Rum Archives - Page 2 of 3 - First Pour Cocktails

Rhum J.M. Blanc

Posted on January 7, 2022November 28, 2021 by Nick

Rhum agricole should not be mistaken for other molasses based rums. Unlike it’s molasses based cousins, rhum agricole is made by distilling fermented sugar cane juice. This results in a funkier, more grassy and herbaceous rhum (as opposed to a spicy, brown sugar, caramel, etc rum). Of the locations that primarily make rhum agricoles is the island of Martinique. This appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) has specific rules around the geographic areas where the rhum can be produced and how it can be made. The result of this is that rhums have very specific characteristics based on their terroir (soil where they’re grown). Among the most well known and available bottles is Rhum J.M. Blanc.

Rhum J.M. Blanc

Sight: Clear

Smell: The nose starts with beautifully herbaceous notes and an interesting funk. The use of sugar cane juice contributes heavily to underlying character of the rhum. Along with the grassy, herbaceous notes, there are elements of lime zest, honey, and floral notes. A bit of heat emerges as well.

Sip: The rhum has a smooth, weighty body. The flavors of sugar cane and herbaceous notes carry over from the nose. Touches of grapefruit zest and a slightly anisette like note come out. Unripe pineapple and spice comes into play as well. There’s just a hint of heat toward the finish.

Savor: The finish pulls out some unripe starfruit, spices, and more floral notes. The finish is long and a little bit warm.

Rhum J.M. Blanc is right in line with the idea of a sugar cane juice distilled rhum. Not only does it convey the agricultural grassy and herbal notes, but it has some fruit characteristics. It is also generally smooth, but not the sort of rhum I’d be tempted to kick back with a glass of. For the best applications, considering mixing.

In Cocktails

In a Ti’ Punch the rhum opens up nicely, bringing out more notes of the citrus zest and hints of fruit. The subtle sweetness allows the hints of spice and tropical fruit to seem more at home. The ending is smoother as well, and with the brightness, it seems to ask for another sip. Overall, it does well showing off more of it’s character while becoming more inviting.

In Review – Rhum J.M. Blanc

One of the reasons we removed Ti’ Punch off the list of cocktails that could be made using bottles from the beginner home bar setup was the lack of cocktails that call for rhum agricoles. The result is that a rum like Rhum J.M. Blanc is not something you need to keep on your bar. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have uses or isn’t appealing. Fans of cachaça for example will find a lot to like here, and those who are deep into Tiki drinks should absolutely check it out. Those just starting their cocktail journey should consider other bottles to add to their collection first.

Bacardi Gold

Posted on December 3, 2021August 25, 2022 by Nick

Bacardi Gold is the very definition of lightly aged. At between one and two years in oak barrels, Bacardi Gold is on the low end of age. The product is run through charcoal filtration and claims a remarkably smooth character. At only $10, this is either an incredible value, or a “you get what you pay for situation”. We had a pretty good idea this wouldn’t be an amazing value, and we probably would have never bought this bottle (or any of the other bottom shelf Bacardis) if not for a funny little coincidence that happened about a year back.

In Cleveland, the Cleveland Cavaliers revamped the Quicken Loans Arena a couple years back. The resulting stadium (renamed the Quicken Loans Arena) contained new premium seating options, including the Bacardi Ocho Lounge. About two years ago, we received an email from a Cavs rep who sent us premium seats. In a bit of a misguided and hopeful moment, we thought perhaps this had to do with this blog. While we had a great time, it had nothing to do with our cocktail prowess, and we now have these three rums we hoped to impress the Cavs with a few years back.

Bacardi Gold

Sight: A yellow gold hue.

Smell: Traditional caramel and brown sugar notes lead things off with a hint of banana. Vanilla notes come through with a light touch of oak and rum funk. There’s a slight amount of alcohol.

