Rum.

Originally Posted by scarphe

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jsut becaue it hard to get or becaue it is good? honestly there are alot better rums avaible that you can easily get... even than there are far better cuban rums.

Best value for a sipping rum IMO. You can obviously do better for flavor with the small-batch Rhums and such but I probably have guests over too often to keep my shelf stocked with $50+ bottles of rum. Maybe I just need to make more money.

I recently discovered Cruzan 9 and was pleasantly surprised. Probably the best tasting affordable spiced rum. I drink it neat too, it's actually better than mixed.

Also received a bottle of Bacardi 8 and Bacardi Black. The 8 is nice, but the Black has a very greasy mouthfeel that I'm not a fan of.

Didn't see anyone post Barbancourt 5-Star from Haiti, maybe I missed it, but for my money, having lived in the Caribbean for 20 years, it is the best sipping rum I've had. 3 fingers with a couple of ice cubes and a cigar is perfect for a hot humid summer night.

So what's a good rum to start off with that's not too pricey?

Best rum I've tried so far (which I'm sure will be laughed at) is the Bacardi Reserve Limited.

I'm from Puerto Rico as well, so I've tried most of the rums from Puerto Rico, although they're probably no-where near the caliber of some of the ones mentioned here.

Originally Posted by Stu

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Didn't see anyone post Barbancourt 5-Star from Haiti, maybe I missed it, but for my money, having lived in the Caribbean for 20 years, it is the best sipping rum I've had. 3 fingers with a couple of ice cubes and a cigar is perfect for a hot humid summer night.

hmm, now this has my interest.

This one Stu?: http://www.barbancourt.net/rhum-barb....php?langue=en

Originally Posted by danilo

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So what's a good rum to start off with that's not too pricey?

1. El Dorado 12 Year Old from Guyana - $23.99 (5 year old is only $14 - great stuff)
2. Kilo Kai Handcrafted Spiced Rum from Curacao - $17.99
3. Flor de Cana Gold 4 year from Nicaragua - $12.99

I'd drink any of these neat, with one ice cube. And I'm a rum snob.

Originally Posted by Stu

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Didn't see anyone post Barbancourt 5-Star from Haiti, maybe I missed it, but for my money, having lived in the Caribbean for 20 years, it is the best sipping rum I've had. 3 fingers with a couple of ice cubes and a cigar is perfect for a hot humid summer night.

Not a fan of Barbancourt. They have a defined harshness that is unpleasant and uninteresting to my palate. Not feeling the love for them.

Interesting. I'm a rum enthusiast, and am often complemented on my modest collection, which numbers about 30 mid-high end rums (the beautiful thing about rums is that they are like bourbon used to be - they are a comparative bargain in the spirits world). This thread is inspiring, and I'm particularly interested in the following, which I have not had: #3 - English Harbour Aged 10 Years Reserve from Antigua (pricey though at $90US, and a ***** to find too) > Cannot find this locally #4 - Saint James Hors D'Age Rhum Agricole from Martinique (best example of terroir - Martinique rhums have a unique taste) > I can get this locally and will pick up a bottle this weekend (I have had Martinique rums I enjoyed and those I did not care for, so I'll take your recommendation on this one) #5 - Plantation 20th Anniversary Extra Old from Barbados (cognac producer Claude Ferrand nailed it with this). > Looks like this will have to be ordered and shipped - which always gets me in trouble, as I end up ordering more spirits to "save" on average shipping costs

Of the rums quoted below, I've added the following personal assessment.
- = no
neutral = very mood dependent, sometimes yes
+ = yes
++ = always on hand

Interestingly, I have a number of rums not listed here that I should post later.

On to my high level take:

