enjoy your new knowledge

Now that the basics are covered, all that's left is for you to try it!

Many of the rums and liqueurs profiled in this blog can be procured relatively easy.
*pro-tip* If you are itinerant or have a family member that is, duty free alcohol is the most cost effective. Alternatively, if you're in Trinidad, here are a few liquor outlets that you can visit:

Naughty Grape (Bryden's retail arm)Naughty Grape Website
81A Mucurapo Road, St. James

BottleStop Bottle Stop Facebook page

Singh's liquor mart -
Bournes Road, St. James


Solera (Angostura's retail outlet) Solera facebook Page
Corner Gray and Tragerete Road.

(868) 628-7258

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Sipping rum with a liqueur - Choice #4 Amaro di Angostura

This is a relatively new product from Angostura. Was fortunate enough to attend the launch in 2015 where they also debuted a signature cocktail which featured their single barrel rum. Warm and robust cinnamon and licorice flavors with the award winning Angostura bitters recipe. This Liqueur can really add a kick to your rum. Again due to its strong flavor, I recommend using this liqueur like bitters....a dash or two will do.

Tell me if you've tried this before or whether you have a rum you would recommend to be brightened up by the Amaro!

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Sipping rum with a liqueur - Choice #3 Jagermeister

Not typically thought of as a liqueur but rather a shooter Jagermeister (pronounced yayy-gerr-my-sta) may have slipped past your notice. That's why i'm here. Take it out of the shot glass and pour a little in your sipping rum!

Jager is quite flavorful (fruity and spicy) and can easily over power anything its mixed with, so I recommend using restraint with this liqueur. A drop or two should do the trick!

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Sipping rum with a liqueur - Choice #2 Goldschlager

Although some may snort in derision at the abhorrent nature of anyone that would believe drinking anything containing pure gold flakes makes appear superior, my intentions with Goldschlager are simply for its cinnamon goodness...and boy does this deliver.
Adding a dash of this liqueur to your sipping rum has two effects; 1) Cinnamon goodness (of course) and 2) real gold flakes adorning your already exquisite glass of sipping rum.

I recommend adding this to rums that are not excessively spicy or have a somewhat monotone palate.
My choices here are : Pyrat, Siegerts 190, Ron Abuela, Chai Rum.

Have a try and let me know what you think in the comments section or make a recommendation for a unique pairing with Goldschlager !

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Sipping Rum with a Liqueur - choice #1 Cointreau

So if you've been following my blog up to this point we've covered a few of the nicer sipping rums in the Caribbean/Latin Americas. We also discussed how to consume them and some tips and tricks for cooling down the warm spiciness of these sipping rums either with- or without ice.

Now we're going to talk about adding some additional flavor to these rums.

First up? Cointreau. A sophisticated orange flavored triple-sec
Traditionally used in cake making and other culinary purposes, I first discovered this partly by accident. I had the weird notion to change an ordinary, less aged rum to taste more like Pyrat (see rums from Anguilla). Looked in my home bar and there was an un-opened bottle of Cointreau. I added a dash and the rest was history.

I highly recommend adding a dash of Cointreau to Zacapa XO, Appleton, and Ron Barceló Imperial

The history of this liqueur is also quite interesting, beginning in 1849 with the Cointreau brothers.

Read more here

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If you must use ice, don't just use regular ice

Using a large spherical ball of ice to chill your sipping rum is a great idea. It melts much more slowly, allowing your rum to chill without watering it down.

I highly recommend getting a mold. There are a few options (amazon is your friend, use him) that you can choose from however its a pain to make a ball of ice at a time. I recommend buying a few molds, freezing them and saving them in a ziplock freezer bag.

This is the  mold i'm currently using for the large ice ball

This is the mold i'm using that is slightly smaller but can add some decorative value in a high ball glass

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Chill your rum without ice

When enjoying a premium spirit, why tarnish the taste with water? Providing a slight chill protects the taste without drowning the quality. Sipping Stones are made of all natural soapstone, which is non-porous and won't impart any taste or flavor. Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) by the FDA soapstone is comprised of talc, which will not react to water, alcohol, or other drinks. When used with care, Sipping Stones will not scratch your glassware.

Here's my personal bag of sipping stones. Always kept handy in my freezer

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How to sip your rum

So many of the rums profiled in this blog are recommended to be consumed neat, chilled, or over ice.
This may seem like a bit of common sense, but there are a few tips that can help you.

1. Take your best shot glass

“Grappa glasses are really good,” MacKay says, but notes that “anything that funnels the aromas to the nose is a good bet.”

