Rum Archives - First Pour Cocktails

Santa Teresa Gran Reserva Anejo Rum

Posted on September 1, 2023August 31, 2023 by Nick

I’d be remiss to tell you that I have some long fact sheet of information regarding Santa Teresa Gran Reserva Anejo Rum. In fact, if I were to attempt to explain how this rum came to find a place in my home, it’s almost certainly the result of misreading Martin Cate’s recommendation of Santa Teresa 1796 in his amazing book, Smuggler’s Cove*. At the time I was new to making Tiki drinks, and my wife and I were grabbing every brand of rum we could find that was listed in his book and not available in Ohio. So even though we made a bit of an error in picking up this particular bottle, is the rum still worth our time?

Santa Teresa Gran Reserva Anejo Rum

Country of Origin: Venezuela (D.O.C.)
Age: No Age Statement (purportedly 5 years)
Proof: 80 (40% A.B.V.)

Sight: Chestnut Olosoro Sherry

Smell: A moderate amount of dry oak and sweet tropical fruit wafts up. There’s a buttery note here, with a bit of spice and some ethanol heat. Slight vanilla and caramel with a bit of esters accentuates a somewhat underwhelming nose.

Sip: The flavor is moderately fruity with some elements of sweet caramel and undertone of oak and vanilla. The spice and fruitiness lean toward coconut, and the rich buttery pastry flavor elements sometimes don’t get quite translate on the thin mouthfeel. There’s a bit of maybe pineapple, but things are fairly muddled and light here.

Savor: The ending pulls in some caramelized pineapple and oak spice. The rum like funk notes are super vague, and nothing is particularly distinguished. There’s even a bit of tannin that gives a hint of char.

Santa Teresa Gran Reserva Anejo Rum is not particularly deep or refined. The flavors are pleasant if not particularly robust. If you’re planning on drinking it straight, than this isn’t going to really inspire you or excite your palate.

In Cocktails

In a Daiquiri, the lime really steals top billing, showing off the brightness while the sweetness and caramel comes toward the middle and later part of the sip. The rum itself isn’t necessarily the star, but it also isn’t really enhancing itself or the drink. In simplistic terms, this rum doesn’t result in a balanced drink, but isn’t ruining it either.

In Review – Santa Teresa Gran Reserva Anejo Rum

Santa Teresa Gran Reserva Anejo Rum is rather uninspired as a sipper, and makes a bland and unbalanced cocktail. Now if this sounds like a bad rum, it isn’t. It just isn’t a rum that’s worth remembering, hunting out, or recommending. It’s passible in the best possible, “that’s rum”, kind of way. This is different than something like Bacardi Gold (this is bad) where you notice it and you don’t want to drink it. Cost also plays a factor here, with bottles going in the mid-$20 range. That said, if you want an aged rum, Doorly’s X.O., El Dorado 8, or Appleton Reserve all offer significantly better value.

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. In 2022 we made $13.34 from affiliate links and made $6.93 so far in 2023, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Nick

Part of Foursquare’s “Exceptional Cask” Series, Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005 appears to be a rather simple bruiser of a Barbados rum on first glance. Coming in at a hearty 59%, this rum was distilled in 2005 from both Pot and Column stills. It was then aged for 12 years in ex-Bourbon casks stored in Barbados heat, before finally being released in October 2017. While it may appear to be a relatively simple rum, the truth of the matter is that this bottle, like many in the “Exceptional Cask” series is some of the most impressive rum you’ll ever taste. As you’ll see below, sometimes there’s no substitute for doing the simple things exceptionally well.

Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005

Vintage: 2005
Country of Origin: Barbados
Age: 12 years
Cask: Ex-Bourbon Casks
Distillation: Blend of Pot and Column
Proof: 118 (59% A.B.V.)

Sight: Tawny.

Smell: The nose is instantly complex with bursts of black pepper, white pepper, baking spice, and caramelized grilling tropical fruits. They open up with a dried date and white oak note laced with caramel sauce. A vanilla bean aromatic explodes like someone dropped a full tablespoon of vanilla paste into the rum. Golden raisins, butterscotch, vanilla ice cream, papaya, and spicy oak all show up. As the rum sits, the nose just continues to evolve and expand all it’s aroma.

