlet Ibis: although we have learned to promote five major styles, Scarlet Ibis stands alone in that it exhibits characteristics of most of the common styles. It is almost a style unto itself, and thus I have no equivalent rum to recommend. If you do wish to try other unique rums who that cross style lines I'd strongly suggest Dos Maderas 5+3 (five yrs in bourbon barrels, three in sherry), which displays two different groups of flavors. Don't waste your money on the 5+5 as the sherry can be overdone. Another very unique rum is Westerhall Plantation, a very small production rum, a blend of both cane juice and molasses based rums. Extremely unique, hard to find, and a memorable experience. 4. Barbancourt Five Star: A cane juice (agricole) style, perhaps one of the ten best rums in the world. A rum of art, using pot stills and long aged at lower proofs in French oak for great smoothness and complexity over a caney/reedy background. The Three Star is your next choice I'd say, as you will see where that vegetal cane aspect comes from - a nice horizontal comparison so you can learn and understand what aging another four years can accomplish. Rhum Dillon - another really nice cane juice rum can be had around here for perhaps $19, and it can stand up to any of the other white agricoles that cost twice as much, or more. Hope that helps. Remember, there are five basic styles, and you have tried three of them. Until you choose your own reference standard for each (to which you should compare when tasting a new rum in that style), most afficianados would agree on... 1. Barbadian Style: MGXO or Seales 10 2. Cane Juice (agricole) Style: Barbancourt 3 or 5 Star. 3. Jamaican Style: Appleton Extra (12). Let's see if anyone comes up with the other two styles...

Having been a member here for quite some time, I am always taken by the morass of very different replies that one receives when trying to select or understand rums. At The Rum Project (linked below), we too were faced with all the conflicting advice, and after purchasing 50 or so "recommendations", we found ourselves just as confused as when we started. Ergo The Rum Project where we have spent literally thousands of hours providing a free and handy resource for just how to approach, understand and appreciate rum. For example did you know there are five basic styles of rum? Did you ever consider that it might help you to identify, buy and learn a reference standard rum for each of those styles? Have you ever considered what glass might be the best for tasting rum, and just how to go about tasting and understanding different rums? You really have two choices: first, to try to follow hundreds of well meaning but confusing suggestions by fellow posters, or to actually start with the basics, and achieve enough understanding of rum to proceed with your own knowledge and expertise. Rum is terribly misunderstood, and underappreciated, and sadly, many of the rums being sold are part of the problem. Still, there are many fine rums that rival the best spirits made, and you need to know what they are, to have a basis for evaluating and choosing other rums. It was our goal to provide a good rum education for the average person, and we honestly think we've done that. It has been a labor of love, and our humble contribution to our fellow rum imbibers of which there are many. If you do want to get a feel for rum appreciation, I'd suggest you visit our main site first, and then the forum for some of the 200 or so reviews that Sue Sea and I have written. We welcome your comments and questions both here and there... Up spirits!!

Barbancourt's cane juice rums ("rhum agricole" in French) are uniformly highly rated, and far less expensive than the variable and EXPENSIVE products of Martinique. The Barbancourt white rhum agricole at $15 is a must buy and try in this category. The 3 star (4 years) and 5 star (8 years) are simply magnificent and more than hold their own. BTW you may be interested an article based on Dave Broom's analyses and comparison of rhum agricoles: http://rumproject.com/rumforum/viewtopic.php?t=27

At The Rum Project we have reviewed over 120 rums and I can tell you this: the best really don't have to be expensive. The following are all very fine rums and very low prices: Cane juice style: Barbancourt 5 Star: $20 (one of the top rated rums in the world). Cuban style: Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva 15: $24. One of the best in its style class. Jamaican style: Try Appleton V/X ($20) or especially the Appleton Extra ($32). The Extra is at the top of both Pacult's and Broom's rating. Ours as well. Navy: Pussers Blue Label (about $20-25). The British Royal Navy standard and a wonderful classic blend of Jamaican and Guyana rums (and others). A true classic, very well respected. Sea Wynde is even better, and being closed out. Buy all you can. Barbadian: Doorlys XO can be had for about $19 and is very well respected, pure and unadulterated. Some special bargains: Santa Teresa Anejo - $15 and hard to beat. Rum San Pablo - cuban style, about $10, very well rated, great light rum.

