Does your spouse drink bourbon?

[Jane]

Sounds like one to be cherished...

I believe I can sense some sarcasm there.

[jburlowski]

No sarcasm intended at all. I believe one of the best qualities in a life partner is being able to value (or maybe perhaps only silently tolerate) the other person's interests and passions with complaining or making value judgements.

[Jane]

OH. My fault. I was trying to be funny anyway. Hard to convey a personality on a computer.

Thanks for the kind words John B.

[Gillman]

Tim, in Frederic Martin's classic (IMO) late 1960's Encyclopedia of Drinks and Drinking, in connection with rum compounds he renders the formula as follows:

"One of sour; two of sweet; three of strong; four of weak". The weak is water, juice, ice.

Interesting how different versions of an old saw emerge here and there. It's like the thing about "beer before wine, always fine". "Wine before beer, never fear". Or, "flammable" and "inflammable".

Gary

[doubleblank]

My wife Val will usually end the evening with a small pour if I am having one too. She usually asks me to fix her whatever I'm having......except for last night. I was drinking an El Dorado 12yo rum so she got up and fixed her own drink. I looked up and saw her dropping the empty Pappy 20 "Green Glass Lawrenceburg" into the trash can. She looked at me and said....."Is something wrong?" I bit my lip and said no......because I am not a big fan of the original Pappy 20 but was saving the last pour for a future guest at the house who hadn't tried it before. She enjoyed it. She also enjoys Van Blankle, so I don't keep one open and in plain sight anymore.

Randy

[Gillman]

Had to smile at that one. Val's developing some good taste, Randy. BTW what did you think of the Dorado 12?

Gary

[doubleblank]

I find the Dorado 12yo to be one of my favorite rums, particularly at the price. The 15yo is good too, but costs about $15 a bottle more than the 12yo. I find both to be better balanced than the Zapaca 23yo (sp?). I don't drink a lot of rum neat, but usually keep an El Dorado in the house. BTW, they have been hard to find in Houston lately.

Randy

[Gillman]

You'll have to try my blend of El Dorado 12, El Dorado 15 and a touch of Angostura ... (can't recall the name, it is their 12 years plus version in the large-neck bottle with red-topped stopper).

My goal was to keep all the ages at 12 or above and dry the flavor just a bit since the 12 can be a little sweet at times (very good after dinner though). The 12 and 15 are similar but the 15 is a little drier and older-tasting. The Angostura is the aged pot still flavor (I get rubber!) discussed earlier that is contained also in the Dorado 12 and 15, so it's just adding a bit more of what is already there.

It is a very good blend I think, better than the constituents on their own.

[CorvallisCracker]

You'll have to try my blend of El Dorado 12, El Dorado 15 and a touch of Angostura ... (can't recall the name, it is their 12 years plus version in the large-neck bottle with red-topped stopper).

That would be the 1824.

My goal was to keep all the ages at 12 or above and dry the flavor just a bit since the 12 can be a little sweet at times (very good after dinner though). The 12 and 15 are similar but the 15 is a little drier and older-tasting. The Angostura is the aged pot still flavor (I get rubber!) discussed earlier that is contained also in the Dorado 12 and 15, so it's just adding a bit more of what is already there.

It is a very good blend I think, better than the constituents on their own.

Hmmm...I can get the two El Dorados but the only Angostura I can get is the 1919, which is 8yo.

What are the proportions you use?

[Gillman]

1824, yes, thanks, it is 12 years old. I would not use the 1919 for this much as I like it, it is too "golden" in style. You need a dark reddish style such as 1824, Dorado 12 and Dorado 15 are (and not just any dark rum but ones with that characteristic orange peel/rubber-like taste these oldies from Guyana and Trinidad have, it seems a regional taste almost since I haven't encountered it elsewhere as yet).

You don't need the 1824 though. Just use the other two. I use 3:1 or 4:1 12 to the 15. It dries the 12 down just that little bit you need and deepens and lengthens the flavor.

Gary