Sip: Instant flavor explosion with spice and caramel mixed with fermenting roasted tropical fruit. Big bursts of vanilla, spice, oak, and just short of ripe pineapple come together. There’s an amazing sweetness that underpins it. The richness is luscious, and it continues pull in nuttiness, preserved tropical fruits, and ginger-nutmeg notes. Milk chocolate rounds things out, and it drinks nowhere near the 59% A.B.V. it posesses.

Savor: The finish is loaded with spices, caramel, light rum funk, and a beautiful subtle dried caramel – vanilla. The finish emphasized the chocolate notes, and really shows off the cask influence from the bourbon. The finish lingers for what seems like an eternity (in a very lovely way).

Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005 is nothing short of completely exceptional (no pun intended). The flavors are complex, layered, and balanced. The cask doesn’t overwhelm the rum, and instead everything is enhanced – balancing spice and funk with tropical fruit and vanilla. The slightly nuttiness and milk chocolate notes combine with the tropical spice and pepper to make something alluring and sultry. This rum shows a deft hand, and you should savor its depth as you enjoy it.

In Cocktails

You’re almost certainly not planning on turning this bottle into cocktails, but here we are. So if you’re curious what it’s like in a Daiquiri, here’s the answer. While it’s beautifully balanced and displays the same exemplary vanilla, spice, chocolate, fruitiness, and a creamy butterscotch. The spice, ginger, nutmeg, and funk gets in there, punching the lime around, which fights back makings this green tea, matcha note. It’s an incredibly complex and overwhelming drink, that is somehow more aggressive with the simple and lime than by itself. So in summary, if you want to make a rum enthusiast cry, make drinks out of this.

In Review – Foursquare Rum 2005

Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005 is an unbelievably deep rum. It’s complex, well balanced, and more than the face values of bourbon casks and high proof. It explodes with flavors, shows the influence of both the rum and the cask in spice, vanilla, tropical fruit, funk, and so, so much more. That said, you’d be mad to turn this into drink. Can it work, sure. But why would you do it? It doesn’t make a better drink than a mid level rum like Doorly’s X.O. (remember you can combine rums to make more complex flavor profiles in cocktails – like adding Plantation’s Barbados Rum to Doorly’s), but it is a way better sipper. Buy this rum if you’re into rum neat or want to explore that area of spirits and enjoy every last delicate, intricate sip.

Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum

Posted on June 21, 2023June 21, 2023 by Nick

One of the more frequent questions that pops up in the search results for our site is what bottles are recommended by Death & Co. This has changed over time as Death & Co. is now on their third book, and each book represents something of a time capsule. If you venture all the way back to their beginning book*, you’ll find Barbancourt Rhum listed as one of their recommended rhum agricoles. At the bottom of this range, you’ll find Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum. So nearly a decade later, is this still a rum you should consider for your home bar?

Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum

Made from a 100% Sugar Cane and aged in French Limousin casks, Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum is distilled in Haiti and comes in at 43% A.B.V. The French Limousin casks are a nod to cognac aging, which is called out in their marketing. Unrelated, the cap on my particular bottle broke after I opened it (failing to catch the threads), and had to be replaced.

Sight: A mild yellow gold.

Smell: The nose isn’t super aggressive, wafting out notes of caramel, vanilla, subtle oak, touches of spice and some heat. Some esters come out, giving a mild green, herbaceous funk that can go along with the cane juice. The nose has a subtle tropical fruitiness, especially slightly fermented and roasted banana, as well, and a bit of woodsy funk. The heat will continue to jump out as though it’s hotter than it’s proof implies.

Sip: The body is light and caramelly to start with a pleasant sweetness. The flavor moves toward green banana, hazelnuts, spice, and slight rum funk. Light notes of oak and tropical fruits climb in with a hint of pepper. The flavors are subtle.

Savor: The ending brings in more nuttiness, roasted banana notes, and subtle esters. The finish is light and mild.

Overall, Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum is easy going, easy to sip, and not overly complicated. The flavors a sort of subtle rhum agricole that doesn’t get too wild, but gives off nice woodsy notes from the French Limousin oak casks. The result is something that shaves off the edges of the sugar cane juice, but that also let’s some of that herbaceousness through. It’s certainly possible to just sip on thanks to this.

