So there are numerous whiskey, bourbon, and scotch forums on the web. There are also numerous people that think Rum is just a sweet liquor. I happen to think there is almost as much diversity in rum as there is Bourbon. What are your thoughts on this?
[Reply]

I totally agree. Partial to Don Q as is made in the town I grew up as a kid. My go to for sipping is Ron Zacapa
[Reply]

Rum is up there with Scotch for my favorite sipper. I typically reach for the Zaya when I'm looking for something a little sweet. I remember tasting the old Zaya (Guatemalan), wish there was still some of that around. I also enjoy Zacapa and occasionally some Pyrat :-)
[Reply]

I like Goslings and Myers dark rums for just about everything where color isn't an issue; rum & Coke for instance.
[Reply]

Forgot about Gosling. Good for mixing
[Reply]

There are definitely some great rums out there. I think the better rums (sipping rums) are a great value compared to many other finer spirits.

Here' same great rum thread: http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=76
[Reply]

Queue Big Pete in 5...4...3...2...1...
[Reply]

I spent some time in Honduras back in the early '90's and have been a big fan of aged Flor de Cana ever since.
[Reply]

I have been a fan of Goslings for years and Juan de Barrilito the 3 or 5 star are best but cant seem to find it here in the states. Even the liquor distributors that say they carry never seem to be able to get it. Years ago I was a die hard Bacardi fan especially when they first came out with black. I have tried many of the Appleton's and many of the spiced rums too. I think my favorite spiced would be Kraken but Sailor Jerry runs a very close second. I started this thread as I am searching for new ideas to try if I can get them here, and wanted to hear people's opinions of them. For myself the white or clear varieties of rum tend to have little flavor but are good for mixed drinks while the darker ones and spiced ones (a few anyway) are good as a stand alone.
[Reply]

Someone called?:-)


I agree that when people usually mention rum, they think of the crappy mixer stuff like Malibu. There are quite a few good sipping rums on the market and as someone mentioned, you can get some excellent sippers for a fraction of bourbon/scotch prices. Most can be had for under $40. I'm a big fan of Zacapa 23, Zacapa XO, Diplomatico, Zaya, Legendario (love this), etc.
[Reply]

I was a Zaya fan, but then I discovered Ron Zacapa 23yr and XO. :-)

Others I like.
Cruzan Single Barrel
Ron Barcelo Imperial
Pampero - Anivesario
[Reply]

picked up some Ron Barcelo real cheap in MD a couple months back, wasn't wowed by it but I'll have no problem finishing the bottle :-)
[Reply]

I wasn't wowed with it either, but for less than $20 it was pretty good. I can usually get Zaya on sale for $24 and they had both the Ron Zacapa 23 and XO on sale and I couldn't resist buying them. :-)
[Reply]

understandable. $20 is around what I paid, I figured why not. $24 for zaya is a great price, I'm still working through the 1.75L bottle I picked up over the summer, takes a while to drain when you only have 1-2oz at a time. I think I have a bottle of HC7 buried in the back of the liquor cabinet, maybe I should dig that out and see if it's still good :-)
[Reply]

So many new ideas! I will be checking with my local liquor store for the Zacapa varieties.
[Reply]

I'm not a big fan of HC7. Find it a bit rough
[Reply]

My father picked up a bottle of this when he was in Spain a couple years back

Image

It definitely had a softer edge :-)
[Reply]

Me neither, but them Cuban guys make my favorite....Legendario. :-)
[Reply]

I was finally able to find Zacapa 23 yr Rum. Had my first taste this past Thursday. Very good with some spices I couldnt quite place. My first two tastes of this rum were up and on the rocks to give me a chance to really taste it. I will give it a go as a mixer in the very near future. I may have to drive about 20 or 30 miles to find the XO and some of the other ideas I have gotten here.
[Reply]

The store up the street from me has a bottle of XO for $100. I've been wanting to buy it but bourbons have gotten in the way. Let me know if you want me to pick it up for you
[Reply]