Rum reviews:

[Chè]

Figured after all the energy put into naming rums we like beneath or above $30, we may as well have some actual reviews.

I figured I start with something well below $30 that I think is worth trying.

___________________________________________________


1 Barrel rum from Belize:

I'd describe this a "gold" rum appearance-wise. Taste-wise it offers a variety of flavors I'd be more inclined to attribute to a darker rum. There are continual bits of spice with a baked & slightly toasted twinge throughout. Ginger bread or spicy banana-nut loaf? I wouldn't describe is as smoky, but as mentioned it has a continuous toasted flavor.

In summary, I find this to be a pretty interesting pour. I suppose a real purist could find 1 Barrel somewhat bizarre it has so much intense flavor that one might find sort of falling outside the generalized rum array. Perhaps even considering or comparing it to flavored rum or something similar. At $13 a bottle, I thought it was a pretty good deal and a nice breakfast rum.:dr Not sure it is a slam dunk to accompany a cigar though - haven't gone that route, myself.

 

[RGD]

. . . I thought it was a pretty good deal and a nice breakfast rum.:dr . . .

Breakfast rum? :r Damn - why didn't I think of that -

I'm not much of a reviewer myself - most would simply read " Man I like this shit" - but I'll be watching this thread intently. :tu


Ron

 

[Mark C]

I agree with your thoughts on the One Barrel. I did find it a bit odd, and I think your ginger bread description is dead on. When I first tried it I thought it seemed artificially flavored, but after subsequent tastings I decided it was really just a very unique bottle of rum. Great review!

I'll post up a review of one of my first loves, Ron del Barrilito 3 Star, later today or tomorrow.

 

[zamco17]

We just started carrying that at the liquor store i work at, thanks for the review!

 

[Chè]

Yesterday afternoon’s pour was something 13 years old, 90° – & I'd have to guess this is Demerera Distillers Limited (DDL) produced rum. Yesterday was my very first experience with this one.

Plantation Guyana rum (1990):

Explosive is the word that comes to mind to describe this. The nose and palate are both exploding with tropical fruit. I found this to be excellent... and a very well balanced ron. Extremely fruit forward, light (as far as Demerera heft goes) but not a lightweight by any stretch.

The 90° gives it slight bite… or at least a sound bark, but there isn’t a trace of heat before it enters the chest. Being 13 years old, and if my suspicions about origin are correct, this certainly isn't what I expect to get in a cross section of El Dorado's 12 & 15 year old blends. Not as much oak showing, and not as weighted as either, but as said still holding its own.

This particular item serves as a great reminder to explore smaller batched private bottled rums!

p.s. I should mention @ generally about $35, it isn't exactly poor man's rum. Also - no cigar but I'd have to guess this would work pretty well with just about any decent cigar.

 

[Mark C]

Thanks for another nice review! I've been a fan of the Plantation 'series' rums for awhile now. Every once in awhile I'll see a new one on the shelf and grab it up. I haven't run across Guyana yet, but I've got two different Trinidads and a Jamaica. They're all very different, the Trinidads are a bit softer, and the Jamaica is definitely a kick in the face. I'll add those reviews here some time over the weekend (just ain't enough time for good booze during this week).

 

[Mark C]

My rum review is long overdue. Can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to sitting back with a healthy dose of 'worry b gone'. This was one of my first loves in the world of premium rum, Ron del Barrilito 3 Star:

Made from molasses, distilled to 86 proof, and aged for 6 to 10 yrs in whiskey and bourbon barrels... this is one tasty rum. I'm drinking it neat in a rocks glass, at 'cellar temperature' (68 F).

I find the dominant aroma to be maple syrup, brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla, in that order, with a 'creamy' mouthfeel. The flavors and aromas are very comparable to Pampero, and Zacapa and Diplomatico to some degree, although this rum is not a sweet rum, and has a lighter body than those three. I view it as a middle-ground between typical clean, light-weight Puerto Rican rums, and the more full-bodied, sweeter rums from Central America.

I haven't tried it yet, though I'll bet it'd go well with a nice medium to full bodied cigar. I've seen it online in the low $30's, which I think is a very appropriate price point. If you haven't tried this bottle yet, grab one next time you see it on a shelf! If you don't like it, I'll be happy to dispose of it for you!

 

[Chè]

Last night for me was Depaz Blue Cane Rhum:

This one is 90º, about the color of straw or hay, a Martinique agricole rum (rhum) made from pure cane juice (no molasses).

It's hue is perhaps appropriate, as the nose is very grassy, but also has an undertone reminiscent of cognac or armagnac, which is cut somewhat by its raw agricultural cane aromas (slightly vegetal).

Taste, it possesses a good deal of spicey, again grassy and slight mintish flavors (like good ole' rye). Something in the middle towards finish reminds me a great deal of tequila - particularly the finish reminds me of something tequila.

In summary, Depaz has a nice bite, I like the fact that it is above the usual 80 proof rum offerings. I will say that as a first time agricole, it might be startling - most agricole rhums tend to be a bit of an awakening... rude or otherwise to individuals only familiar with molasses based rons.

EDIT: Forgot to include my feelings on the price. This one isn't cheap. If I recall correctly I paid $33 for my bottle and have seen this on shelves as high as $39.

 

[Pampero]

My kind of thread! I'm a big Barrilito fan, a rum that got me started on the slope. I believe it to be the best rum in Puerto Rico; certainly the best I've tried fro that island. While there are distinct differences between it and my namesake, they both occupy the same slot in my world; rum that tastes like rum! You will enjoy it with a cigar as well.

I'm also a fan of many of the Plantation rums, and though I haven't tried the Guyana, I have a tip for those of you in So Cal. Run to Hi Time and get a few bottles of Plantation Grand Reserve Barbados. They have had it on sale for $8.99, and I consider it the cheapest sipping rum you can buy that will put a smile on your face Classic big rum flavors, on the sweet side, with a nice warmth as it slides down. Not the smoothest rum by any means, but what a bargain!

OK, my real review: Pampero
Pampero is a Venezuelan bottling, nicely packaged with a cork top, squat, pirate-y looking numbered bottle and delivered to you in a svelte leather bag, Pampero is usually available in the low $30 range, but can be found for less on sale. It is relatively young for a fine rum, with the typical age of the rum set at 6 years. Pampero is the spirit that proves that in rum, age isn't everything, as it has a decidedly very smooth and aged taste. A deep dark mahogany brown in the glass, Pampero also has a slightly viscous, smooth mouth feel that lets you know right off you're in for the good stuff. Let me get the one minor critique out of the way: Some people have tasted just a hint of varnish in it (I have so noted myself, in fact) and while that flavor may not sound very delicious, I assure you, it won't get in the way of your enjoyment; it's just enough bite to let you know you're drinking something with character. Going down, Pampero is very smooth and as a rum, it is universally admired by devotees of the spirit.

To me, Pampero is a classic, having the sort of rum taste that I associate with Bananas Foster or rum cake. Not the sweetness per se, and not that it has any banana taste; just that sort of distilled "rum-ness" that makes rum itself my favorite. It has a delicious, long finish and works well with most cigars. If you like rum, Pampero will do ya. Big taste, compares in surprising ways to Barrilito, but I think just a bit smoother and darker, and possibly a bit more refined.