In Cocktails

Putting it in a Ti’ Punch, Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star opens up into caramelized banana and notes of slight mango with a touch of lime. The finish gets a hint of toasted coconut thanks to the vanilla notes from the oak. Subtle lime pops make it brighter, cutting some of the richness. Overall, a smooth and tasty Ti’ Punch!

In Review – Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum

Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star 4 Year Rum is a very pleasant, lightly aged rhum. If you find that unaged agricoles are too strong for you, this is a great way to easy in for some of the flavors without getting overwhelmed. From a usability standpoint, there aren’t a ton of entry level recipes that look for this style of rum. While you could make a Daiquiri out of it, you probably wouldn’t start there. For these reasons, we recommend this bottle if you’re purposefully looking for a lightly aged agricole and have drinks that call for it. Those looking for a rum to start their bar with should instead consult our list!

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. In 2022 we made $13.34 from affiliate links and made $5.11 so far in 2023, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

Plantation Original Dark Rum

Posted on February 3, 2023January 17, 2023 by Nick

Rum starts lower than bourbon when it comes to cost, so finding reasonable rums for cocktails at under $20 isn’t a huge stretch. We’ve previously expressed our fondness for Plantation’s other offering, Plantation 3 Star. Slightly up the chain from a cost perspective, and with significantly more aging, is their Plantation Original Dark Rum. Sliding in at under $20, is this an addition your bar needs?

Plantation Original Dark Rum

Rum Info – Per Plantation’s Website:

Alc./Vol. : 40%
Origin : Barbados and Jamaica
Raw material : Molasses
Fermentation :
- Barbados : 72 hours
- Jamaica : 2 weeks
Distillation :
- Barbados : Twin Column and Pot Still
- Jamaica : Pot Still (John Dore)
Ageing : Blend of Barbados 1-3 year old, Jamaican Pot Still High Ester 10-15 year old, Finally blended into a wooden vat to age for 3 to 6 months in the southwest of France
Volatile Substances : 160 g/hL AA
Dosage : 15 g/L
Cane sugar caramel E150a (% vol) : Between 0% and 0.1%

Sight: Deep gold (Color Adjusted)

Smell: Caramelized tropical fruit and funky molasses rum ester come out at the start. The nose is sweet with fermenting bananas, overripe pineapple, and a mélange of orange notes. The brown sugar and caramel notes are rather prevalent as well. Possibly a hint of spice and red candies.

Sip: Lightly toasted banana and coconut lead things off in a thinner mouthfeel. The caramel notes come in, and the body is relatively smooth, light, and slightly funky. Touches of tropical fruit, like mango and pineapple hide in the roasted sugar and oak notes. There’s a subtle dryness here.

Savor: The slightly dry nature carries over with a good amount of caramelized sugar notes, for a bitter sweet sort of experience. The aged oak notes and sugar have hints of tropical fruits and rum ester.

Plantation Original Dark Rum is simple and easy going. When individuals think of dark rums, the blend of Jamaican and Barbados here does a good job of accomplishing a balance of each. It isn’t complex, but it also hits the right notes. Which makes it enjoyable, if a bit common in it’s presentation.

In Cocktails

In a Daiquiri the brown sugar notes come out with some of the more earthy, woodsy notes. The tropical fruit flavors come out in full effect with a cotton candy sort of note. The lime balances things and the body is relatively even. Overall, it’s a nice daiquiri that leans into the sugar side of things, but does it with aplomb.

In Review – Plantation Original Dark Rum

Plantation Original Dark Rum is simple, well put together, and easy-going. Is it the most interesting rum you’ll have? No. As a solo sipper, it certainly isn’t something you’d want to slog through. Does it make a lights out cocktail? Not particularly. What it does do is make a solid, well rounded drink that combines both Barbados and Jamaican notes. The key feature here is that it sits under $20. At that price point, this is a no brainer for a bottle to start your home bar with.

El Dorado 5

Posted on January 13, 2023January 4, 2023 by Nick

We love El Dorado 3, it remains our go to lightly aged rum for making drinks. We’ve also gushed about their 12 as well. In between these offerings are two very reasonably priced offerings, El Dorado 5 and El Dorado 8. Aged at least 5 years, this rum promises to offer darker sugar notes in addition to some of the tropical fruit we love. So is it worth it?