2. Get warmer

MacKay suggests serving rums neat and at room temperature, “because that’s where you’re going to get the most flavour and the most aroma out of them.” Unlike at a wine tasting, she says, it’s okay to hold the glass in your hands in order to warm the rum up ever so slightly.

3. Approach with (nasal) caution

“Take it slowly. Don’t breathe it in like you would wine because that will blow your nose to smithereens,” MacKay warns. “You want to kind of creep up on it slowly – even one nostril at a time – from a distance. Let the beverage seduce you with its fragrance and aromas, then kind of back away from it for a minute before you take a closer sniff. That will produce the best effect, because strong alcohol will render your nose incapable of discerning anything.”

4. Down the hatch

“Take a tiny little sip first,” MacKay suggests, “just to get your mouth used to it and let it roll around every section of your tongue. Remember, there is no spitting in spirits. Part of the excitement of a really good spirit is what comes afterwards, once you exhale – you’ll get a whole treat of things that come up into your palate on that breath.”

5. Welcome dissent

“Everybody’s tastebuds are different,” she notes. “All of the lovely vanilla tones and cocoa flavours and the honey and the tannins that you get from a barrel will be there in different proportions for different people.”

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Where's the rum Pt. 10 - Appleton Estate

I was a bit of conflicted as to whether I should profile this rum or not. In the end I decided that it warranted the exposure even though I'm not particularly fond of this rum.
Appleton Estate- proud product of Jamaica is highly favored (though not by me) and has quite the line up.
There are 5 products - the V/X, Reserve, Extra, Legacy and 21Yr old.

There are also 2 special editions, a 30yr (US$30-50/btl) and 50 yr old (US$3,500/btl) I'm much more partial to the darker rums so recommend trying the 21 year old first before sauntering over to the pricier 30yr and (collector's item) 50 yr old bottles. Due to the heavy fruitiness of these rums, I recommend tempering it a bit with a chaser like sparkling water or soda. The 50 yr old is definitely to be sipped neat.

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guess what just came in!

Just thought i'd share an update to my arsenal...like the old adage goes .." a picture paints a thousand words" Not sure how long they'll last so best to take a picture...

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Where's the rum Pt. 9 - Mount Gay Old Cask (1703)

Welcome to Barbados! home of the popular Mount Gay Rum...for this blog however we'll only be featuring the Old cask product. Boasting over 40 blends to achieve the flavor of this modestly priced rum, you will be pleasantly surprised with the spicy and sweet caramel taste.

Aromas: Oaky and caramel notes

Taste: Caramel, spice and toast

Body: Round and delicate

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Where's the rum Pt. 8 - Ron Barcelo Imperial

Ron  Barceló Imperial and Imperial Premium blend - product of the Dominican Republic can be found easily enough although the premium blend will run you around 200 bucks!

Although not a very distinct tasting rum, it has a light and sweet flavor. Best enjoyed if left to chill prior to consuming in my opinion.

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Where's the rum Pt. 7 - Ron Santiago De Cuba

Well it would be an understatement to say this rum is one of the jewels on the crown! While the Santiago 20 year and 25 year old in particular will warrant your full attention, the 12 year old is no slouch.

I was only able to try this rum in Cuba and have only seen it for sale in Cuba, but if you can find this in your local bodega, hold on with both hands !

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Where's the rum - Pt. 6 - Ron Abuelo

We are beginning to get where the air is rare - Ron Abuelo- Product of Panama has 4 main products in its line up and honestly they are all worthy of the list ! check out the Abuelo website to learn more about their; 7 Yr old, 12 Year old, Anejo and Centuria.

The centuria is definitely the exquisite rose of the bouquet but the entire line up is difficult to find in the Caribbean.  I've only been able to purchase it in Panama and found it in a few duty free stores in Latin America but it is worth it if you can find it.

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Where's the rum Pt. 5 - Smaks Chai Rum

Another proud product of Trinidad and Tobago, distributed by Smaks its not the easiest rum to find - but I have been able to pick up a bottle at the Duty Free shop - Twee in our Piarco airport. Their website  sais you can buy it Shop #129, Building #6,  Valpark Shopping Plaza.

So is this rum worthy of the list? I'd say a resounding yes! This is a delicious, warm, dark, spicy rum (exactly the color good sipping rum should be). Best enjoyed neat (of course) or a single block of ice..