Sip: The body is light, and leads off with notes of caramel, demerara sugar, and molassess. Hints of spice and oak come into the picture. There’s a subtle fruitiness and a light rum funk. There’s a whisp of alcohol.

Savor: The finish is more of the same with a washed out caramel and oak nature that lingers with a slight bent toward the wood.

Bacardi Gold is uncomplicated, uninteresting, and inoffensive. The rum itself tastes like a low expectation, lightly aged rum. While it doesn’t burn or have a heavy bitterness, it doesn’t drive any sort of interest. These characteristics don’t prognosticate a great outcome in cocktail testing either.

In Cocktails

Unsurprisingly, Bacardi Gold hides quite well in a Daiquiri. The lime and rum counterpoint effectively to each other, but the result is a slightly caramelly drink with a touch of tropical fruit and a good amount of brightness. The sweet resulting drink is nice, but boring. In a Grog the result is even more underwhelming. The lack of acid fails to wake up the minimal rum notes, and the result is a drink that doesn’t invite you back.

Bacardi Gold – Overall

Bacardi Gold is about $10, and for $10 it doesn’t make any fatal errors. It performs well enough as a rum, but doesn’t add any flavor. The problem is that for about $10 more, the quality of the bottle you can purchase is more than twice as great. For those reasons, we can’t recommend Bacardi Gold for anything other than late night volume production.

Bacardi Superior

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Nick

Bacardi always seemed like a step up in college. Compared to the questionably named brands hiding out on the bottom shelf, it had an air of quality to it. The more experience I had with rum, the more I learned that there were really two kinds of rum that Bacardi was invested in making. On one hand, they offered good quality, reasonably aged rums at (usually) reasonable prices for mixing with a couple of truly high end offerings mixed in. On the other hand, they offer mass marketed, entry level rums that are usually uninspired, and occasionally questionable in taste without a healthy dose of strongly flavored mixers to cover. At $8, Bacardi Superior fits squarely in the second category.

Bacardi Superior

Bacardi Superior is lightly aged in oak (no age statement), and filtered for color.

Sight: Clear.

Smell: There are notes of ethanol, rum ester, vanilla, and tropical fruits that lead off. Then the nose kind of stops evolving. What you smell on the first pass is pretty much where it stays.

Sip: The palate is thin and light, neither dry nor sweet. The note of ester and banana peel starts, with hints of alcohol and touches of vanilla extract and powdered sugar.

Savor: The ending is short, alcohol forward, and slightly dry. It lingers briefly, with just a touch of tropical fruit.

Bacardi Superior is presumably superior to something, but it’s not a first choice rum for us. As the price point implies, there should be low expectations going in, and from that standpoint, it delivers. It’s not offensive or aggressive, but it’s also not interesting. Rather, it does a lightly aged style of rum decently in a way you won’t overtly notice in Rum and Coke or similar mixed drink.

In Cocktails

The main problem with Bacardi Superior is that doesn’t add anything. In a Daiquiri you get plenty of lime and sweetness, but the rum is more an alcohol weight and slightly tropical flavor twist. Where it does best is hiding in something, like a Rum and Coke or spiking a punch. Again, the key here is not to expect much, and there’s not a lot to be disappointed in.

In Review – Bacardi Superior

If you had to buy a rum, and none of recommended rums are available, then Bacardi Superior isn’t the end of the world. From a flavor standpoint, it’s fine. From a price standpoint it’s good. It’s just not recommendable or memorable. Besides, Bacardi makes better things – like their Bacardi 8 – and used to make better lightly aged rums (like Bacardi Mastro de Ron).

El Pasador de Oro XO

Posted on August 13, 2021July 29, 2021 by Nick

El Pasador de Oro XO is a Guatemalan rum, that’s bottled in France. While there is no displayed age statement, it should be aged around a minimum of 6 years (according to a variety of unofficial blogs all over the internet). In these cases, it’s normally best if the bottle produces some obscure web address. In this case, they don’t even provide that level of information. That said, like many products, sometimes there’s limited information, and all you can do is pop the bottle.

