Since there are threads devoted to beer and whiskey , I thought it would be fitting to devote one to rum ...




My preferred brand ( as of now ) is Appleton Estate of the 12 year old Rare Blend variety . It's a bit on the pricey side of things , but one bottle generally lasts me several months as long as I don't throw a party .

I really enjoy cachaça and Demerara rum.

My go-to cachaça for mixing (mostly caipirinhas) is Pitu, which also beats any standard rum on the shelf, IMO. I like Ypioca, and I keep a bottle of the gold around and usually drink it straight in limited quantities - it is a bit strong for a caiprinha, though it is pretty good with just a slice of lime dipped in sugar put in a shot of it. Ypioca silver is great, but stores don't carry it around here. Novo Fogo silver is the premium one I go for, it has a really strong and distinctive sugar cane taste that even shines through lime and fresh fruit in a caipirinha. I'll have to get a bottle of their gold cachaça next, because I really like the silver.

As far as Demerara rums go, there's something really special about the El Dorado 15 year. It's really a cut above the other barrel-aged rums I've had, and while it is a bit sweet, I find that a single ice cube in about 3oz of that offsets it just right. The raw, husky sweetness of the sugar cane cuts through with overtones of vanilla and dark fruit, while the finish lasts a long time and holds those same flavors for quite a while, with only a little bit of the wood, and maybe a bit of a taste of a sherry cask or something. I prefer it over fine scotch, it's something special and unique.

El Dorado 12 is too sweet and I don't really like it. The 5-year has a lot of vanilla up front and makes a hell of a swizzle, mixed with some fresh orange, pineapple, and lime juice plus some bitters. Their spiced rum goes great with coconut water for a mixed drink. XM rum is pretty good - their older rums are comparable to most other dark Caribbean rums, but the price pretty much matches El Dorado in the US, so I'd never drink it here.

My problem with rum is that so many "rums" are really rum liqueurs without telling you as such; El Dorado was actually one of the first that comes to mind. It's a rum with a truckload of sugar added to it, and they don't state that anywhere on the bottle. You wouldn't call a whisk(e)y with added sugar whiskey, you'd call it a liqueur. I also don't trust the age statements on rum for a second unless it's an agricole or an American rum.

Appleton Estate 12 is a nice one though, and a proper spirit (no added sugar).


For mixed drinks I always lean towards dark rums like Myers, Gosling, or Kraken.

The 12-year is horribly sweet, but the 15 has just the right balance to serve with an ice cube. It's a bit weird when warm, though.

Yeah I tend to favor non liqueur rums as well . As a matter of fact , I have a rather negative view of mixed drinks in general , and I don't think I've ever come across a mixed drink containing rum that I've liked .

This is actually the first time I've heard of cachaca . This Wikipedia article ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacha%C3%A7a ) treats it as an entirely different drink , though going by ingredients it's pretty much the Brazilian version of rum . I'll have to check it out regardless .

As for Demerara rums , I'm sure I've drank at least one variety but I can't recall its taste for the life of me . I'm quite biased in favor of anything Jamaican , but I'll be doing an expand my horizons rum shopping trip by year's end if all goes well .

That's exactly what my mother brought back for me from her trip to Jamaica. I'm used to whiskey and IPAs and I really didn't care for the rum unfortunately. I'm not sure if I just didn't enjoy the brand or if I just don't like rum (lol). I'm willing to give it another shot though. It seems like something of an acquired taste.

I usually use Gosling's Black Seal when I'm making a dark 'n' stormy.

Yup I took a liking to rum as I soon as I started drinking it , but to each his own as they say ...


I'm not a member of the hardcore rum elitist club mind you , since I still don't mind the occasional shot of Captain Morgan , a brand that is considered to be sacrilegious by members of said club or at least all the ones I know .

I'm not a huge drinking fan, but if I drink it's gonna be sailor jerrys (I know, nothing fancy, but it tastes better than most any other alcoholic beverage) usually mixing it with either your typical coke, or a weird one but good is mountain dew.

My favourite rum is Mount Gay XO, which, is a proper Barbadian rum, not a liqueur. For spiced rum, I can't find anything better than Papagayo Spiced. I enjoy hunting around and going to rum clubs, though, so I may discover something else. I still haven't got around to Appleton Estate, so I'll have to remedy that!

Rums on my 'never buy again' list include anything El Dorado or Angostura; rums with an excess of vanilla flavourings.

just Kraken lately.

I'll second the vote for Kraken.

Does anyone know why some Rums are sold as 'Rum' and others (eg, Captain Morgan') are sold as 'Rum based' or 'spirit based'?

Brugal and Cacique for me:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brugal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacique_(rum)

Rum & cola, cuba libre or mojito:
http://viviendoapesardelacrisis.blogspot.com/2018/09/receta-de-mojito.html

I actually tried some Ron Barcelo the other day and it was pretty good . I've never really been big on Dominican rum , but this brand is pretty tasty IMO .