What Rum/Rhum did you buy today?

[EarthQuake]

So I generally associate Bacardi with bad cocktails, but I've read so many good reviews about Bacardi 8 year and managed to find it on a store locally (most stores here don't cary it) so I picked it up. I have to say I'm impressed, this has some rich oak notes that I generally get from bourbon or perhaps armagnac. A decent sipping rum for $21? Well done, Bacardi.

Edited March 7, 2018 by EarthQuake

[Kane]

2 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

So I generally associate Bacardi with bad cocktails, but I've read so many good reviews about Bacardi 8 year and managed to find it on a store locally (most stores here don't cary it) so I picked it up. I have to say I'm impressed, this has some rich oak notes that I generally get from bourbon or perhaps armagnac. A decent sipping rum for $21? Well done, Bacardi.

I must say I agree, big fan of Bacardi 8 and also the Reserva Limitada here  (the price tag is not pleasant, but the juice is very unique). I think these are at the sweet spot between a sweet doctored rum and an almost-whiskey rum.

[Marekv8]

Not expecting much from the BOTRAN, but it was hard to pass up for $9.99.

 

[Kpiz]

15 hours ago, Marekv8 said:

Not expecting much from the BOTRAN, but it was hard to pass up for $9.99.

I have a slight soft spot for Botran so I would've grabbed it at that price, too. Probably not one to contemplate but I'm sure it'll be decent enough to make some good cocktails. The Fat Rum Pirate seemed to think it was ok http://thefatrumpirate.com/botran-ron-anejo-reserva-blanca

[smokinjoe]

7 hours ago, Kpiz said:

I have a slight soft spot for Botran so I would've grabbed it at that price, too. Probably not one to contemplate but I'm sure it'll be decent enough to make some good cocktails. The Fat Rum Pirate seemed to think it was ok http://thefatrumpirate.com/botran-ron-anejo-reserva-blanca

I clicked on the link of PDO from the fats review, but it wouldn’t open.  Can you help with what PDO is?  Also, when he speaks of “...use glycerin”, what does that mean?  

 

Which is a bit of a shame because Botran – who laboratory tests have shown do use glycerin produce rums which are “relatively” clean tasting.  They are certainly not the worst of the Latin style producers.  So they could just let their rums speak for themselves – for what the Ron de Guatemala PDO is worth.  If you are interested in learning more then the website for this PDO is here.

 

[Kpiz]

5 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

I clicked on the link of PDO from the fats review, but it wouldn’t open.  Can you help with what PDO is?  Also, when he speaks of “...use glycerin”, what does that mean?  

 

Which is a bit of a shame because Botran – who laboratory tests have shown do use glycerin produce rums which are “relatively” clean tasting.  They are certainly not the worst of the Latin style producers.  So they could just let their rums speak for themselves – for what the Ron de Guatemala PDO is worth.  If you are interested in learning more then the website for this PDO is here.

 

 

Hmm it won't open for me either. PDO roughly translates to "Protected Designation of Origin". In Spanish I think it's actually "Denominacion De Origen Protegida" so it's interesting that they chose to create an acronym from the English translation. The PDO essentially outlines what can be called a Guatemalan Rum, similar to laws stating what can be called Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, Cognac, etc. It's hard to imagine there was much need for this additional protection so as Fat Rum Pirate says, it gives them another sticker to put on their bottle. It's possible the PDO was structured so as to limit any new distilleries' ability to call themselves Guatemalan Rum (or at least to have the PDO designation) but I don't know the guidelines well enough to say for sure. It certainly includes some processes that I personally would not adopt if I was building a distillery in Guatemala (e.g. solera aging/blending)

 

Glycerin is very thick and improves mouth-feel, so is a common additive in spirits that allow such ballyhoo, especially rum and tequila (and maybe Templeton Rye). I think it is found in many other foods and drinks as well but interestingly enough I never hear about foods being criticized for their glycerin content, only liquor. Maybe because foods containing glycerin already have a long list of ingredients.