El Pasador de Oro

Sight: An amber-gold, almost honey like color.

Smell: There’s a toasty coconut and vanilla start to the nose. It gets a little nutty with some caramel and orange marmalade edges. There’s a hint of spun sugar, golden raisin, and burn of ethanol. The nose is somewhat subtle, and doesn’t open willingly.

Sip: The body is moderate, and a subtle sweetness pervades out over time. There’s a lot going on as it moves from vanilla to caramel to roasted coconut. Something gradual starts to happen where the sugary flavor profiles start to morph into stone fruit, brandy, and other unexpected flavors.

Savor: The ending get almost sauternes like, pulling out flavors of ice wine, stone fruit, and hints of tropical fruits. The finish lingers pleasantly with a hint of tannic nature.

El Pasador de Oro XO is something interesting and unusual. If what they say is true, then the character is really a molasses based rum that’s doing a fun morph into a cognac at the end. That said, it’s very pleasant to sip, and straddles a line that fans of rum and cognac might enjoy.

In Cocktails:

In a Daiquiri, the cognac runs in full effect – almost giving a perception of a split base. While it’s obviously rum forward, it also ends up extremely fruity – emphasizing a lot of the raisin like and orange flavors in addition to the lime. The sweetness plays well and it ends up making a super inviting Daiquiri. That said, applications may end up a bit trial and error trying to balance the extra finishing notes. In a Grog, the rum disappears a bit, instead giving off more tropical fruit and honey notes. The caramel and toasty coconut hang out at the end, and the tannic nature pulls through.

In Review – El Pasador de Oro XO

El Pasador de Oro XO is a very pretty rum to sit and sip, and it even plays well in Grog. It isn’t a powerful bruising rum, but rather something elegant and slight. This same characteristic can make is slip away in cocktails. While it offers great flavors to them, finding the rum is a little tricky. If you want an in your face rum, you might find better options, but this is a great choice at the price to sit and enjoy.

If you’re looking for a second opinion on this not so well covered rum, check out the Rum Howler’s take.

Western Reserve Distillers Silver Rum

Posted on June 25, 2021June 21, 2021 by Nick

Located in our backyard of Lakewood, Ohio, Western Reserve Distillers has been churning out an assortment of liquors since 2015. Among them is Western Reserve Distillers Silver Rum. Starting life in Louisiana, sugar cane is harvested and converted into Black Pearl molasses. Once brought to Western Reserve, the molasses is fermented with special strain of tropical yeast and then double distilled using a copper kettle. The distillate is then aged in bourbon barrels before being filtered to remove the color.

Western Reserve Distillers Silver Rum

Sight: Clear.

Smell: Vanilla and powder sugar coat a lightly toasted coconut. Touches of tropical fruits and banana hide around the edge with just a hint of spice.

Sip: The sip starts off with predominately toasted marshmallows and vanilla. The flavors gradually expand into notes of oak and spice, with a hint of tropical fruit. The body is smooth and moderate in its weighting. A little heat builds over time.

Savor: The ending contains some of the same oak and marshmallow notes, but the flavors dissipate relatively quickly, leaving more oak notes behind.

Western Reserve Silver Rum is an easy going, well crafted rum for the lightly aged category. It really shines on the toasted sugar side of the spectrum, especially with the vanilla and marshmallow notes. The wood notes can occasionally peak through, especially on the ending, but not unpleasantly. The overall effect is a rum that’s pleasant enough to taste, if not complex enough to sip.

In Cocktails

Western Reserve Distillers Silver Rum makes a fantastic daiquiri. The notes of vanilla and toasted marshmallow are accentuated by the simple syrup, and counterbalance nicely against the brightness of the lime. The net effect is akin to hints of key lime pie and lime popsicles. In other tiki drinks this helps Western Reserve Silver Rum play well, acting as a stand in for El Dorado 3 in our Love Potion.

