What rum are you drinking today?

[PhantomLamb]

2 hours ago, smokinjoe said:

I think th....Nevermind...  

God bless you Joe 

[PhantomLamb]

Take two with the St Lucia last night.  This time let it breath and added a giant ice cube that I let melt about 75% then sipped SLOWLY.

 

Much much better, still had some astringency but notes of banana and vanilla.  Good mouth feel and even better nose.  It's growing on me slowly but surely....

[Marekv8]

2 hours ago, PhantomLamb said:

Take two with the St Lucia last night.  This time let it breath and added a giant ice cube that I let melt about 75% then sipped SLOWLY.

 

Much much better, still had some astringency but notes of banana and vanilla.  Good mouth feel and even better nose.  It's growing on me slowly but surely....

 

Is that the Batch No. 813-993 from 2004, or another cask strength version?

[PhantomLamb]

3 hours ago, Marekv8 said:

 

Is that the Batch No. 813-993 from 2004, or another cask strength version?

Batch 90115 from 2005.  

[tanstaafl2]

There is some serious acetone character in those suckers at proof! Must have been some really thin heads on those cuts. As noted above it is chock full of some of Joe’s favorite flavors!

 

But as you have discovered a little careful dilution helps tremendously. I prefer to do it with an eye dropper rather than an ice cube but to each his own.
 

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by tanstaafl2

[PhantomLamb]

18 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

There is some serious acetone character in those suckers at proof! Must have been some really thin heads on those cuts. As noted above it is chock full of some of Joe’s favorite flavors!

 

But as you have discovered a little careful dilution helps tremendously. I prefer to do it with an eye dropper rather than an ice cube but to each his own.
 

 

 

 

May try it with water the next time.  I like sipping Overproof rums with a giant melted ice-cube as well, gives me an excuse to use them lol.

 

With PA still sort-of on lock down with all the LSs closed, hard to expand my collection right now, trying to ration .

[Marekv8]

Although I initially took a hard pass on this one given the Bed Bath & Bullshit solera age statements, dosage and 40% ABV of their standard releases, I came around when alerted to the 65.5% ABV, non-solera statement, allusions to no sugar added and a nice discount to boot. This is going to blow the mind of anyone buying it as a premium "sipping" extension to the existing line. Nicely done.

 

 

 

 

 

[tanstaafl2]

On 5/1/2020 at 12:48 PM, Marekv8 said:

Although I initially took a hard pass on this one given the Bed Bath & Bullshit solera age statements, dosage and 40% ABV of their standard releases, I came around when alerted to the 65.5% ABV, non-solera statement, allusions to no sugar added and a nice discount to boot. This is going to blow the mind of anyone buying it as a premium "sipping" extension to the existing line. Nicely done.

 

 

 

 

 

Is this another distributor discount to try to move bottles? Or is this a new regular release at a reasonable price? Always a little suspicious of “limited releases” in fancy packages!
 

Then again, I’m a cynic...

[tanstaafl2]

I am seeing prices at or north of $200 for this so without trying it first that looks like a hard no for me, even if it is all 25yo rum. Especially when their 23yo is less than $50. 2 more years, cask strength and a fancy bottle don’t seem to add up to that much of a price jump to me!
 

While not a hard and fast rule XO is certainly an odd name choice since that usually suggest a spirit that can be just 6 years old or more. At least in brandy and agricole.

[Kane]

This was such a waste of time, money, and liver cells that I can't be bothered to tidy up my background for this photo.

 

[PhantomLamb]

19 hours ago, Kane said:

This was such a waste of time, money, and liver cells that I can't be bothered to tidy up my background for this photo.

 

That's what I've heard, thanks for the warning.

[LCWoody]

On 5/4/2020 at 8:53 PM, Kane said:

This was such a waste of time, money, and liver cells that I can't be bothered to tidy up my background for this photo.

 

 “A waste of liver cells”, now that’s a new category of not liking something. I’ll have to use that saying somewhere down the road. 

[Marekv8]

Staff comes back to the shop next week-- so this is the end of the line for these workday drams.

Good news is that my favorite bar will be open for Mothers Day-- and luckily it's adjacent to my wife’s favorite restaurant-- so there's finally some light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Kane]

I came to enjoy this as an unsophisticated sipper to kill time when cooking, or you know, suffering through staff meetings. But my next pick for the purpose will be Smith & Cross.

 

 

[PhantomLamb]

On 5/8/2020 at 9:53 PM, Kane said:

I came to enjoy this as an unsophisticated sipper to kill time when cooking, or you know, suffering through staff meetings. But my next pick for the purpose will be Smith & Cross.

 

 

I heard that’s good and I believe the only plantation offering with “dosage”.

[Kane]

6 hours ago, PhantomLamb said:

I heard that’s good and I believe the only plantation offering with “dosage”.

It's more than acceptable and markedly better than most Plantations. I'd bought this as an alternative to Smith & Cross, looking for an exaggerated Jamaican profile. It does have the funk in spades, but I quickly realized that it's not quite of the same caliber and performs better in mixed drinks. Smith & Cross returns to my shelf going forward.

[lcpfratn]

7 hours ago, PhantomLamb said:

I heard that’s good and I believe the only plantation offering with “dosage”.

I think you meant to say it may be the only Plantation offering “without” dosage. 

[PhantomLamb]

11 hours ago, lcpfratn said:

I think you meant to say it may be the only Plantation offering “without” dosage. 

Typo, thanks.

[Kane]

Tried for the Criterion but didn't feel like I could handle the proof today. Grabbed the Port cask only to realize I've had the last sip and put the empty bottle back on the shelf like an idiot. Settled on cracking the Zinfandel. Stovetop ended up like this.

[Marekv8]

This was the newest of the bottles I picked up in Dustyland yesterday-- my first Flor de Caña purchase in probably 15 years. Of course the cork sh*t the bed immediately (which was fun removing from an opaque container), but I found a replacement that actually aesthetically fit the bottle better…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tanstaafl2]

7 hours ago, Marekv8 said:

This was the newest of the bottles I picked up in Dustyland yesterday-- my first Flor de Caña purchase in probably 15 years. Of course the cork sh*t the bed immediately (which was fun removing from an opaque container), but I found a replacement that actually aesthetically fit the bottle better…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And how was it? Did the rum sh*t the bed as well?

 

How dusty is it (meaning how long ago was it released)?

[flahute]

13 hours ago, Marekv8 said:

This was the newest of the bottles I picked up in Dustyland yesterday-- my first Flor de Caña purchase in probably 15 years. Of course the cork sh*t the bed immediately (which was fun removing from an opaque container), but I found a replacement that actually aesthetically fit the bottle better…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cork serendipity. 

[Marekv8]

15 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

And how was it? Did the rum sh*t the bed as well?

 

How dusty is it (meaning how long ago was it released)?

 

As far as I can tell, it was released around 2000 to mark the "Centenario 21." Although the cork snapped, the liquid has fared well. Apparently the group of dusty bottles this one came from was stored in ideal conditions in regard to temperature and light. The rum is quite nice-- light-bodied, dry with a delicate oaky spiciness. It's not at all the sweet sipper that I expected it to be-- I keep going back for tiny drams to  find new notes.

[Marekv8]

No idea of the date on this bottle, it has no back label at all. Another delicate and aromatic gem…

 

[Marekv8]

Back to Jamaica for Super Funk Friday…