El Dorado 5

Sight: A pleasant caramelly deep copper.

Smell: Caramel and brown sugar mix with light wood and a touch of funk. Tropical fruit and caramelized banana joins in and a hint of ethanol burn pops in and out. A good mix of spice and pepper comes through.

Sip: The body is light but swims with ester soaked wood and caramel right out of the gate. That lightly funky wood note is joined by a green plantain and plenty of caramel and oak spices. There’s a slight dryness here that shows off some of the tropical fruit flavors in a bit of a spotlight, and the boozy notes give a bit of roughness.

Savor: The finish leans into the cask flavors, with more tannin, dried charred burnt brown sugar, and a bit of tropical fruitiness.

El Dorado 5 is fine as sipping goes, with a drier character than the nose would imply. The lightness of the body keeps it from becoming overbearing, but also harms it from establishing any sort of complexity or return value. At a price point in the low $20’s this isn’t unexpected, and shouldn’t be your target application for this rum.

In Cocktails

In a daiquiri the El Dorado 5 works a perfect foil against the lime, exploding with sweet caramelized tropical fruits and touches of honeyed notes. The brown sugar really explodes giving a balanced sweetness against the lime. While it still isn’t the most exciting daiquiri, it’s sweet and delicious.

In Review- El Dorado 5

El Dorado 5 is a simple and straightforward aged rum. At a price point in the low $20 range, it works great for workhorse duty in cocktails. While using it, it doesn’t really include a lot of complexity. For that reason, this isn’t a stand alone in your bar, but rather an addition. For that reason, consider pairing it with an Appleton Estate Reserve or Doorly X.O. to get the full effect of rum complexity.

Hampden Estate Rum Fire Overproof Rum

Posted on October 28, 2022October 23, 2022 by Nick

Our first run in with Hampden Estate Rum Fire Overproof Rum was at the amazing Porco Lounge & Tiki Room in Cleveland, OH. If you haven’t been, you simply must go. The drinks are well crafted, the staff entertaining, and the collection of tiki memorabilia is tops. While Porco’s is amazing, the moment Rum Fire enters our knowledge is when they hosted Shannon Mustipher on her tour promoting her book Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails* (a book that’s a great choice if you want to expand from Smuggler’s Cove!) Shannon loved Rum Fire, and after a taste, it’s not hard to see why.

Hampden Estate Rum Fire Overproof Rum

Country: Jamaica
Still Type: Pot Still
Raw Material: Molasses
Yeast: Wild yeasts
Proof: 126 (63% A.B.V.)

Sight: Clear

Smell: Cotton candy and sugar cane flow forth with a smack of spice and exotic fruit. Overripe mango and papaya come forward with a host of other tropical fruits, including what seems like guava. There’s a grassy vegetal note as well, and a hint of nutty pie. Heat picks up late in the mix.

Sip: The palate is a spicy with a lot of grassy notes and a bit of sugar forward to start, tropical fruits start to come in shortly after. As they approach, the alcohol comes into play, putting everything on blast. The result is something tropical, somewhat sugary, and aggressively hot. Pressing through, there are notes of fermenting bananas, citrus peels, and brown sugar caramelized over an open flame.

Savor: The end is laced with almost smoke that gives way to tobacco, leather, and tropical fruit jam. It lingers with a hint of heat.

Hampden Estate Rum Fire Overproof Rum is a burning hunk of tropical flavors. The flavor basically smacks like a mule, and it’s pretty unapologetic about it. As sipping goes, you’d probably need to have a relatively anesthetized palate (which you could acquire by continuing to sip this) to find this a first choice. That said, there’s a ton of flavor here, but maybe not something you’d want to experience directly (like drinking vanilla extract).

In Cocktails

In a daiquiri Hampden Estate Rum Fire Overproof Rum kicks like a mule. The heat of the alcohol is tempered and gives way to amazing grassy notes laced with fresh melon, coconuts, almonds, and other tropical fruits. The ester of the rum becomes more apparent with the lime, and a pithy citrus note joins in. The mid palate is sweet with a fermented tropical note and almost a hint of bitter chocolate. There vegetal notes give a sort of leather and tobacco finish with a little heat. The overall effect is packed with flavor, but almost explosively so.