In Review: Western Reserve Distillers Silver Rum

Western Reserve Distillers Silver Rum is a fantastic cocktail rum, ready to be employed for lightly aged rums. While it is good, we give a slight hat tip toward El Dorado 3, which achieves a very similar flavor profile at almost half the price. That aside, if you want to splurge and try a very nice rum from the north shore, then we recommend Western Reserve Silver Rum for a place in your bar.

Western Reserve Distillers Website

Goslings Black Seal Rum

Posted on June 4, 2021May 19, 2021 by Nick

Other than Beefeater Gin, I can’t think of a bottle we have consumed so many of as Goslings Black Seal Rum. Rum purists will argue this rum is dosed (has added sugar), but who gives a damn. You’re not drinking it straight, you’re putting this bad boy in all sorts of Tiki inspired drinks, and you should enjoy it. Plus, it’s cheap, and widely available.

Goslings Black Seal Rum

Sight: A deep cola brown.

Smell: Cola and orange zest leap out, followed by molasses, brown sugar, hints of cherry, and a slightly herbal/medicinal note. Light touches of rum ester join along with a bit of alcohol and caramel.

Sip: The same notes of cola, brown sugar, orange zest, spice, and touches of cherry join in on the palate. The mouthfeel is slightly thick, but very smooth (most likely due to the dosage). It’s a touch sweet, almost noticeably so with a hint of candied sugar.

Savor: The ending carries out more molasses, brown sugar, citrus zest notes. It’s a muddled finish, with a slight burn and drying character.

Goslings Black Seal Rum is unapologetic about being a brown sugar bomb with some fruity flavors. There’s nothing refined going on in the palate, it’s a straightforward smash and grab of flavors. Truth be told, while I could sip it straight, I think I’d get bored and overwhelmed by it’s ‘look at me’ character. That same character makes it a show stopper in Tiki drinks.

In Cocktails

Goslings Black Seal Rum stands up to even the strongest flavors, and unleashes a bombastic hit of brown sugar, molasses, and spice back in return. This results in a warm, inviting flavor profile that syncs well with both tropical flavors and dessert like sweetness. In a Cuba Libre, it takes the cola and lime to another level, adding a caramelized character to the overall flavor profile. A classic Grog also shows off the molasses and spice notes well.

It’s versatile for making your own creations too. In our Lump of Coal, it provides the brown sugar background notes to help carry the linkage between coconut milk stout and other rum funks present.

Christmas Cocktails 2019 - A Lump of Coal — A Lump of Coal

Goslings Black Seal Rum In Review

As you can probably tell, we love Goslings Black Seal Rum. At $17 for a bottle, we recommend you get one to try, specifically in a Dark & Stormy, Smuggler’s Cove’s Piñata, and in a Cuba Libre. If you find you like it, it’s cheap to keep around, and extremely versatile.

Doorly’s X.O. Rum

Posted on March 2, 2021April 11, 2022 by Nick

If you live in a state-controlled liquor authority state, and you are deeply in love with cocktails and exploring their flavors, you will inevitably find yourself denying your state the revenue they seek to extort from you by driving somewhere else to bring home something you can’t find on your own shelves. Although not available in the great(?) state of Ohio, Doorly’s X.O. Rum is essentially available anywhere you can find a Total Wine, and it’s reasonably priced at only $20 a bottle. So should you take a road trip?

Doorly’s X.O. Rum

This Barbados Rum is matured twice, once in oak, and once in Spanish Oloroso Sherry. It is also a product of the unavailable-in-Ohio Foursquare distillery.

Sight: Lighter than the bottle implies, it’s a sherry oloroso shade with a caramel like allure.

Smell: Beautiful aromas of toasted nuts and warm, sticky caramel waft out – accompanied by brown sugar and notes of vanilla. A subtle baking spice is in the background with touches of toasted oak. An almost date like sweetness pervades the nose and works itself to be the predominate of some dried fruit smells that linger round the edges.

