unclebunk Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I was introduced to these Dark-N-Stormies by my BIL up in NJ last month. They are quite tasty. He made them with Gosling's ginger beer and rum. I feel like he added a splash of something else as well, maybe lime juice. I forget already...My wife added Stirrings Simple Syrup as well as the Angostura Bitters, resulting in an exquisite drink! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I was introduced to these Dark-N-Stormies by my BIL up in NJ last month. They are quite tasty. He made them with Gosling's ginger beer and rum. I feel like he added a splash of something else as well, maybe lime juice. I forget already...The Dark 'n Stormy (with that specific spelling) is a drink that Gosling's has trademarked and claims proprietary control over it which is why I tend to make a "Dark and Stormy" and use no Gosling's products at all. No cocktail should be trademarked in my opinion (The Painkiller is another in that category). Their website claims the classic version is 4-5 oz of ginger beer over ice with 1.5 oz of Gosling's Black Seal rum and a lime wedge (whether you squeeze it in the drink or use it as mere decoration seems to be unspecified although the accompanying picture suggest it is largely decorative.There are of course many variations and one of my favorite resources, Kindred Cocktail, suggests the lime wedge should be squeezed and dropped in (not to mention 2 oz of rum instead of 1.5!). As noted this is essentially a rum variation of the Moscow Mule know by the rather uninspired name of "Rum Mule" when not using the trademarked Gosling's ingredients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjbeggs Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Picked up a bottle of Balcones Texas Rum a couple weeks ago on a whim.I'm not typically a Rum drinker, usually thinking of it as an ingredient for Daiquiris.After tasting the Balcones, which I found to be simply amazing, I'm thinking I need to up my Rum game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Picked up a bottle of Balcones Texas Rum a couple weeks ago on a whim.I'm not typically a Rum drinker, usually thinking of it as an ingredient for Daiquiris.After tasting the Balcones, which I found to be simply amazing, I'm thinking I need to up my Rum game.Have and like the Balcones Rumble Cask Strength which is a quasi-rummish concoction of honey, turbinado sugar and figs, but never had the Balcones Rum which is apparently made with the more traditional molasses base. Is this a relatively new product? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjbeggs Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I think there have been prior releases, but this is the first time it's been semi-easy to find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcbt Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Picked up a bottle of Balcones Texas Rum a couple weeks ago on a whim.I'm not typically a Rum drinker, usually thinking of it as an ingredient for Daiquiris.After tasting the Balcones, which I found to be simply amazing, I'm thinking I need to up my Rum game.This is precisely why I hesitate to try to really embrace any non-bourbon via a neat pour or whatnot. I'm terrified of the rabbit hole that could come of it, and I couldn't handle any more on top of bourbon hah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I think there have been prior releases, but this is the first time it's been semi-easy to find. Would be interesting to know if this is aged in their own used small casks and for how long. Rum certainly isn't the most innovative thing to make but it is presumably relatively cheap and easy to make. Hopefully it is not colored or otherwise doctored like most rums are. That would be very un-Balcones like. Of course if it is good I suppose it doesn't matter how it is made! I know that is true because Diageo (and others) keep telling me it is so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcbt Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I actually made some rum punch this weekend. Granted, I am not picky on rum since I only use it in said punch, but I went with Railean Texas white rum (which, from what I can decipher, is actually distilled in Texas, and the only rum I currently own.) 1 part sour, 2 parts sweet, 3 parts strong, 4 parts weak: lime juice; Grenadine; Railean; OJ and pineapple juices. It was mighty fine while floating on the raft in the pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Of course if it is good I suppose it doesn't matter how it is made! I know that is true because Diageo (and others) keep telling me it is so... On second thought maybe that should be: It doesn't matter how we made it, it's really, really good. No, seriously, you don't need to try it first, just trust us. We promise! So good in fact it should cost more than the stuff you are already familiar with and that you know how it was made. You should be begging us to buy it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclebunk Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 This is precisely why I hesitate to try to really embrace any non-bourbon via a neat pour or whatnot. I'm terrified of the rabbit hole that could come of it, and I couldn't handle any more on top of bourbon hah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyflake45 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 The world of rum is indeed a potential rabbit hole but one well worth investigating. I took to it like a fish to water, as have several of my bourbon-obsessed friends who had never tried rum as a sipper until I hit them with a few samples. Quite honestly, I think you could find a few that you'd really enjoy that wouldn't break the bank. And because the selection in most stores is generally fairly limited, I don't find myself constantly seeking out new things to try, since many on the shelf are pure garbage anyway. With a bit of help from a few fellow SB members, I now have a respectable