In Review – Hampden Estate Rum Fire Overproof Rum

Hampden Estate Rum Fire Overproof Rum is an aggressive rum designed for complex drinks. While you can use this rum on its own, and even enjoy it on its own, it will be better for most folks in cocktails paired with other rums. What it will offer is fantastic complexity to join in with another rum or two. This will create astounding tiki cocktails, and give you a little extra kick.

* – This link is an affiliate link which may result in us getting a partial commission from the sale. To date (as of publication), we’ve made $8.08 from affiliate links in 2022, while we’ve spent well over $200 on just webhosting. Help us keep the lights on if you like our content, and please use our links!

Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Nick

Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry is a 100% Pot Still Rum, and aims to show off the traditional rum funk of 19th century rum. The rum is an aim to return to the original aspects of Jamaican rum. With access to both “Long Pond” and “Clarendon”, this rum is a dream of Alexandre Gabriel, the master distiller of plantation. So does it work out as dream?

Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry

Rum Info (per Plantation’s site):

Alc./Vol. : 43%
Origin : Jamaica
Distilleries : Clarendon and Long Pond Distilleries
Raw material : Molasses
Fermentation : 1 and 3 weeks
Distillation :
- Clarendon : Pot Still (Vendôme)
- Long Pond : Pot Still (John Dore)
Tropical ageing : 1-3 years in Bourbon casks
Continental ageing : 1 year in Ferrand casks
Volatile Substances : 312 g/hL AA
Esters : 156 g/hL AA
Marks :
- Clarendon : EMB & MLC marks
- Long Pond : VRW & STC^E marks
Classification : Plummer
Dosage : 0 g/L
Cane sugar caramel E150a (% vol) : between 0% and 0.1%

Sight: Amber (Color corrected)

Smell: Spiced banana’s foster laden with rich buttery caramel and funky tropical fruit. Cracked black pepper and green papaya run through with a pop of spice. Creamy mangos and papayas with a hint of berries come in to add more tropical riffs in the character. The nose feels deeper than it should, and has a good richness.

Sip: The ester funk is unapologetic here, coming in from the word go. Interestingly, the dryness is present but keeps it well balanced throughout. The flavors of Jamaican funk come through, but ripe bananas, pineapple, mango, and a subtle grape-berry notes are prevalent. The spice and caramel are in the background, and start to show themselves closer to the ending.

Savor: The ending is spicy and oak laden with the tropical fruit taking background. The result is a bit of a fruity finish that leans spiced and dry as it lingers.

Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry has a wonderfully complex nose, and then doesn’t over do the sugar throughout. The flavors are well balanced, if drier, showing off the fruity components while minimizing sweetness. The flavor profile is unapologetically Jamaican, but rounded off by the continental aging. If you like the general character of Jamaican rum this is something you should consider to sip.

In Cocktails

In Grog, Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry shows off it’s tropical fruit in spaces against the lime and sweetness. The subtle touches of sweetness from the dark demerara bring forward more spice and caramelized notes. While it’s smooth, it doesn’t have the most depth.

In Review – Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry

Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry is really a great way to spend a few dollars more and get a very specialized rum. The flavor profile isn’t as aggressive as Appleton. For fans of a bit of the Jamaican funk without the full bore hit, this is a great option for $25. It also has enough balance that you could consider it as your only aged rum, if you’re starting your home bar.

Bundaberg UP Rum

Posted on September 30, 2022September 21, 2022 by Nick

Colloquially known as Bundy, Bundaberg holds a special place in Australian hearts. The Bundaberg Distillery was started in 1888, and first produced rum in 1889. While the distillery had it’s ups and downs (it burning twice – in 1907 and 1936), locals have loved to love or loathe the stuff. The distillery was originally independent in Queensland, but was later sold to Diageo in 2000. Diageo now produces the spirit in both New South Wales and Bundaberg, Queensland (with more of the small batch offerings reportedly coming from the namesake). Coming in at the very bottom entry point of their line is Bundaberg UP Rum.