Sip: The body starts out smooth and well rounded, but still very much viscous and not overly thin. Elements of caramel, oak, and nuttiness come thought, but the body’s nose does not lead to a sweet palate. Rather, the complexity of notes of spice, dried fruit, vanilla, and peppery wood are thoroughly savory in nature until toward the end, where things move a hint toward a more balanced point.

Savor: The ending maintains a warm vanilla and nuttiness with hints of barrel aging around the edges. The flavor lingers quite pleasantly, with just a hint of tannic nature.

On its own, we’ve quite enjoyed having Doorly’s X.O. Rum around the house as another option. In some ways, it functions much like a more complex Kirk & Sweeney, leading strongly with vanilla and caramel notes, but better bolstered with elements of cask finishing and nuttiness. The flavor profile is great for considering in Tiki drinks, even if it wouldn’t be my first choice for sipper. That said, it’s smooth enough that it would still be enjoyable on it’s own or over ice.

In Cocktails

Evaluating in a Daiquiri, Doorly’s X.O. Rum stands out beautifully. The caramel and fruity notes are pulled out with subtle spicing that compliments the lime well. The hints of nuttiness come through on the finish, emphasizing the warmth and sweetness. These same elements transition beautifully to Grog. The elements of oak and spice with tropical fruit lead the charge as lime and sweetness round out the edges. Overall, these elements work great exceedingly well and should hold up for other Tiki and cocktailing applications.

Doorly’s X.O. Rum Overall

For the price, Doorly’s X.O. Rum is frankly nothing short of spectacular for the price. If I had a Total Wine in my backyard, I would without a doubt have a bottle of this on hand at all times. If you’re a fan of aged rums, give Doorly’s a try.

Pusser’s Rum

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Nick

Pusser’s Rum is best known for it’s legacy as the rum of the British Navy. Long ago, the British Navy used to give their soliders rations of rum or ‘tots’. Do to concerns about alcohol consumption among sailors, the British Navy ended this practice in 1970. Leaving service, many of these soldiers desired their favorite tots, and with some entrepreneurial spirit Pusser’s makes a blue label Navy Style rum to help fit the bill.

Pusser’s Rum

Sight: A bright caramelly brown.

Smell: A touch of heat wafts off the top, giving way to a burst of molasses like brown sugars and spices. A certain funk hangs around and a then this beautiful salted caramel seems to wrap around it. A touch of ripe tropical fruit exists, boarding into roasted pineapple.

Sip: The body is lighter than you might expect, but gradually builds in flavor and intensity. This interesting start of rum esters starts things out before getting increasingly spiced and oaky. This amazing things starts to happen as it sits on the palate, releasing notes of molasses, roasted coconut, and fresh caramel with touches of nuts. I never really gets sweet, yet gives off those sweet flavor elements. There is some heat that grows with the flavor.

Savor: The ending leaves the woodsy spice and a healthy dosage of ester notes and tannin. The fruitiness, molasses notes, and caramel character is very in line with the expectation of a darker rum.

Pusser’s Rum is an iconic blend and really does strike all the right notes for a a light to moderately aged rum. It has a little to moderate rum funk, but it also gets a little sweet and a little fruit. It’s definitely not something you’d want to sit and sip on, but as it lingers, it does give off an inviting personality. For all these reasons, it’s a great mixing rum – that’s is sometimes difficult for those new to the spirit.

In Cocktails

In cocktails Pusser’s is one of our favorite rums to split. While the flavor profile can get a little aggressive on it’s own, it adds so much depth to other rums when used as a compliment. Those molasses notes build on the spice and fruit of the other rum, making both more expressive. For these reasons, it’s frequently seen around Tiki cocktails, but deserves considerations for Cuba Libre’s and other rum drinks.