Having waded through the to-and-fro of this exchange, perhaps a "final word" is in order, lol... Bottom line: Tasting and reviewing - at least by the very best and most respected reviewers (think the likes of F. Paul Pacult, Dave Broom, et al) - is conducted at room temperature to facilitate the complete understanding of any spirit, vodka included. Such respected experts use the same technique, at room temperature, for all spirits. Professional tasting/reviewing typically takes up to 20 or 30 minutes. Nosing alone can take 15 minutes, if not more. How a spirit is typically consumed has very little to do with how a proper and reliable review is conducted. Cooling or heaven forbid, freezing the spirit, however traditional in drinking (not reviewing) only inhibits analysis and review. This is especially true in something like vodka where the differences are subtle (but no less significant). Subtle does not mean absent.

The notion of infusing rum with tobacco is certainly attractive, esp. as rum and smoking cigars just seems to go together. Here's my analysis and it isn't pretty... It is certainly true that alcohol - particularly in excess - can lead to erosion and cancers of the oral-esophogeal route. I see plenty of that in my practice. I've come to terms myself based on the data that alcohol - in moderation - is really quite a low risk. The same is not true of tobacco in any form or by any route. All it takes is for the carcinogen to modify just one cell in your body. And some of us possess genes that make us very susceptible to even very limited exposure to carcinogens in tobacco. A cigar contains more carcinogens than a pack of cigarettes. It is not simply an equivalent. And it is VERY important to note that via the route of smoking, most of these carcinogens are lost to the atmosphere and never enter the body. Without any data in front of me, I'll take what I consider my worst case smoking analysis, and assume that 10% of the available carcinogens are absorbed. I daresay the actual amount absorbed by smoking is much less than that. Infusion is quite another matter. Most if not all of the carcinogens will infuse into the rum and will accordingly be taken into the body. Based on my assumption this is more like a carton of cigarettes at the least, and very likely much more. Based on about 24 ounces per 750 ml bottle of rum, 10 packs of cigarettes per carton, and 20 cigarettes per pack: a two ounce drink would be at least the equivalent of smoking 16 cigarettes in 20 minutes! I sincerely believe the real number is higher. If you choose to infuse rum with tobacco, I believe you are taking some very real risks with not only heavy exposure to carcinogens, but possible nicotine poisoning.

Gee, how do you really feel? Army rations at $50 a plate? That's funny! Actually, the story behind Pusser's Blue is fascinating. Let's leave the 17th and 18th centuies behind and concern ourselves with the current product. Actually, the British Navy was near fanatical about its beloved daily tot, loved by seaman and officers alike in the modern British Navy. The modern formula was created in 1810 and is still a secret. It is claimed to be blended from five molasses rums still carefully distilled in the few remaining wooden pot stills in the world. Keep in mind that the congeners, et al, have been carried forward from then in these very special stills. The rums were transported to England, kept in a guarded warehouse and blended in secret until the daily tot finally ended in 1970 (Black Tot Day). Finally, a Mr. Charles Tobias convinced the British government to allow him to continue the tradition. He promised to keep the secret and make the rum as it was since 1810. He also agreed to make contributions from the sales to the British Seaman fund and is currently its largest contributor. Good on him. Actually Pusser's Blue is a fine rum and a Gold and Double Gold winner for dark rum in a number of prestigious competitions (eg San Francisco). Those who have fallen for the modern trend of marketing of sweeter, lighter rums may need an adjustment period to taste a real, straight ahead, serious rum like Pussers (which is now bottled at 43%). Pusser's Blue, like some other pot stilled rums (think Jamaica), is hearty, aromatic, chock full of congeners and esters and must be considered an acquired taste. I believe everyone should have a bottle on board as one of the very few high quality, aged rums that remains unchanged. Accordingly it has both historical relevence, and provides an invaluable reference rum. I will say that new drinkers of Blue Label should add a very little water as this will bring out some sweetness. Do give it a chance - it's not an easy rum to like, but if you stick with it I suspect you'll change your mind.

