Ah, WAY up North. :-)
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A friend of mine and I drank and entire bottle of Zacapa 23 yr old last night. Mine was accompanied by the Padron 80th Anni (Like the regular 1926 maddie better) and a 07 Opus X power Ranger.My buddy smoked an 07 Monte #2 and a 09 opus power ranger. That rum was seriously good stuff.
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Damn, Scott! :-) :-) :-)
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It was a heckuva night Tom.
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too lazy to search, what's a reasonable price for guata. zaya?

found a local store w/ a case @ $40 pop.
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Heck, the Trini version is $40 at my local Total Wine. I'd buy 2 or 3 bottles of the Guatemalan at that price.
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Finished off my Zaya last night

it has been replaced, for now, by some Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum

I still have half or more of my RZ23, Pampero and Appleton Reserve
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Cruzan Single Barrel is my 'old faithful'. I think it's a great value, and it's easy to replace (rum selection is slim in most of MD). I like Pampero a little more, but I don't think I've seen it in this state.

I did grab a bottle of Vizcaya just after Christmas from the recommendations here. I think it's a 'sleeper' rum, doesn't get a lot of press but it's very good.
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The Cruzan was 23 bucks, so the same as the Appleton

once I open it, I'll do a side by side and the better of them will become my "old faithful" type as well as they're relatively cheap and readily available

although there is a place in town that carries RZ for it's 44 bucks
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$28 ea @ TW
if you can find it then buy them all
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Buy them all, and I'll take a couple from you!!!!!! Trini Zaya goes for about $45 here in MN.

How did I not find any when we were down there last month. :-)
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OK, being new to this. Stopped to pick up a 6-pack of some Spotted Cow in Green Bay, and stopped in the rum aisle. They had Appleton (clear & a dark), Oronoco, Mount Gay (a clear & a dark), Kilo Kai (?) and some others that were mass market stuff I see everywhere.

I looked. I wondered. Then I thought I'd ask here.

So, how do those compare to Zaya or Ron Zacapa 23 or Brugal or Black Seal?
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Never had Brugal or Black Seal. Todd, but Zacapa 23 and Zaya blow the doors off the Appleton, Oronoco and Mount Gay IMHO.....totally different leagues.
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It all depends. I've never had Oronoco, but it generally gets ranked pretty good for a clear rum. Should make a killer mojito. I'm not a fan of the clear Mount Gay, never had clear Appleton. The 'regular' dark rums from both companies are comparable to your average bottle of Bacardi, the V/X maybe a little better, the Mount Gay Eclipse a little less. Both companies make some nice aged rums though.

Mount Gay Extra Old is comparable to Cruzan Single Barrel. I think of it as an 'entry level' aged rum. It's got a nice 'barrel' flavor, toasted caramel, etc. If you like sweet rums like Zaya/Zacapa, Extra Old may not fit your taste. If you prefer a drier style, it's worth keeping around.

Appleton is similar, though they have more of a variety of aged rums. I just finished a bottle of Appleton Extra. It was good, but not as good as Mount Gay Extra Old. The V/X is their 'standard' dark rum, again similar to Bacardi. I haven't tried the other blends, so no comment there.

If you liked the Brugal (was it clear, gold, or anejo?), try the Appleton. If they've got Mount Gay Extra Old, give that one a shot too, but I'd avoid the MG Eclipse. If you want a change of pace/clear rum, pick up the Oronoco.
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I am not looking for rum to mix - sorry, but I'll probably get crucified for saying this - good stuff is wasted on me when mixed.

I guess I am thinking in regard to sipping rums - straight up. I like to sit and sip a shot's worth while enjoying a cigar. I can do a couple beers with a cigar, but about 1.5 ounces of rum is great to sip through a whole cigar. And, according to what you have all said, the clears are more for mixing and the darks, while you can mix them, when they are good, are good for sipping.
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In that case, try the Mount Gay Extra Old, Appleton Extra, or Appleton 21 yr. I think those are best with a small ice cube instead of neat.

Anything less from those brands and you'll be disappointed if you're drinking it straight.
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Have any of you had the Cockspur? What are your thoughts? Saw this at a local liquor store.
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I have the Old Gold and 5 Star versions. I don't use as a sipper. A bit rough and bite - use only as a mixer or jet fuel.

Seriously though - I'd rank it above say standard Bacardi but under Bacardi Select or 8 year.


Ron
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My wife gave me a bottle of Goslings Family Reserve Old Rum for Valentine's Day which I'm quite looking forward to trying!
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Right now Im just easing into Rums. Before I just had Capt Morgan/ Baccardi stuff like that and I dont like them at all. My cousin gave me a shot of Sailor Jerry and it was (to me alot better than those two)

What else should I look for. Mind you I dont have a huge selection here in rural NJ (yeah I know its hard to comprehend but its true)

I havent seen Zaya or anything really fancy
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