[smokinjoe]

6 minutes ago, Kpiz said:

 

Hmm it won't open for me either. PDO roughly translates to "Protected Designation of Origin". In Spanish I think it's actually "Denominacion De Origen Protegida" so it's interesting that they chose to create an acronym from the English translation. The PDO essentially outlines what can be called a Guatemalan Rum, similar to laws stating what can be called Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, Cognac, etc. It's hard to imagine there was much need for this additional protection so as Fat Rum Pirate says, it gives them another sticker to put on their bottle. It's possible the PDO was structured so as to limit any new distilleries' ability to call themselves Guatemalan Rum (or at least to have the PDO designation) but I don't know the guidelines well enough to say for sure. It certainly includes some processes that I personally would not adopt if I was building a distillery in Guatemala (e.g. solera aging/blending)

 

Glycerin is very thick and improves mouth-feel, so is a common additive in spirits that allow such ballyhoo, especially rum and tequila (and maybe Templeton Rye). I think it is found in many other foods and drinks as well but interestingly enough I never hear about foods being criticized for their glycerin content, only liquor. Maybe because foods containing glycerin already have a long list of ingredients.

Thanks, Kyle.  I meandered around the web to find glycerin, or glycerol as it is also called.  Looks like its a sweetener, too.  

 

a colorless, odorless, syrupy, sweet liquid, C 3 H 8 O 3, usually obtained by the saponification of natural fats and oils: used for sweetening and preserving food, in the manufacture of cosmetics, perfumes, inks, and certain glues and cements, as a solvent and automobile antifreeze, and in medicine in suppositories and skin emollients.

[Kpiz]

Thanks, Kyle.  I meandered around the web to find glycerin, or glycerol as it is also called.  Looks like its a sweetener, too.  
 
a colorless, odorless, syrupy, sweet liquid, C 3 H 8 O 3, usually obtained by the saponification of natural fats and oils: used for sweetening and preserving food, in the manufacture of cosmetics, perfumes, inks, and certain glues and cements, as a solvent and automobile antifreeze, and in medicine in suppositories and skin emollients.

Interesting. That makes it sound like it could be used for sweetening as much as texture. I’d always thought it was purely for spiffing up the mouthfeel.

[Marekv8]

Now I know why this was $9.99-- whatever "filtration process" is used to strip the color out of the "aged" distillate apparently takes everything else out as well. There's nothing there-- and it wasn't a follow-up to some higher ABV funkster. Too bad.

 

 

[Kpiz]

Now I know why this was $9.99-- whatever "filtration process" is used to strip the color out of the "aged" distillate apparently takes everything else out as well. There's nothing there-- and it wasn't a follow-up to some higher ABV funkster. Too bad.
 
 

That’s disappointing. The only analogous rum I can remember drinking neat is the HC 3yo blanco and I remember it being pretty terrible, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

[sailor22]

On 3/12/2018 at 8:08 PM, Marekv8 said:

Not expecting much from the BOTRAN, but it was hard to pass up for $9.99.

 

Is that Bally 12 available on the shelf ?

 

[kevinbrink]

9 hours ago, Kpiz said:

 

That’s disappointing. The only analogous rum I can remember drinking neat is the HC 3yo blanco and I remember it being pretty terrible, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

 

Denizen White Rum, El Dorado 3 yr and Real McCoy 3 yr are all also color stripped, I really like both the Denizen and the Real McCoy for cocktails or with a wedge of lime and a splash of soda water.

[Marekv8]

1 hour ago, sailor22 said:

Is that Bally 12 available on the shelf ?

 

Sorry, but no-- I brought that one and the Bally Rum Blanc in through Master of Malt. Figured I needed to act while they were still shipping to Louisiana.

[tanstaafl2]

On 3/13/2018 at 8:19 PM, smokinjoe said:

Thanks, Kyle.  I meandered around the web to find glycerin, or glycerol as it is also called.  Looks like its a sweetener, too.  