Bundaberg UP Rum

Produced from local (presumably Australian) sugar cane, Bundaberg’s original UP rum is a NAS offering sold at 37% ABV. It should be noted that the original Bundaberg rum is bottled at 50%. The rum is produced by Diageo, following their buy out of the

Sight: Deep Gold

Smell: The nose has a woody start, leaning into green cedar and forest floor notes. Caramel and funky molasses come to the forefront. A hint of tropical fruit is slightly present, and there’s something grassy and spicy in there. A slightly chemical note similar to fresh sporting equipment hangs around the edges wrapping the entire smell.

Sip: The body is medium to full, it picks up some woody spice and caramelized notes. There is a subtle sweetness and fruitiness that runs throughout, but it starts to get slightly warm for a rum that only clocks in at 37%. As it gets warmer, more of the wood notes get overwhelming, and a subtle burnt or treated wood flavor comes through.

Savor: The aftertaste has more treated wood and cedar notes, with a light spicing, touch of funk, and hints of something again, vaguely plastic – chemical like. There’s something like unripe tropical fruit that lingers.

Bundaberg UP Rum is a unique rum that has a love-hate local relationship, and that will feel unusual to rum drinkers not experienced with Bundaberg’s flavors. These notes, particularly the nose might make this sound some what pleasant to smell. In the sense that’s it rum, it smells rum like, this is true. As a nose amongst world rums, many will find this isn’t enticing and doesn’t make you want to try to savor a glass.

In Cocktails

Sadly due to traveling, I could not make a Daiquiri with Bundaberg UP Rum. In past experiences with Rum and Coke versions of Bundaberg, I can tell you that it is a bully, even with Coke, displaying that unripe fruit funk / slightly woody chemical note. This isn’t the first rum I’d reach for, but isn’t far off from the US spec Bacardi Gold (the Bacardi Gold might be better, but only just slightly).

In Review – Bundaberg UP Rum

While Bundaberg original rums have a place in the history of spirits within the Australian Spirit industry and are well loved (or reviled), there are signs the industry is moving on. Australia has a growing number of spirits producers (primarily in gin it feels) who are creating new and exciting spirits with different techniques and a flair toward the local. Rum is no exception, with one distiller in Western Australia (Illegal Tender) using dark brown cane sugar and ex-shiraz casks to embrace the wine and sugar industry. Bundaberg certainly seems to sense this, and their limited released have garnered generally improved reception, but not so much as to change the perception of their rums on the world stage.

Still this gives hope that Australian rum (and other Australian spirits) can continue to improve and begin to captivate palates around the world. In the meantime, Bundaberg UP Rum is more of a curiosity than a serious bottle to need to track down.

Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum

Posted on August 19, 2022July 28, 2022 by Nick

Plantation has made some of our favorite rums for making tiki drinks. While their three star is great for Daiquiri’s and other drinks requiring lightly aged rums, you might find yourself wanting something a little more caramelized and complex. Their original dark could be a good option for something aged, but if you want something a little more unique, why not consider their single origin offering? Enter the Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum.

Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum

Plantation Barbados is aged 5 years, 3-4 in bourbon barrels in the Caribbean and 1-2 in French oak on the continent. The rum contains added sugar (dosage) at 16 g/L, and caramel color to ensure consistency.

Sight: A 14-18k carat gold.

Smell: French vanilla, caramel, banana, and tropical fruit mix with a touch of rum ester to lead things off. Spices come in with a touch of oak, before giving way to coconut and sweet brown sugar. Dark fruits come in at the end. There is a hint of heat to the nose, but nothing offensive.

Sip: The palate starts of light and slightly sweet. The sweetness builds and brings in toasted marshmallow, French vanilla, caramelized bananas, and baking spices. Cigar box and oak come in, and there’s a touch of toffee, ester, and tropical fruit.

Savor: The ending carries in more vanilla with hints of dried tropical fruits and oak. The finish lingers pleasantly with a bit of tannin for a moderate length of time.

Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum is very approachable and easy going. The flavors are sweet and woody, which is helped by the actual subtle sweetness of the rum. The sippable nature has enough complexity that it doesn’t get boring, but enough complexity to keep it interesting. It feels dependable and reliable, despite not feeling exceptionally unique.