Originally Posted by cuffthis

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Olo Brazilian Spiced Rum
Santa Teresa 1796 Ron Antiguo de Solera (+)
Ron Zacapa Solera 23 (++)
Zaya Gran Reserva 12 Year Old (++ old version - new version)
Cruzan Single Barrel (--)
Cockspur Bajan Crafted Rum 12 Year Old
Old Lucia Distillers Chairman's Reserve
Pampero Ron Anejo Especial (+ old version neutral new version)
Appleton Estate V/X
Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old
Appleton Estate Reserve
Appleton Estate 21 Year Old
R.L. Seale's Finest Barbados Rum
Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year (neutral)
Rhum Barbancourt Reserve Speciale 8 Year
Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Year (neutral, -)
Pampero Ron Anejo Reserva Exclusivia (+)
Pyrat XO Reserve (neutral)
Pyrat Cask 1623
El Dorado 12 Year Old (++)
El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve (++)
El Dorado 21 Year Old Special Reserve (++)
Plantation Old Reserve Trinidad 2000
Plantation Old Reserve Jamaica 2000 (+)
Plantation 20th Anniversary Extra Old
Doorly's XO Fine Old
English Harbour Aged 5 Years
English Harbour Aged 10 Years Reserve
Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva 15 Year (neutral)
Edwin Charley The Virtue
Vizcaya Cuban Formula Cask No. 21 (+ but there's some bottle variation here)
Mount Gay Extra Old
Mount Gay Cask 1703
Goslings Family Reserve Old Rum
Saint James Royal Ambre
Saint James Extra Old
Saint James Hors D'Age
Captain Morgan Private Stock (neutral, but surprisingly good spice for mixing)
Angostura 1919 Aged 8 Years
Ron Flor de Cana Centenario 12 Year (neutral)
Ron Flor de Cana Centenario Gold 18 Year (+)
Havana Bay Ron Anejo Falcon Busto 5 Year
Old Brigand Black Label Superior
Ron Cartavio Gran Black 3 Year
Ron Cartavio Aniversario 5 Year
Seven Tiki Spiced Rum
Westerhall Plantation Batch 20810
Pusser's British Navy Rum (neutral, good for cocktails)
Colonial Tradicional Cachaca do Ceara
Old Monk Very Old Vatted 7 Year-3/2010
Ron del Barrilito Calidad Extra 2 Star
Ron del Barrilito Superior Especial 3 Star (neutral)
Doorly's Fine Old Aged 5 Years
Royal Jamaican Gold
Kilo Kai Handcrafted Spiced Rum
Cockspur Aged Reserve Rum
Mount Gay Sugar Cane Rum
Mount Gay Special Reserve
Brugal Ron Anejo
Brugal Ron Extra Viejo Gran Reserva Familiar
Brugal Extra Viejo Ron Reserva Familiar
Rogue Dark Rum
Bacardi Ron 8 Anos ("good rum" for the masses who've only had white Bacardi)
Smatt's Jamaican Rum Gold
Ron Abuelo Anejo 12 Anos
Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum-4 yr
10 Cane Rum (-)
Oronoco Fazenda Reserva (+ but definitely different - for cocktails)
Prichard's Fine Rum - Aged (-)
The Kracken Black Spiced Rum
Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum
Havana Club 7 Anos (+)
Havana Club Barrel Proof (++)
Dogfish Head Brown Honey Rum
Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole
Flor de Cana Gold 4 year
Williams-Humbert Dos Maderas Cask & Barrel 5+3
Williams-Humbert Dos Maderas Double Crianza 5+5
Dipolomatico Reserva Exclusiva (++)
Ron Abuelo Anejo 7 Anos
Cadenhead's Long Pond Estate Aged 10 years-bottled June, 1997
Cadenhead's Port Morant Demerara Aged 30 years-bottled August, 1995

Not sure where you are located, but all 3 of these are available at State Line Liquors in Elkton, MD. The English Harbour 10 year may be a special order.

http://www.statelineliquors.com/liquor.php?sddesc=rum

FYI, State Lines beer portfolio is world class.

Originally Posted by Girardian

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Interesting. I'm a rum enthusiast, and am often complemented on my modest collection, which numbers about 30 mid-high end rums (the beautiful thing about rums is that they are like bourbon used to be - they are a comparative bargain in the spirits world).

This thread is inspiring, and I'm particularly interested in the following, which I have not had:

#3 - English Harbour Aged 10 Years Reserve from Antigua (pricey though at $90US, and a ***** to find too)
> Cannot find this locally

#4 - Saint James Hors D'Age Rhum Agricole from Martinique (best example of terroir - Martinique rhums have a unique taste)
> I can get this locally and will pick up a bottle this weekend (I have had Martinique rums I enjoyed and those I did not care for, so I'll take your recommendation on this one)

#5 - Plantation 20th Anniversary Extra Old from Barbados (cognac producer Claude Ferrand nailed it with this).
> Looks like this will have to be ordered and shipped - which always gets me in trouble, as I end up ordering more spirits to "save" on average shipping costs

I have a bottle of Appleton 21 yr-old, but I haven't opened it yet -- anybody else tried it?

I am partial to the Mount Gay Extra Old myself. YMMV

When I want to make a kick-ass "dark and stormy" I use Lamb's Navy Rum overproof (151)

A Cuban ex-pat that works for me has given me two bottles from the old country:

La Occidental Guayabita del Pinar
Ron Mulata de Cuba Anejo Reserva

I haven't opened either -- I suspect they are "mixers"

Originally Posted by eg1

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I have a bottle of Appleton 21 yr-old, but I haven't opened it yet -- anybody else tried it?

I am partial to the Mount Gay Extra Old myself. YMMV

When I want to make a kick-ass "dark and stormy" I use Lamb's Navy Rum overproof (151)

A Cuban ex-pat that works for me has given me two bottles from the old country:

La Occidental Guayabita del Pinar
Ron Mulata de Cuba Anejo Reserva

I haven't opened either -- I suspect they are "mixers"
try the the mulata straight. though it may appear to be a mixer, it is qualty rum.

I'm glad to take these off your hands if you don't want them.

eg1;4571257 said:

A Cuban ex-pat that works for me has given me two bottles from the old country:

La Occidental Guayabita del Pinar
Ron Mulata de Cuba Anejo Reserva

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Originally Posted by eg1

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I have a bottle of Appleton 21 yr-old, but I haven't opened it yet -- anybody else tried it?

I am partial to the Mount Gay Extra Old myself. YMMV

When I want to make a kick-ass "dark and stormy" I use Lamb's Navy Rum overproof (151)

Just go with Gosling's and Barrit's. And a splash of lime.

Originally Posted by cuffthis

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I'm glad to take these off your hands if you don't want them.

It'll be cheaper and easier to send them to Atlanta. Just do that.