However, in our standard daiquiri test Pusser’s becomes somewhat problematic. While dark rums can get a little aggressive in a daiquiri, Pusser’s actually pulls it into the world of funk, wood, and molasses. Daiquiris though, are not where Pusser’s truly shines.

Perhaps the most well known drink, one that some say exclusively requires Pusser’s, is the Painkiller. A delightful concoction of coconut cream, pineapple, orange, and Pusser’s, the Painkiller ends up being soothingly creamy and tropical with just enough spice to belie the fact that you’re slipping away into relaxation land. On it’s own, the Painkiller deserves your consideration (and a possible bottle of Pusser’s).

Pusser’s Overall

Pusser’s Rum is a bully of flavor, but one that’s deliciously put together. While it’s not as versatile or restrained as some of the other rums, it delivers an in your face, unapologetic character to the drinks it’s used in. For this reason, it’s a recommended bottle for lovers of rum drinks and those looking to bolster their bar’s rum selection – without breaking the bank.

Appleton Estate Reserve Blend

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Nick

As we mentioned back in our review of Appleton Estate Signature Blend, Appleton Estate Reserve Blend is our preference. The cost differential in Ohio was minimal as of last year, with only a two dollar split between these two rums. There’s very little reason at that price to say no to swapping up. So what makes the reserve blend so much better?

Appleton Estate Reserve Blend

Sight: An orange and caramel hue

Smell: The nose starts off with a waft of warm wood, vanilla, and touches of caramelized sugar. As it persists, some of the spices of the wood begin too emerge against an increasingly ripe menagerie of fruits, ranging from bananas to dates to hints of tropical citrus. The back notes of caramel underlay these like an overripening, and there’s little funk.

Sip: It starts off slightly sweet, but quickly dries with the influence of the spices and oak notes. The aging is apparent here, with a spiced brown sugar sugar that laces with touches of orange, toasted coconut, and banana. A hint of funky ester hides around the edges, and light burn occurs throughout.

Savor: The finish is smooth, yet presently tannic as it finishes. There’s a dryness to the ending, evaporating the sweetness, but leaving a hint of caramelized fruit behind that lingers lightly with that trademark Jamaican funk.

Appleton Estate Reserve Blend is a more oaked, and spicy version of it’s younger sibling. The result is a more funky and complex rum, although not so much so that you’d break the bank. Interestingly, both of them have some sharp edges, but the overall flavors they bring to the party (especially for mixing) over come any harsh notes. It’s worth noting that it brings a little more funk to the party, and that may also dissuade you one way or the other. While you could enjoy this on it’s own, it’s also not exactly entertaining, even though it is palatable.

In Cocktails

Appleton Estate Reserve Blend is beautiful in cocktails, contributing the character of sweetness without actually adding sweetness. The result is notes of caramel, tropical fruits, and warm spices. It becomes especially apparent in a daiquiri, where the lime sets off the sweeter elements, and then the simple accentuates them. For these reason, we find the reserve blend works fantastic in rum cocktails and crafting new Tiki ideas.

Appleton Estate Reserve Blend Overall

There’s really very little to complain about from a cocktail making standpoint for either the Appleton Estate Reserve Blend or the Appleton Estate Signature Blend. If the price difference is less than $5, it’s really a matter of preference. Stretching beyond $5, you’re probably seeing quickly diminishing returns for the added complexity.

As you may also notice, there has been a packaging flow through change. As a result, we’ve squirrelled away a couple extra bottles, and will be comparing to the new 8 soon!

Malibu Coconut Rum

Posted on September 27, 2020 by Nick

What ever possessed me to purchase a bottle of Malibu Coconut Rum is beyond me. Nowhere in the pantheon of prohibition or modern drinks is a sweet, coconut flavored liqueur mentioned as a key ingredient to, well, anything. Yet, somehow, it found it’s way into my home, and ultimately into some of the first cocktails we ever made.