 

a colorless, odorless, syrupy, sweet liquid, C 3 H 8 O 3, usually obtained by the saponification of natural fats and oils: used for sweetening and preserving food, in the manufacture of cosmetics, perfumes, inks, and certain glues and cements, as a solvent and automobile antifreeze, and in medicine in suppositories and skin emollients.

Works well in antfreeze too!

 

Propylene glycol, a related chemical also commonly used in antifreeze, is what got Fireball in trouble in Europe a while back. They don't allow as much to be used in a beverage as the US. Lucky us as it helps keep the blood from freezing when drinking on a cold night...

[Marekv8]

Couldn't find anything odd in New York, so decided to wrap up the blanc agricoles with a couple of 80 proofers that I can't get around home…

 

[tanstaafl2]

On 2/24/2018 at 12:12 AM, Marekv8 said:

 

A nice series indeed. The SAJOUS is the funkiest, with a rotten bagasse punch-- the CASIMIR is a muted version of the same, and the VAVAL is completely different, with a delicate floral quality. Best variety bang for the buck in a long time.

 

I got these in recently as well.

 

 

I have been trying them and sharing with a few people who I think have a good palate and I know enjoy the "funk"! I think your assessment is a good one. The Vaval is certainly my favorite. While the Casimir is a bit muted compared to the others it is certainly not uninteresting. Still it would be the one I might mix with although I doubt I will use any that way. Too fun to try SBSBS on their own!

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2018 by tanstaafl2

[Marekv8]

4 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

I got these in recently as well.

 

 

I have been trying them and sharing with a few people who I think have a good palate and I know enjoy the "funk"! I think your assessment is a good one. The Vaval is certainly my favorite. While the Casimir is a bit muted compared to the others it is certainly not uninteresting. Still it would be the one I might mix with although I doubt I will use any that way. Too fun to try SBSBS on their own!

 

 

 

 

I'm so glad you were able to pick up the series-- I'm bringing them to a local rum distillery this week to give them an idea of what they are (and will be) competing with. I'm hoping there's plenty more to come from Clairin.

[sailor22]

What's in that bottle (?) on the left ?   Nice presentation.

[jshleffar]

Bought from the astor sale... clairin vaval, clairin sajous, 2x smooth ambler revelation (I truly love this stuff and am trying to build up some stock of it for its not a thing anymore)

[kevinbrink]

10 hours ago, jshleffar said:

Bought from the astor sale... clairin vaval, clairin sajous, 2x smooth ambler revelation (I truly love this stuff and am trying to build up some stock of it for its not a thing anymore)

Probably would have bought the Clarins myself if I thought about it, next time I suppose.

[Kpiz]

12 hours ago, jshleffar said:

Bought from the astor sale... clairin vaval, clairin sajous, 2x smooth ambler revelation (I truly love this stuff and am trying to build up some stock of it for its not a thing anymore)

I had the exact same thing in my cart yesterday and never got around to finalizing my order. I wish more places around here would stock the Revelation instead of Zacapa Negra Edition or some of the other crap in the same price range.

[jshleffar]

47 minutes ago, Kpiz said:

I had the exact same thing in my cart yesterday and never got around to finalizing my order. I wish more places around here would stock the Revelation instead of Zacapa Negra Edition or some of the other crap in the same price range.

pm 

[tanstaafl2]

On 3/22/2018 at 11:28 AM, sailor22 said:

What's in that bottle (?) on the left ?   Nice presentation.

It is just decorative. I was feeling a bit "artsy"!

[smokinjoe]

3 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

It is just decorative. I was feeling a bit "artsy"!

I’ll give you $340 for that ahtsy-fahtsy thing...  

 

 

[Marekv8]

Never seen this RHUMB RUNNER series (from 359 Spirit Purveyors/Glass Revolution Imports), but the proofs are crazy steep i.e., the 8yo Fernandes is 75.8% ABV. Only two bottles of each came into the state, so I took a gamble.