Rum as an aperitif?

[Mickeman]

Looking for suggestions of quality rum to use befor dinner as an aperitif?

My opinion is that it must be light, not to sweet, even a little dry and pure.

By light I do not mean that it has to be white.

I mean that it shouldnt be to complex or contain to heavy aromas and flavours.

By not to sweet, even dry I mean that it shuld be a little dusty in character.

No rum that serves as ingredient in drinks cualify, the are generally far to sweet.

By pure I mean that there can be no unpleasant traces of impure alcohol.

In other words if I compare it to the world of singel maltwhisky the equivalence of a lowland malt.

My favorite before dinner lowland malt is Auchentoshan 10 years old.

My other favorite aperitifs are Campari and Noilly Prat.

Any suggestions, or Im I looking for the impossible?

Mike

Sweden

Edited May 12, 2004 by Mickeman (log)

[ctgm]

Of all the rums that I have had recently I thought that the Cruzan Single Barrel might fit the bill (although I know lots of you will think that this is sacrilidge). One of the main reasons was that it was only 37.5% ABV and very oaky (probably too much so).

Save from that have you thought about the spiced rums. Not something I generally go for but.....

[Ed Hamilton]

At the risk of suggesting something that you'll hate given your reference to 10 yr Lowland Scotch. for something completely different, in the French West Indies they drink, white rhum, sugar cane syrup or a little raw sugar and lime in a drink they call a ti punch as an aperitif and has become my favorite before dinner drink. At 100 proof, I add crushed ice and let it melt a few minutes before I enjoy this one.

[Mickeman]

Hi Ed!

Thanks for the tip.

I understand that you are located in the carribian.

Is the heat that makes you prefer ice in some rum or are there actually some flavors that you whant to reduce by cooling?

Most of the rum that are avaiable to me (In Sweden) are 80 to 90 proof and thats the strength that I generally prefer drinking it at room temprature (20 - 24 C).

By the way can you recomend any books on rum that describes the productionprocess of both industrial and agricultural rum in greate detail?

best regards,

Mike

[Ed Hamilton]

As to the question of proof, the rums I drink as an aperitif are 50% alcohol by volume, or 100 US proof, which is different from British proof.

I add ice but for two reasons. In the tropics something cool is nice at the end of the day, secondly, the ice quickly melts and dilutes the strong rum.

As for books that describe the processes, I have yet to see any books that give as much detail about the different making processes at each of the distilleries chronicled as my books. But then, few of the rum writers have actually been to most of the distilleries they write about.