Malibu Coconut Rum is a product of Canada. You know, the warm, tropical, rum producing islands of Canada. Pernod Ricard then imports it into the U.S, where it conjures sunny images of warm palm tree lined Canadian beaches. It should be noted that despite all my snark, it does contain natural coconut flavor as evidenced in their nutrition where coconut is called out as an allergen.

Malibu Coconut Rum

For the purposes of evaluating Malibu Coconut Rum fairly, I’ll evaluate it as a liqueur. To evaluate it as a rum would lead to me treating it like an unholy abomination. This would be unfair to it, and I recommend you think about Malibu accordingly if looking for a rum.

Sight: It’s clear, but definitely somewhat more viscous

Smell: It smells like creamy coconut. Like you might expect from sun tan lotion. There’s a small amount of ether and vanilla notes as well.

Sip: The start is sweet and thick, almost syrup like. The flavors of coconut and light touches of sugary rum ether come through. There’s a creaminess here as well, and a little bit of bite that builds. The sugar is boarding into cloying.

Savor: On the finish it’s smooth, sugary, and more coconut. It has a bit of split between raw shaved coconut, coconut candy flavor, and toasted coconut.

Malibu Coconut Rum accomplishes coconut in spades. It’s basically what I’d imagine coconut flavoring to taste like if lightened with sugar and a relatively neutral cane spirit. Bear in mind, this is labeled as a liqueur, and you should consider it as such. As liqueur, it’s strong in coconut flavoring, if a little seemingly candy like.

In Cocktails

Malibu Coconut Rum is mild enough to be treated as a base if you are so inclined, and want a strong coconut forward element. Due to the strong nature, it can also be successfully used as a modifier, replacing other fruit liqueurs. The versatility is quite good, but mind the sugar when using it as a base. Finally, if you only have a limited amount of space – Malibu is a poor choice due to the few tiki and classic cocktails where it could be effectively used.

Malibu Coconut Rum Overall

Malibu holds a place on our shelf primarily as modifier and for some rare instances where we have existing drink recipes that call for it. It is pretty ubiquitous, being available almost everywhere as a low price. That said, unless you have a use or enjoy super sweet liqueurs with strong, simple coconut flavoring, then Malibu isn’t one of our recommend bottles for your crafting shelf.

If you’re looking for one of our favorite drinks to make with Malibu Coconut Rum check out our original Peach’s Parasol.

Kirk and Sweeney 12

Posted on July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 by Nick

Sometimes the bottle draws you in and draws you in with it’s mystical marketing charms. Named after a rum running schooner from the prohibition era, and with a cannonball like bottle, Kirk and Sweeney 12 has marketing in spades. In spite of this, their website gives very few details on the spirit contained within. While their suggested MSRP is $39, you can find it as low as the mid-twenties, but is it worth it?

Kirk and Sweeney 12

Before we talk about the Dominican Rum contained within Kirk and Sweeney’s bottle, let’s talk about the bottle itself. The cannonball bottle seem hellbound on trying to commit roughly every possible sin I can think of. It’s round – making it hard to pour. Being round – and therefore squat – it takes up more shelf than a normal bottle. It’s got a huge freaking lip – making it dribble. It has a cork with no T-stop – making it hard to grip and pull. The cork is tapered and if you pull it hard can tear.

But it looks like a cannonball. That’ll make it all better, right?

Sight: An improbably perfect caramel brown.

Smell: The smell of caramel and oak is prevalent – giving way into a molasses and brown sugar sweetness. There’s a woodsy spicy note as well. Some dried dates and roasted plantain notes come through as well. A slight must and a touch of heat is present as well.

Sip: The palate is light and gives way to a vanilla laced caramel. Notes of oak and spice come through powerfully – drowning out subtle nuances. It is mildly sweet.

Savor: The ending is moderately tannic, and there’s a strong wood and vanilla notes with a hint of cigar.