In Cocktails

In a daiquiri Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum imparts many of the same caramel and toasted marshmallow notes with lots of oak. It plays a great counterpoint to the lime’s brightness and works well with the simple. In a grog, it also works well, although thanks to the sweet notes, it can stand the extra acidity. We’ve also used Plantation Barbados 5 Year extensively in our tiki drinks, finding it extraordinarily versatile as a base to split with other strong rums like Smith & Cross or Plantation O.F.T.D.

In Review – Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum

Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum is a really solid rum, and a great choice for an aged addition to a bar. The neutral and aged rum character actually makes it a nice bottle for starting a home bar too. We recommend it as a starting point, or even a dependable shelfer to keep around thanks to it’s price in the low $20 range.

The Scarlet Ibis

Posted on July 29, 2022July 24, 2022 by Nick

Originally commissioned by Death & Co, The Scarlet Ibis is rum from Trinidad that is aged 3 to 5 year in American white oak casks. The rum is not chill filtered to help preserve the full character. Haus Alpenz has been distributing this out to the market as it’s become available. While the reputation would suggest a top shelf rum, the price is actually reasonable around the mid $20s. The pedigree of this rum suggests great things, so how does it fare?

The Scarlet Ibis

Sight: Between hay and 14/18k gold.

Smell: The nose opens with elements of brown sugar, slight rum esters, papaya, and other tropical fruits. There’s a light element of alcohol burn, but it gets supplanted by roasted banana, touches of spice, and caramel.

Sip: The body moderate, and begins with touches of brown sugar and sugar cane juice. The tropical fruit flavors then start to climb out of the woodwork. Papaya, lush guava, limes, pineapple, and other tropical fruits join in. A touch of wood and spice joins in, and a green sugarcane note starts to show up toward the end. Despite all the fruity notes, it remains dry throughout.

Savor: The finish carries off a juicy, tropical caramel start before sliding into sugarcane juice and touches of spiced oak. The finish lingers with an herbal earthy funk that is also quite tannic.

The Scarlet Ibis is a juicy tropical rum with an element of sugarcane and oak. The nose wouldn’t lead you to believe anything super complicated going on. The flavor profile matches and seems straightforward, but opens up in new directions as it you keep sipping. The fruity elements are nicely forward here, while still maintaining the rum characteristics that make it round and inviting.

In Cocktails

In a daiquiri, The Scarlet Ibis continues to convey it’s fruity character, but the lime and sweetness help mute some of the more tannic notes. The overall result is a daquiri that feels lively and tropical, but that also has a long, lingering, almost skin-on fruit like finish (like when you eat an apple with the skin attach or have a bit of pith on an orange. The flavor is really enticing, and it seems to help boost the drink in a satisfying way. The only detractor here is complexity, where it may not bring as much to the party as other rums.

In Review – The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis is enjoyable and lively for the price point. The flavors are well defined, easy to sip on, and have a decent diversity to them. In a cocktail it holds it’s own, and brings some lively new dimensions without reinventing anything. The net result is a good rum that isn’t something you need to go out of your way for, but worth trying if you’re looking for something new.

Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum

Posted on May 20, 2022May 11, 2022 by Nick

My first experience with Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum was in a concoction my friend in college called Swamp Water. Essentially, this meant the green-blue colored V8 Splash or a cup of Baja Blast from Taco Bell would be spiked with a fiery amount of Wray & Nephew. The result, predictably was a sweet drink with lots of tropical flavors that had a tendency to get your properly drunk, and quick. While many people probably look at the high proof and think this is a great use of this rum, the fact is there’s a lot of complex and delicious flavors you can use in cocktails here to make your cocktails even better.

Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum

Sight: Clear

Smell: When people talk about Jamaican Rum esters having ‘funk’ this is the smell they’re referring to. The raw funky smell is mixed with sugar cane, bananas, green peppercorns, black pepper, other tropical fruits, and a hint of citrus. There’s a decent hit of alcohol here if you inhale too close or too deeply, but it’s a generally inviting nose.

