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I too, picked up a bottle of El Dorado, but I went with the 15 yr. I use Sugar in the Raw exclusively around the house for coffee, tea, etc. The nose on the ED 15 is identical. Really gorgeous. The texture is velvety, creamy, and wonderful. Thanks to all who spoke highly of this brand, and prompted me to purchase it.
Brisko, I like your idea of the vatting to try and recreated that rumminess aspect of the old bourbons. I may mess around with that myself over the next couple of days. :toast:
I like that idea as well Brisco, I wanted to do something different and that may be it.
I recently added the last of a Mount Gay Extra Old to my whiskey living bottle (the continuing combo of the last ounce or two of lingering bourbons and ryes) with nice effect. I think I'll play around with some El Dorado and bourbon mingling too. I've got an '81 Old Forester BIB from DSP 414 opened now, which I can use as the model...it being some of the rummiest bourbon I've had.
Open rum bottles benefit from air time?
I am a firm believer that some of my favorite wheater-bourbons need to be open a while before they reach their prime.
Wanting to give other spirits a try, I ventured into rum recently- starting with Zaya Gran Reserva. I made a rum and coke for my wife with this and some Mexican Coca-Cola (cane sugar, no corn sugar). Before I knew it, bottle was drained and half a case of cokes went missing. I didn't get a chance to see what effect air had on this bottle's taste over time.
The next bottle is a Ron Abuelo 7 Aņos open for about five weeks now. I am having a difficult time determining if the air is improving the taste or not. I also opened a Appleton Estate Extra 12 three to four weeks ago. This seems to have a lot going for it, but there is an essence of gum rubber in the nose / taste that is off-putting. The rubber note has diminished some (I think) but it needs a ways to go.
Have any of you noticed an improvement in your open rums, like an opened wheater bourbon ?
I have an sealed El Dorado 15, Ron Zacapa Solera 23 and Plantation Panama 2000 on deck. I'm trying to be patient and not plow into the good stuff before I get an education from what's already opened!
Rob
I drink most of my rums either neat, with a bit or ice or occasionally as a rum old fashioned variation usually using a rich demerara or cane syrup (J. Green’s Sugar Cane Syrup is a great one if you can find it and but it is hard to find). Have been slowly working through an ED 15 but haven't noticed in a big changes over the past couple of months. There is probably some impact from oxidation over time but I don't recall a bottle of rum that has been open for a while that was any better, or worse for that matter, for having been open.Quote:
Originally Posted by RobP_n_TN
Then again I haven't really been deliberately looking for changes so would likely have missed something that was subtle.
Some of my rums have been open a couple of years or more and has softened and lost some sparkle and complexity. The core flavors and character remain however.
On the subject of mingling bourbon and ED 12 rum: some successes, some failures. As I mentioned earlier, Old HH 8/86 was a success. WTRB was not. It really brings out the bitterness on the finish.
The surprise winner was Jefferson's 10 year rye (the newer, non-Canadian). Wowza! at about 2:1 rye to rum this is killer. I think the rum balances out the all-rye mash perfectly. I also tried it with some Willett 5 year (LDI) rye and it was good but need more oak. I'm tempted to buy another bottle of Jefferson's and vat the whole thing, it's that good.
Hmm. A "Rum n Rye". Has a nice ring to it, too. I'll try this at home.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brisko
:toast:
Lots of rums are aged in bourbon casks, and have delicate vanilla notes. I do find the sometimes vanilla notes do get stronger with time when bottles are open for a bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by RobP_n_TN
For xmas I got a bottle of Admiral Rodney XO. Here this is the same price as RZ 23 and very hard to find. I like it better than the RZ 23, being not quite so sweet. I also tried Mount Gay Eclipse, and had it head to head with the Mount Gay XO. The Eclipse being around 1/2 the price holds up pretty well. The XO is a slightly better rum with more bourbon influence, but the Eclipse also has a nice profile too.