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Where's the rum Pt. 4 - Pyrat

Aged up to 15 yrs the Pyrat  (pronounced Pi-rate) Xo Reserve is a Anguillan Rum with a strong orange and banana notes.  It is actually this rum that inspired my experimentation with other sipping rums and liqueurs

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Where's the rum Pt. 3 - Angostura

As a Trinidadian, the name Angostura is synonymous with the ever popular (and best selling product)
Forrest Park Puncheon- a highly distilled over proofed rum which boasts alcohol percentage in excess of 70% per volume. While this type of rum is not the topic of my blog, I thought it was worth mentioning out of sheer popularity.
In is regular line-up the only rum worthy of mention as a sipping rum is the 1824. It is a 12 yr old blended rum. Over the last few years, the presentation has gone through some changes that I consider a bit of a step backward when compared with the original wax sealed bottle.

Regardless, this rum is worth the try although it is a bit pricey (about US$45 for 750ml) I definitely recommend putting this on your list.

Now on to the real stars. The LIMITED EDITIONS.

First up is Legacy.
Touted as the world's most expensive rum by Angostura themselves, a 500ml bottle will run you a meager US$25,000.00 but don't be disheartened, it comes in a exquisite hand made wooden case lined with leather on the outside and silk in the inside and lead crystal decanter with jewelry designed topper.  A steal of a deal if ever there was.

Next up we have No.1 of which there are two versions; The No1 French and the No1. The difference? You can probably only find the No1 French now as there were 9,600 bottles made initially but the No.1 which was released in December 2015 had 15,030 bottles available.

I've had the pleasure of tasting both of these rums. While a bit lighter and sharper than the rums I would usually try, it is complex enough to hold your attention. If you can find it, I recommend this is best enjoyed over ice or neat only.

Last up is Siegert's 190 and I think I've saved the best for last in this regard. Also limited edition there were only about 25,000 bottles made but you can find the odd bottle at the local higher end liquor marts. Dark and spicy, this rum is one of my favorites and a bit of a collector's item. I highly recommend .

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Where's the Rum Pt.2 - El Dorado

Second on the list is El Dorado . Produced by Demarara Distillers in Guyana, El Dorado Rum has 4 luxury casked products. the 12, 15, 21 and 25 yr old, each unique in their own right. I've only tried the first three..and honestly prefer the 15yr old of those three. The 12yr and 21yr both have a bit of a sharp taste that takes some time to adjust to.

That said, neat or over ice (for the purists) is the way to best enjoy this rum. If you prefer a splash of club soda or sparkling water to add a little life to this already lively rum we'll allow it :)

Lastly, it is worth noting that Demarara Distillers recently debuted the 50 year old El Dorado and its glorious ! But with the current price tag of $500,000 a bottle, not for the faint of heart.

Shout out in the comment section if you have a favorite in the luxury cask El Dorado!

If you've tried the 50 yr old, you have my envy. Let me know how it fares 

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Where's the rum? Pt. 1 - Ron Zacapa

Here's a look at a few of the rum's I have a preference for found mostly in the Caribbean and South America. By no means extensive, but easily obtainable and makes for a simple introduction to the world of dark rums.

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Ron Zacapa -15 & 23yr Old, XO (25 Yr old) Zacapa Website
Cost - between USD$45 (1ltr 23) and USD$90 (750Ml XO)

Made in Guatemala, this is definitely one of my favorites. The signature 'petate' the braided band around the center of the bottle signals some of Zacapa's Mayan influences, one of which being the use of cane honey in the distillation process. It makes this rum quite sweet, yet bold. Of the many ways I've tried this rum, it is still best enjoyed either chilled, or with a couple blocks of ice.

Trust me when I say, I've tried this rum many ways.

shout out in the comment section if this is a favorite of yours of if you tried this spectacular rum recently.

Here's a video of a bartender pouring me a healthy serving at the popular Beach House Carnival Fete

 

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Why are you here?

Welcome. I would ask how you found this page, but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're here. So, obviously, this blog is about rum. Not just any rum. Good Rum. A topic I've fooled myself into believing I'm something of an expert in by virtue of the fact that I've spent the last 10 years or so collecting, and searching for the perfect sipping rum. *disclaimer* If you like to drink rum by the barrel, this blog is not for you. If you like white rum, you probably don't care whether you're actually drinking rum or gasoline (this blog is not for you). If you like rum cocktails, I really hope you're a woman, aaaand this blog is not for you either.

Now that we've thinned the herd (assuming there's anybody left) let's get down to brass tacks. Who is this blog for?

• This blog is for people who want to know what a good sipping rum looks and tastes like.
• This blog is for people who want to know what on earth is a sipping rum and why anyone would write about it.
• This blog is for people who would like to know which are the best rum's and where to find them.
• This blog is for people who want to know how to best enjoy a glass of rum and possible methods to enhance that experience.

This blog is for people who want to share their love of rum with their friends.

Stay tuned while I go do some 'research'

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