This is a terrific question. Both the process of tasting and choice of glass can be entirely confusing with commentators recommending anything from simple, wide mouthed tumblers on one hand (pretty intense) to brandy snifters on the other (great for high notes). So I took the time to research these questions in depth, and contact some of the leading rum tasters I know. There are complete reports on tasting and glasses linked below which cover a LOT more data than I can here. But it is fair to state that almost no one prefers the wide mouth tumbler which releases way too much of the aromas and are really more oriented to drinking rum, rather than tasting it. This is especially true considering that many tastings use just half an ounce or less. Now there are more proponents of what might best be called a small snifter. These hold the aromas much better and are more suitable for tasting amounts. But they don't allow deep access of your nose. Still some of the great tasters love these glasses. One of the great distillers - Richard Seale of Barbados - uses a custom made glass which is very similar to a sherry copita. Personally, after trying them all, I found a glass from IKEA which holds about 6 oz, has a nice, small rounded bowl and long stem. A superb compromise glass that both holds the aroma and still allows nose access. Perfect. In closing, it has been observed that wines and spirits can taste very different in different glasses. This is true! I will tell you that my rums have never tasted better since I found the IKEA glass. Anyway, there's LOTS more about this in my reports... Link to Rum Tasting Glasses Link to Rum Tasting Techniques

Steffen, you may not be aware but the Barbancourt Five Star is one of the highest rated agricultural cane juice rums in the world, so you've made a great start. There is a great deal of misinformation about cane juice rums. First is that Martinique, and the AOC of France, define just what is and is not "rhum agricole". That is exactly backwards. The term was first used in the mid 1800's to describe rums made from cane juice (as opposed to molasses). Very simple. No mention of "fresh", no mention of process, no voluminous specifications. Molasses rums were referred to as "rhum industriell" and was not meant as a compliment. These cane juice rums were made mostly in the French Indies (which then included Haiti), but also a number of other countries. What they all had in common was the raw material - cane juice. It was not until about 1996 that the French created a HUGE list of miniscule regulations which applied only and solely to cane juice rums made in their Martinique, which were then permitted to carry the label "Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique". This designation is a subset of rhum agricole and in no way applies to agricultural cane juice "rhum agricoles" made elsewhere (most notably in Haiti). Unfortunately some commentators with commercial interests in Martinique would have you believe that only the relatively expensive AOC rhums from Martinique are the only authentic agricoles. Now as far as taste is concerned there is no doubt that the cane juice rums taste profile is very different than those from molasses. It is fair to say that the taste has not been particularly appreciated by the world at large. Despite the fact that rhum agricoles have been around for over 150 years their market share is a puny 3% or so. Outside France (and the French Indies) people much prefer molasses rums, many of which are real works of art. One exception is Barbancourt, who has managed to produce consistently award winning rhum agricoles... For those who are interested (Link to French Style Rhum Agricoles & Reviews)...

This is a great question and a common one. Entry into the world of rum can be confusing and misleading as it's way too easy to end up with a mish mosh of other people's favorites. I found this very frustrating, so I thought it would be useful to have an organized way to approach rum by identifying what turned out what I call the five basic styles of rum (which includes the French cane juice rums), as well as reference standards for each style. These would give your guests a real overview of the world of rum. I then created a basic starter collection of ten rums (Link to Basic Collection)for just a tad over $200 total. This is a truly great collection representing the best of world of rum as we know it, plus a few fun and mixing rums, not a penny wasted. Not bad. Some of the rums in this group include: Mount Gay Extra Old Appleton Extra Barbancourt Five Star Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva El Dorado 12 or 15 These are all world class and quite affordable...

I can't speak for the entire line of Plantation rums but those selections from Barbados are excellent. Sue Sea and I review rums at our rum website, and find those from Barbados, Jamaica and Haiti tend to consistently earn very high ratings for their quality and character. The Plantation Barbados rums are no exception. I was lucky enough to find the 1993 on sale for $19 (normally mid to high $30's) and it is superb.

At my website I've identified a bunch of great rums for $20 or less. For example Barbancourt Five Star, perhaps the best of the cane juice rums and rated as one of the great rums of the world... Just $18. The Three Star version, which would be rated superior by most reviewers is closer to $14. Now mind you, these rums are not swill, they are not average, they are not good - no, they are exceptional...