Sip: The sip is loaded with overripe bananas, mango, pineapple, and a bit of sweet coconut. The fire comes in soon after the start of the sip with plenty of spice, grassy vegetal notes, and (ester) rum funk. The spice notes lean into black pepper and earthy minerality.

Savor: The ending continues with a touch of bitterness, lots of heat, and plenty of dried tropical fruit and grassy notes. A gradual tobacco / leather note develops over time.

If you’re somehow made the decision to purchase Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum to drink it straight and you’re coming from Bacardi Superior, then you’ve either made a mistake or someone has misled you. While it is delicious, it’s definitely a mature, dry, punchy, and hot rum that’s loaded with ester flavors. They’re not exactly subtle or designed to be refined flavors as much as they’re designed to explode outward. Fans of high proof spirits can consider sipping this, but it’s going to do better for most people in cocktails.

In Cocktails

Assuming you’ve purchased Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum to make cocktails, you’re in for a lot of fun. The ester notes hang on and then give you a distinct rum character in a cocktail. In a daiquiri, there’s a burst of black banana notes, and fermented tropical fruits reminiscent of mango or pineapple. There’s a crazy pop of fruity sweetness that comes through mid palate and gives way into drier grassy and wood notes. The body gives amazing weight too. Overall, there’s a lot to like here if you can get past the strength of the ester notes that run throughout.

In Review – Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum

Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum is a great value for the amount of flavor it imparts, but it isn’t the kind of rum we recommend you start with. The esters and proof makes this one challenging for newer drinkers, even though it doesn’t present a price tag that implies that. As such, consider this an expansion to your bar, and you won’t be disappointed about the amazing, if occasionally overwhelming, flavors that it brings.

Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum

Posted on February 4, 2022February 3, 2022 by Nick

Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum has London on the label, but is actually produced by Hampden Estate in Jamaica. The rum is produced from two separate pot stills, Wedderburn and Plummer. One is purportedly barely aged, while the other purportedly spends 3 years in ex-bourbon barrels. The result is a “Navy Strength” rum bottled at true proof (114 proof or 57% A.B.V.) that comes in at about $30. While the proof lets you know your gun powder will still go off, is it worth loading your bar with this bottle?

Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum

Sight: A beautiful bright gold with a tinge of orange throughout.

Smell: The proof is expressed from the nose in a way that informs you quite deliberately that you shouldn’t just shove your nose directly in. Heat aside, heavily caramelized bananas, brown sugar, treacle, and various tropical fruits explode out of the nose. The nose is deeply complex for the price, and conveys the esters that one associates with Jamaican rum. Additional fruits begin to emerge, including apples, oranges, pineapples, guava, and fermented banana.

Sip: The body is on the thin side, and is undeniably rather hot. As the rum opens, there’s a song amount of spice that begins to expand including allspice, cinnamon, and cloves with a hint of powdered pepper. Banana and grilled pineapple begin to emerge, and a load of caramel comes through. Touches of molasses and brown sugar come forward as well. Touches of oak are pervasive throughout.

Savor: The ending is warm and spicy. The fruitier notes get tangled in oak, and ultimately the full cadre of esters come out to hang around on a rather long finish.

Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum has an amazing nose and delivers quite a bit of flavor for the price. While it would be rough to sip for an extended duration, it displays a ton of flavor. The caramelized notes run throughout, and the fruitiness is inviting. These flavors provide a good base to consider Smith & Cross for cocktails.

In Cocktails

In a daiquiri Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum simply sings. The flavors of banana and grilled pineapple explode outward thanks to the brightness of the lime. The spices kick things into overdrive, adding clove and allspice notes while a subtle caramelized sweetness hangs out in the background. The oak is there, but the finish keeps things balanced as tropical fruit and esters hold their own. As it warms, it even gets a sweet up tick at the end. The result is a complex and layered daiquiri that’s simple to make.

In Review: Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum

Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum is one of our favorites. Not only does it deliver flavor in droves, it also won’t break the bank. Those beginning their rum journey might find this one a little hard to take (thanks to the incredible mix of flavors and high proof), but we encourage you to try it anyways. It can show you the next step in your rum journey without costing you an arm and a leg. In addition, it makes a killer rum for tikis, especially if you want to use it as one of multiple rums in a cocktail. Smith & Cross is worth your time, and you should consider it for one of your next rums.