Kirk and Sweeney 12 direct in it’s unapologetic direction toward brown sugar and vanilla. A decent amount of oak and spice comes out as well, but gives it a somewhat generic character. As a sipper, it’s nice neat and pretty smooth. For beginning rum drinkers, you might enjoy the unoffensive, straightforward character that K+S 12 has.

In Cocktails

While I’ve enjoyed sipping on this rum neat, I can’t say I’ve ever found it well suited to crafting. Part of the problem is that the flavors seem to be easily diluted, and emphasize the tannic nature of the wood at points. It particularly gets lost in Tiki drinks, where multiple strong flavors are competing. Outside of a Bombo, Ti Punch, and a Cuba Libre, there aren’t a lot of subtle, uncomplicated rum drinks for Kirk and Sweeney 12 to call home.

Kirk and Sweeney 12: A Cannonball Alone In The Barrel

There are some positive elements to Kirk and Sweeney 12, and those coming from Oakheart or Captain Morgan’s Spice Rum might find this a good transition. While it’s certainly better than bottom shelf Bacardi, it’s hard to give it an edge over other more refined and versatile rum offerings like those from Appleton, Plantation, and even Bacardi’s more premium offerings.

For more info – visit Kirk and Sweeney’s website.

Plantation 3 Star

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Nick

Before we get into talking about Plantation 3 Star – it might be worth a moment to talk about Plantation. In light of recent events, Maison Ferrand has chosen to change Plantation’s name to Evolve. The name refers to a large farm – but due to the actual history of many of these farms and recent events – Plantation (rightly) chosen to update their name to avoid this regrettable period of history.

While the packaging flow through is no doubt starting soon – in all likelihood you’re going to be looking for Plantation 3 Star. If you’re reading this somewhere down the line – congratulations on getting here from a historical relic or a coincidence of search engine happenstance. The rum is actually rather nice for the price – and much more of why you’re likely here. So let’s dive in.

Plantation 3 Star

Plantation 3 Star is sourced from Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad. The bottle does not list percentages, and has been optimized for cocktail use rather than sipping. The style is that of a lightly aged rum.

Sight: Essentially clear – possibly with a slight tint of gold.

Smell: The nose starts off with a great amount of pineapple and miscellaneous tropical fruit. There’s something candied like about it – almost like a white coconut. There are notes of alcohol and subtle vanilla, banana (both ripe and green), and marzipan that also waft out.

Sip: The palate is soft and round – it begins smoothly with plenty ripe plantain, touches of marzipan, toasted sugar, and subtle tropical fruit notes. A touch of almost argicole like green herb hides at the edge, and a gradual heat builds. There’s also a good amount of sweetness throughout.

Savor: The finish ends up being somewhat sweet as well, and some of the heat lingers. There’s a little less smoothness here, but a pleasant toasted sugar and slightly grassy note that lingers.

Plantation 3 Star is a very clean and dynamic rum. It moves fluidly between sweet notes, green notes, and tropical fruit. The body is relatively smooth and inoffensive – though not inviting. While it has some edges, the flavor more than makes up for it. As a base level white rum, it’s a great choice at under $20.

In Cocktails

Plantation 3 Star does well in cocktails. The tropical flavors lend themselves well to classics like the daiquiri and more complex tiki drinks. The lime plays particularly well with some of the grassy notes. It does tend to fall a little short on more spiced and vanilla forward cocktails, where El Dorado 3 plays somewhat better.

Plantation 3 Star Overall

Overall – Plantation 3 Star plays a counter point to El Dorado 3 in our line up. Where El Dorado 3 plays the sweet, vanilla, cotton candied role in a drink – Plantation 3 Star is playing the role of the more tropical rum. These two points of contrast help explain why one might buy one or the other – or both of these rum. Either way, Plantation 3 is still a great choice of rum if you’re looking for a solid lightly aged rum for your cocktail collection at a great price.

Plantation’s Site: https://www.plantationrum.com/