selection of quality rums in the cabinet (perhaps 20 or so different bottles) and I'm quite content with my little collection. At this point, I'd say there are a half dozen bottles that I'll probably never be without again and all are pretty affordable ($25-$50 range), so why not give it a try? If your looking for a nice sipping rum, try Rhum Barbancourt 8 Year Old - It's delicious and very reasonable. Yes, they spell it "Rhum"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 If your looking for a nice sipping rum, try Rhum Barbancourt 8 Year Old - It's delicious and very reasonable. Yes, they spell it "Rhum"!It is spelled that way because Haiti was a French colony before independence following the slave revolution in the early 1800's. Rhum Barbancourt says they still make their rum the same way as do the rhum agricole distillers of Martinique and Guadeloupe, using fresh sugar cane juice rather than cane syrup or molasses although that gets called into question every now and again. Their somewhat sweeter profile tends to make me think at least some cane syrup is used rather than just fresh cane juice but it does not taste like a molasses based spirit to me. But I have no first hand knowledge either way.Distilleries in countries with French connections sometimes use the term rhum as well like St Aubin Rhum Agricole in Mauritius, Rhum Savanna in Reunion and Rhum Dzama in Madagascar. In any case, as noted, the 5 star/8yo is very nice and generally very affordable. Their are younger and older versions but the 8yo seems to hit the "sweet" spot for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclebunk Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 If your looking for a nice sipping rum, try Rhum Barbancourt 8 Year Old - It's delicious and very reasonable. Yes, they spell it "Rhum"!Thanks for the tip. I already purchased one bottle of the 8-year-old and have a bottle of the 15-year-old in the bunker waiting to be cracked open. Definitely different from every other rum that I have purchased but excellent once you get past the initial funky note. I also have bottles of Clement VSOP and Clement 6 waiting in the wings but haven't gotten around to opening them yet. So much booze, so little time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyflake45 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Thanks for the tip. I already purchased one bottle of the 8-year-old and have a bottle of the 15-year-old in the bunker waiting to be cracked open. Definitely different from every other rum that I have purchased but excellent once you get past the initial funky note. I also have bottles of Clement VSOP and Clement 6 waiting in the wings but haven't gotten around to opening them yet. So much booze, so little time!I'd love to hear your thoughts on the 15yo. For whatever reason, my taste buds prefer the 8yo over the 15yo. When I was much more into rum, way before I got into the Whiskey, Bourbon, Rye scene, it took me the longest time to go through a bottle of the 15yo. In that same period, I must have gone through 3 bottles of the 8yo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillman Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Some thoughts on Brugal after attending a recent company tasting promotion: http://www.beeretseq.com The company stresses the dry nature of the rum, and indeed it has a restrained but elegant palate. If I understood the presentation right, they distill out at about 190, which sounds high but whiskey can retain its name at that level of distillation because congeners still abound. I preferred the drinks neat for this reason - the subtleties are still evident although the Manhattan was very good too - I think it was the large slug the bartender happened to give it, each drink was purpose-made. Nice night. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TunnelTiger Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I'd love a new list of your top 5/10 rums from you rum aficionados. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyflake45 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I'd love a new list of your top 5/10 rums from you rum aficionados.I most certainly am not a Rum Aficionado, however, I do know what I like! Here is a listing I had put together late last year and it real very accurate right now. My Top Rated Rums - 2014 Diplomatico Rum Reserva Exclusiva A complex blend of Copper pot still rums aged for 12 long years, has a characterful nose, showing fruit cake, rum’n’raisin ice cream, cocoa, dried ginger, cinnamon and clove. Develops baked bananas with fudge sauce and chewy toffee notes alongside vanilla oak and a deeper note of syrupy gingerbread, with hints of orange zest. The palate evokes chocolate sauce and the sweet toffee, fudge and tropical fruit flavors from the nose. Flakes of Terry’s Dark Chocolate Orange sprinkled over melted vanilla ice cream. Deep, vivid and extremely seductive flavors Gosling's Rum Black Seal 80 Proof Gosling’s Black Seal has a rich, intricate flavor, well balanced and nuanced with butterscotch, vanilla and caramel. Impressive enough to earn the Beverage Testing Institute’s highest honor, the Platinum Medal. El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum Mature and candied on the nose with spice, dried fruit, satsuma and vanilla. A lovely use of oak, subtle and balanced. Sweet and flavorsome on the palate. Weighty and powerful with attractive sweetness and a beautiful balance. Oily and viscous in texture with a mouth filling quality and impeccable balance." Pusser's Navy Rum Aged 15 Years This handcrafted fifteen year single malt variety is aged and distilled in wooden barrels. It's smooth and sophisticated, with a deep burnt amber color, giving off aromas of sherry and cedar wood. This classically made rum tastes of Brazil nuts, vanilla, oak and toffee, with a balsamic and cinnamon finish. Rhum Barbancourt 8 Year Old [TABLE=class: MsoNormalTable, width: 99] [TR] [TD=width: 44] [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Appleton Estate Reserve Rum Bright gold. Attractive nose with brown sugar, ripe bananas, chocolate and caramelized fruit. Silky smooth through the mouth with all the nose promised plus some sweet honey and light treacle. Well balanced and good structure. Long, full flavored finish." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Tot Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) 1. Bristol Classic Port Mourant aged in port pipe.2. Rum Sixty-Six (foursquare distillery)3. R.L. Seale's 10yr4. Cadenhead's 11yr Nicaragua Volcano Distillery5. Berry Bros and Rudd Guadeloupe 16yr6. Pusser's 15yr Nelson's Blood (despite being badly named "the single malt of rum" for advertising purposes (not Pusser's strong suit) there is nothing single malt about it, as it is neither a malt nor single - Pusser's is a blend)7. Pusser's Blue Label European release @ 109 proof8. Smooth Ambler Revelation Rum9. Caroni 15yr.10. Wood's 100 (for a dark rum in cocktails) Honorable mention:Mount Gay XOEl Dorado 21 (Despite being sugared, I like the taste)Old Monk SupremeCoruba (Dark rum in cocktails)Cockspur 12Dictador (although I don't buy it because price makes it bad value)Sugared rum shit list:DiplomaticoRon ZacapaPlantationCaciqueAtlanticoEl Dorados (Despite my enjoyment of the 21)Don QPamperoA bunch of others whose names slip my mind right now Edited July 22, 2015 by The Black Tot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TunnelTiger Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Thank you gentlemen. This is going to be fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balcones Winston Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I think there have been prior releases, but this is the first time it's been semi-easy to find.There have only been 2 releases. The first was in 2013. Rum only accounts for <1% of our production schedule so there won't be much to go around for a few years until we get the new distillery online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balcones Winston Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Would be interesting to know if this is aged in their own used small casks and for how long. Rum certainly isn't the most innovative thing to make but it is presumably relatively cheap and easy to make. Hopefully it is not colored or otherwise doctored like most rums are. That would be very un-Balcones like. Of course if it is good I suppose it doesn't matter how it is made! I know that is true because Diageo (and others) keep telling me it is so... We used two varieties of molasses, Barbados (cane honey) and blackstrap. Unlike other rums, and very much like everything else we do, there are no additives of any kind other than hill country spring water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTNBourbon Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 1. Bristol Classic Port Mourant aged in port pipe.2. Rum Sixty-Six (foursquare distillery)3. R.L. Seale's 10yr4. Cadenhead's 11yr Nicaragua Volcano Distillery5. Berry Bros and Rudd Guadeloupe 16yr6. Pusser's 15yr Nelson's Blood (despite being badly named "the single malt of rum" for advertising purposes (not Pusser's strong suit) there is nothing single malt about it, as it is neither a malt nor single - Pusser's is a blend)7. Pusser's Blue Label European release @ 109 proof8. Smooth Ambler Revelation Rum9. Caroni 15yr.10. Wood's 100 (for a dark rum in cocktails) Honorable mention:Mount Gay XOEl Dorado 21 (Despite being sugared, I like the taste)Old Monk SupremeCoruba (Dark rum in cocktails)Cockspur 12Dictador (although I don't buy it because price makes it bad value)Sugared rum shit list:DiplomaticoRon ZacapaPlantationCaciqueAtlanticoEl Dorados (Despite my enjoyment of the 21)Don QPamperoA bunch of others whose names slip my mind right nowHave not forgotten the other recommendations you gave me. Will pick up the Pusser's Blue Label next week. They also have the Mount Gay XO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjbeggs Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 There have only been 2 releases. The first was in 2013. Rum only accounts for <1% of our production schedule so there won't be much to go around for a few years until we get the new distillery online.Thanks for the clarification Winston. Sounds like I may need to try and find a couple more bottles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I'd love a new list of your top 5/10 rums from you rum aficionados.Preferred rums can change almost as quick as whiskey as more stuff makes it to the shelf so this more about what I am enjoying recently.And currently I am enjoying the new Plantation "Stiggins Fancy" pineapple rum! Made as a one off last year for Tales it has been brought back due to demand and been released in a larger supply. An interesting historical rum that is a collaboration between Alexandre Gabriel of Ferrand Cognac/Plantation Rum and spirits historian David Wondrich. Anything Professor Wondrich has a hand in I am willing to try!Also been enjoying Georgia's own Richland Rum. It is a single barrel sugar cane syrup based rum made in south central Georgia. Tried 3 different bottles from 3 different barrels, all three were good but all were different. Others on my current list are mostly oddballs that aren't readily available except for a couple and include:Plantation Guadeloupe 1998 rumEl Dorado (typically the 15 although I like them all, sugar or no sugar)Clement Single Cask (currently finishing off a bottle from barrel 70077)Ron Navazzos Palazzi Oloroso sherry finishedR.L. Seales 10yoJM Rhum Agricole 1994 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biskuit Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 LOVE the Plantation Pineapple rum, and a big fan of Richland Rum, too. I don't turn to rum that often, but I'm usually happy when I do. (tasting notes on the Plantation rum at http://www.thirstysouth.com/2015/07/24/plantation-stiggins-fancy-pineapple-rum/) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts