What rum are you drinking today?

[tanstaafl2]

14 minutes ago, Kane said:

So much added sugar and probably flavoring that it doesn't resemble rum anymore. But what can I say, it is indeed very very tasty

Almost like a cocktail in a bottle...

 

Throw in a little bitters and you pretty much have a rum old fashioned. I suggest a bit of orange bitters!

[sailor22]

There were no losers in this comparison.  This is my desert island triumvirate.

[Kpiz]

1 hour ago, sailor22 said:

There were no losers in this comparison.  This is my desert island triumvirate.

Yum!

 

I meant to ask, I believe the J.Bally is a La Maison du Whisky exclusive - do they ship to the US?

 

On the subject of Armagnac, not sure if you tried any of the Domaine de Cardinats that K&L imported last year but two of them (the '81 and the '92) were very intense and oaky. If K&L brings in more from that producer, I highly recommend giving them a shot.

[sailor22]

Yes it's a La Maison special edition for Velier's anniversary.  I got this from Masters of Malt but they are sold out now. I just picked up a second bottle from a small retailer in Amsterdam who will mail to the USA but without guarantee of delivery.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the restock of Cardinat.  I had one of the previous K&L bottles. 

[Kpiz]

2 hours ago, sailor22 said:

Yes it's a La Maison special edition for Velier's anniversary.  I got this from Masters of Malt but they are sold out now. I just picked up a second bottle from a small retailer in Amsterdam who will mail to the USA but without guarantee of delivery.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the restock of Cardinat.  I had one of the previous K&L bottles. 

 

Thanks for the info!

 

K&L hasn't restocked on the Cardinat yet, I'm just hoping they will soon. I'll keep you updated - the spirits buyer just finished up a trip to France so I'm crossing my fingers he put in another order while he was there! The '92 vintage may have been the deal of the year at $60.

[RWBadley]

On ‎1‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 8:36 AM, sailor22 said:

There were no losers in this comparison.  This is my desert island triumvirate.

Dang that's pretty.

 

We have a great local bottle shop.  This place has beer wine and spirits.  Higher end stuff mostly.

 

On shelves, in boxes, and in a walk-in cooler.

 

The beauty of it is they'll pull you a draft or a wine and you can then walk around looking at all the pretty bottles for sale.

 

Obviously, this could easily engage what we might call 'impulse buy' activity. Great business model. Get 'em drunk so their guard goes down

 

Sometimes after a rough day herding squirrels I will stand in slack-jawed meditation;  Beer in Hand;  Just looking at the bottles.

 

Just.  Looking.  At.  The.  Bottles.

 

...

 

 

[Marekv8]

Kicking off a Cachaça run… extremely subtle/delicate differences here, and slightly short of satisfying.

 

[EarthQuake]

On 1/26/2018 at 1:24 PM, sailor22 said:

Much darker than the age would suggest...perhaps some color added?

 

Nose is crawl into the glass complex and delightful with lots of flowers, damp earth and polished wood. The palate is perhaps overly tannic and woody for some but us termites love it. The woody notes back off for the long finish that is dry and playfully subtle and sweet. I expected a monster at this proof but it proved to be complex and balanced termite friendly cuddle muffin.

I'm just beginning to get into Rums, but I think by the way you describe this we may have similar tastes. I like old Armagnacs and bourbons (Barterhouse and Rhetoric 23 have a nice dry oak thing, and I've yet to meet a well aged Armagnac that I do not enjoy). What I'm wondering is if you have any any recommendations for rums that you think are in this general sort of flavor profile. Ideally, something I could reasonably find and purchase from online stores, so regularly available and under $100 or so if that's possible. I've tried a couple rums that have a noticeable oak element, specifically Mount Gay XO and Pampero Aniversario - while both of these bring the oak, they also seem to have a cloyingly sweet vanilla element to them. I have nothing against vanilla per se, but the Pampero is a real vanilla bomb. I'm not sure if this is typical of aged rums, or if this is more indicative of a certain style.

 

I've had a couple argicoles, one a small craft operation from Hawaii on a recent vacation (Kohana, I purchased a bottle of their cask strenth argicole finished in bourbon and scotch barrels, which is unlike any rum I've ever tasted), and the other is a Clement VSOP. The Clement is nice and rather interesting, but at 4 years doesn't have much oak. I wonder if some of the older versions (10 year, cuvee, XO) might be closer to what I'm looking for? I've heard some complain that argicoles can be "too much" like whiskey or french brandy, which sounds rather nice to me.

 

Anyway, sorry for the long message, but if you (or anyone else reading) have any recommendations I would appreciate it. Thanks!

Edited February 6, 2018 by EarthQuake

[MTNBourbon]

12 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

I'm just beginning to get into Rums, but I think by the way you describe this we may have similar tastes. I like old Armagnacs and bourbons (Barterhouse and Rhetoric 23 have a nice dry oak thing, and I've yet to meet a well aged Armagnac that I do not enjoy). What I'm wondering is if you have any any recommendations for rums that you think are in this general sort of flavor profile. Ideally, something I could reasonably find and purchase from online stores, so regularly available and under $100 or so if that's possible. I've tried a couple rums that have a noticeable oak element, specifically Mount Gay XO and Pampero Aniversario - while both of these bring the oak, they also seem to have a cloyingly sweet vanilla element to them. I have nothing against vanilla per se, but the Pampero is a real vanilla bomb. I'm not sure if this is typical of aged rums, or if this is more indicative of a certain style.

 

I've had a couple argicoles, one a small craft operation from Hawaii on a recent vacation (Kohana, I purchased a bottle of their cask strenth argicole finished in bourbon and scotch barrels, which is unlike any rum I've ever tasted), and the other is a Clement VSOP. The Clement is nice and rather interesting, but at 4 years doesn't have much oak. I wonder if some of the older versions (10 year, cuvee, XO) might be closer to what I'm looking for? I've heard some complain that argicoles can be "too much" like whiskey or french brandy, which sounds rather nice to me.

 

Anyway, sorry for the long message, but if you (or anyone else reading) have any recommendations I would appreciate it. Thanks!

Cool looking bottle.

[sailor22]

Quote

I'm just beginning to get into Rums, but I think by the way you describe this we may have similar tastes. I like old Armagnacs and bourbons (Barterhouse and Rhetoric 23 have a nice dry oak thing, and I've yet to meet a well aged Armagnac that I do not enjoy). What I'm wondering is if you have any any recommendations for rums that you think are in this general sort of flavor profile. Ideally, something I could reasonably find and purchase from online stores, so regularly available and under $100 or so if that's possible. I've tried a couple rums that have a noticeable oak element, specifically Mount Gay XO and Pampero Aniversario - while both of these bring the oak, they also seem to have a cloyingly sweet vanilla element to them. I have nothing against vanilla per se, but the Pampero is a real vanilla bomb. I'm not sure if this is typical of aged rums, or if this is more indicative of a certain style.

 

I've had a couple argicoles, one a small craft operation from Hawaii on a recent vacation (Kohana, I purchased a bottle of their cask strenth argicole finished in bourbon and scotch barrels, which is unlike any rum I've ever tasted), and the other is a Clement VSOP. The Clement is nice and rather interesting, but at 4 years doesn't have much oak. I wonder if some of the older versions (10 year, cuvee, XO) might be closer to what I'm looking for? I've heard some complain that argicoles can be "too much" like whiskey or french brandy, which sounds rather nice to me.

 

Anyway, sorry for the long message, but if you (or anyone else reading) have any recommendations I would appreciate it. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

My first thought is Appleton 21yr.  I have seen it priced at $130 or more but also see it on line for around $95 and as low as $85 on sale.

Foursquare Criterion if you can find any still available is another I'm sure you will enjoy.

The Foursquare 2004 is whiskey like and available but you may not be  fan of it's subtle sweetness.

Clement XO is more like a lighter cognac in character, delightful but doesn't show loads of wood.

Richland Rum is bottled as a single barrel and some of them I have tasted have plenty of oak. Aged about 4.5yr in big new barrels some barrels can taste a little unbalanced.

Barbancourt 8 and 15yr are tremendous values and the 8 in particular is popular with Bourbon drinkers. The 15 is relatively limp and to some palates over oxidized.

Some Kill Devil single barrel bottlings from Diamond Guyana and Hamden Jamaica are heavily wooded big but might be just over the $100 threshold if you can find them in the USA. They are right around 100 from the usual British sources but shipping will blow the budget.

You might find some of the bottlings of Jamaican pot still rums interesting for their dynamic funkyness and definitely try a barrel proof Caroni if you can find one at your price point. 

 

hope this helps

 

Edited February 6, 2018 by sailor22

[EarthQuake]

4 minutes ago, sailor22 said:

 

 

 

 

My first thought is Appleton 21yr.  I have seen it priced at $130 or more but also see it on line for around $95 and as low as $85 on sale.

Foursquare Criterion if you can find any still available is another I'm sure you will enjoy.

The Foursquare 2004 is whiskey like and available but you may not be  fan of it's subtle sweetness.

Clement XO is more like a lighter cognac in character, delightful but doesn't show loads of wood.

Richland Rum is bottled as a single barrel and some of them I have tasted have plenty of oak. Aged about 4.5yr in big new barrels some barrels can taste a little unbalanced.

Barbancourt 8 and 15yr are tremendous values and the 8 in particular is popular with Bourbon drinkers. The 15 is relatively limp and to some palates over oxidized.

Some Kill Devil single barrel bottlings from Diamond Guyana and Hamden Jamaica are heavily wooded big but might be just over the $100 threshold if you can find them in the USA. They are right around 100 from the usual British sources but shipping will blow the budget.

You might find some of the bottlings of Jamaican pot still rums interesting for their dynamic funkyness and definitely try a barrel proof Caroni if you can find one at your price point. 

 

hope this helps

 

Great thanks so much. I'm a fan of Appleton 12 and can find it online for about $100 so that seems like a good choice. I've got a bottle of Foursquare 2004 in the mail as well that I'm really excited to try. I'll do some more hunting on the Criterion, when I looked last it seemed tough to find in the US. I'll look into all of your other suggestions as well. This has been very helpful, thank you so much!

 

I'll report back when I open the 2004.

[lcpfratn]

Great thanks so much. I'm a fan of Appleton 12 and can find it online for about $100 so that seems like a good choice. I've got a bottle of Foursquare 2004 in the mail as well that I'm really excited to try. I'll do some more hunting on the Criterion, when I looked last it seemed tough to find in the US. I'll look into all of your other suggestions as well. This has been very helpful, thank you so much!
 
I'll report back when I open the 2004.

I assume you meant Appleton 21 above, because I can usually find the 12 year for less than $40.

I also think you'll like that Foursquare 2004.

[EarthQuake]

3 hours ago, lcpfratn said:

I assume you meant Appleton 21 above, because I can usually find the 12 year for less than $40.

I also think you'll like that Foursquare 2004.

Yes sorry, poorly worded, I meant to say I like the 12 and can find the 21. I'm real excited about the 2004, I couldn't find anyone on the internet who had a remotely negative thing to say about it.

[Marekv8]

2 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

I couldn't find anyone on the internet who had a remotely negative thing to say about it.

You can ask my wife for a review… remind me not to leave any tough-to-find bottles at home while traveling.

I typically "hide" a sacrificial Plantation Stiggin’s Fancy Pineapple for such purposes.

 

[lcpfratn]

You can ask my wife for a review… remind me not to leave any tough-to-find bottles at home while traveling.
I typically "hide" a sacrificial Plantation Stiggin’s Fancy Pineapple for such purposes.
 

[emoji15][emoji23]

I think she liked it!

[EarthQuake]

Yes, I would say that is a rather good endorsement. My wife has been benefiting greatly from my recent indulgences in rum, as she's a sucker for tiki drinks. Appleton 12, Clement VSOP and Clement Creole Shrub makes for a fine Mai Tai.

 

 

[sailor22]

On 1/30/2018 at 1:12 PM, Kpiz said:

Yum!

 

I meant to ask, I believe the J.Bally is a La Maison du Whisky exclusive - do they ship to the US?

 

 

Had a talk with the owner of LaMDW on Monday and they have a team developing what they need to ship to the USA. So expect something similar to Masters of Malt and Whiskey Exchange from them in the near-ish future. 

 

Just want to mention that the large multi state companies that are the major players in the three tier system here in the states are in the midst of an extensive lobbying campaign to promote the status quo and to crack down on interstate shipping and particularly shipping from overseas.  I opened an unrelated page last week and got a pop up advertising video promoting the virtues of the three tier system for liquor distribution. It was full of half truths and scary images of children carrying bottles of booze. Typical big corporate self serving promo.  NOW is the time to speak up to anyone who will listen and even those who aren't listening about the legalized extortion that is the three tier system here in the USA. Remain silent and it will get even worse.

 

[Kpiz]

I’m in Palm Springs for a conference so I stopped by the local TW and picked up a bottle of RL Seale’s 10yo to drink and share with a couple friends. Having a little bit right now from one of those little plastic hotel room cups. Man this stuff is tasty, I really need to bunker a case of it sometime soon.

[Marekv8]

I'm typically not a Diplomático drinker, but this set seemed so far removed from their standard offerings, that I had to give it a go-- hoping for downscaled dosage. My local LS owner wasn't even expecting it-- it just showed up. No. 1 (Batch Kettle) was distilled in March 2011, the No. 2 (Barbet) in March 2013-- ABV for both is 47%. There are indeed interesting differences-- but wish they were somewhat less refined.

 

 

 

[lcpfratn]

Well, I couldn't resist popping the cork on this one after picking it up yesterday. It is definitely the funkiest rum I've ever had. The nose has a distinct smoking burnout tire aroma...I feel like I'm at the drag strip. A good bit of wood on the palate along with some of that burnt rubber carrying through, but softened with a hint of vanilla and subtle burnt caramel sweetness. It's funky, but I'm loving it. I think I may have to pick up another bottle...maybe two.




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[Kpiz]

Well, I couldn't resist popping the cork on this one after picking it up yesterday. It is definitely the funkiest rum I've ever had. The nose has a distinct smoking burnout tire aroma...I feel like I'm at the drag strip. A good bit of wood on the palate along with some of that burnt rubber carrying through, but softened with a hint of vanilla and subtle burnt caramel sweetness. It's funky, but I'm loving it. I think I may have to pick up another bottle...maybe two.




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Thanks for the notes, this one sounds most excellent. I found it locally a few weeks ago and bought a couple bottles without tasting it, knowing that the 17yo was good and figuring the 19yo would be as well. It’s nice to read real tasting notes on Caronis because the official ones always completely gloss over the burning rubber notes, or at most they’ll say something like “it shows the usual characteristics of rum from this distillery”. This makes sense from a marketing perspective as they don’t want to scare anyone away with the promise of their purchase tasting like a 2-stroke motor, but seeing as some Caroni expressions have more of the burning rubber/diesel notes than others, this makes it hard to know exactly what you’re gonna get.

I emailed The Creative Whisky Company (which owns the Exclusive Rums label) to inquire about the possibility of them releasing more Caroni casks in the future. They responded and told me the 17yo and the 19yo casks bottled in 2016 were the only ones they had, unfortunately. It seems like only a few remaining bottlers have significant stocks of Caroni remaining, which is just another sign that prices could become ridiculous at any point.

[lcpfratn]

Thanks for the notes, this one sounds most excellent. I found it locally a few weeks ago and bought a couple bottles without tasting it, knowing that the 17yo was good and figuring the 19yo would be as well. It’s nice to read real tasting notes on Caronis because the official ones always completely gloss over the burning rubber notes, or at most they’ll say something like “it shows the usual characteristics of rum from this distillery”. This makes sense from a marketing perspective as they don’t want to scare anyone away with the promise of their purchase tasting like a 2-stroke motor, but seeing as some Caroni expressions have more of the burning rubber/diesel notes than others, this makes it hard to know exactly what you’re gonna get.

I emailed The Creative Whisky Company (which owns the Exclusive Rums label) to inquire about the possibility of them releasing more Caroni casks in the future. They responded and told me the 17yo and the 19yo casks bottled in 2016 were the only ones they had, unfortunately. It seems like only a few remaining bottlers have significant stocks of Caroni remaining, which is just another sign that prices could become ridiculous at any point.

Yeah, I can imagine those burning rubber descriptors could scare off some potential customers, but just like some of the tasting notes on certain peated scotches, they scare off those that probably wouldn't like it anyway. I'm definitely going back to the store to pick up at least one more bottle. I'm also thinking about buying a bottle of the Exclusive Rums 17 year old Nicaraguan that the store has and trying it in the store in case I need to buy another bottle of that too.

[Kpiz]

Yeah, I can imagine those burning rubber descriptors could scare off some potential customers, but just like some of the tasting notes on certain peated scotches, they scare off those that probably wouldn't like it anyway. I'm definitely going back to the store to pick up at least one more bottle. I'm also thinking about buying a bottle of the Exclusive Rums 17 year old Nicaraguan that the store has and trying it in the store in case I need to buy another bottle of that too.

I’ve heard that 17yo Nicaraguan is good but haven’t tried it myself. It will of course be with more straightforward rum than the Caroni but probably worth a pick up.

[lcpfratn]

I’ve heard that 17yo Nicaraguan is good but haven’t tried it myself. It will of course be with more straightforward rum than the Caroni but probably worth a pick up.

Good to know. I think I'll pick up at least one bottle of the 17yo Nicaraguan...assuming they are still there.

[Marekv8]

Ready to drink cocktail at the airport @ 4:30am. Cool that the 50ml has a "wooden" T-top with natural cork. 

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Marekv8