The Auswine Forum

Let's start by saying I dislike the cheap rums and have never understood how anyone can drink Bundy, it smells like floor disinfectant (please accept my apologies for being unpatriotic) but why can't Australia compete with the Caribbean and central America for the best rums in the world? Is it that we don't care, is it that our tax systems prohibits any sort of aged premium product, does our location or terroir affect quality, is our sugar cane not good enough, do we lack the patience?

When you taste the delicious and complex premium rums, you can appreciate what this spirit can produce.

What rums are we drinking? I dipped my toe into this category when we procured a few bottles when a certain store had a sale on Zacapa XO (me and a mate have a bottle on who finishes higher between Arsenal and Man Utd) and am thoroughly enjoying the El Dorado 12 yr banana, spices, vanilla essence.

This is a sort of rambling start on all things rum.

Thanks

The better Bundaberg products are great rums. Have you tried their Black Barrel, or Master Distillers Collection ?

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is my favourite at the moment at $99 a bottle I reckon it's great drinking. Don't mind Mt Gay XO and Black Barrel as well.

I like the Zacapa 23 and Zacapa XO. I find the XO a bit more demanding and interesting, but the 23 is relatively better value.

vovo wrote:Zacapa XO (me and a mate have a bottle on who finishes higher between Arsenal and Man Utd)

Hope you had your money on Arsenal

I did and we had about half the bottle after we were quite a few wines deep the other weekend after he conceded. Can't remember what it tasted like other than we liked it. Very sore head the next day to compound the regret. Ooops.

I've got quite the collection of rum. Mainly high end limited release collectable bundy. But I do enjoy dabbling into rums from other countries.

Diplomatico 2000 Single Vintage was the best I have ever tried. It is a 10 year old aged in old sherry casks. I enjoyed it better than the more expensive Diplomatico Ambassador. In fact the whole Diplomatico range is damn good. Very drinkable.

Appleton Estate is also a favourite. More dryer than the Diplomatico and less sweet. But lovely none the less. 21 year old is amazing neat.

Zacapa XO is another that can be drunk neat. Very moreish.

Agree with what Cuttlefish said about Bundaberg Rum. I have around 150 bottles of Bundy, but its all numbered/limited edition/rare rums. The high end bundy is very good (as you would expect it to be). I don't drink the normal UP Bundy, I agree that stuff is terrible. But I happily destroy bottles of their premium rums that go down very smooth.

One of my prized possessions is an unopened magnum of Bundy Black (Vat 166 - 1994)

These things are expensive now !

I don't mind the Zacapa 23. Fairly sweet, but tasty. I have soem Angostura No 1 open at the moment, similar style.

Zacapa XO is fabulous., as is Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva.

I have a bottle of Dark Matter ready to go - Spiced Rum from Scotland, sheesh, who would have thought?

I'm a Scotch drinker and generally find rums too sweet for my taste, as with most Canadian whiskies. I knew I liked the better sipping rums because of an in-store tasting of an El Dorado 15 year-old. A Mount Gay XO that I bought for my partner was okay at first, interesting in its own way, but soon got dull and tiring. That was a few years ago.

A few weeks ago I came across a Rum Nation Barbados 10 Year Old (distilled 2001, bottled 2011) that intigued me so I bought one. Rum Nation is an Italian independent bottler who buy rum casks and bottles them . My, my, what a lovely surprise, it was better than expected. We drank it straight, and in three sittings, all after dinner and wine. I will be buying another bottle.

Cheers ................ Mahmoud.

I'm have zero experience with rums apart from getting obliterated on cheap white rum and mixers in my 20s but at my niece's wedding last night I tried a Bicardi Ocho 8 year old neat. Quite a nice drop although my memory is a bit faded. Might just get a bottle to try again. They had a whisky bar at the reception with some nice entry lever SMW (Oban 14, Aberlour 12) along with the rum and a few other spirits - Hennessy VSOP cognac, vodka etc. A great idea but many were mixing the SMWs with coke and ice.

Carl

Chuck wrote:They had a whisky bar at the reception with some nice entry lever SMW (Oban 14, Aberlour 12) along with the rum and a few other spirits - Hennessy VSOP cognac, vodka etc. A great idea but many were mixing the SMWs with coke and ice.

Heathens!!

Since I last posted I have continued my exploration of rums. I have learnt that the majority of the major rum brands have been sweetened, some with extraordinary amounts. I then understood why I did not like these rums.

I have since discovered Jamaican rums, where local regulation prohibits the addition of sugar, and independent bottlers, who bottle rums without additives. They are glorious. I can recommend the overproof white rums of Wray & Nephew and Worthy Park (63%), Rum Nation's Ilha da Madeira Natural (50%) and, the piece de la resistance, the Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum.

Cheers .................. Mahmoud.

Going to a release of a 'first rum' from Jimmy Rum in Dromana. Judging by his previous cane spirit offerings, this should be pretty special. Got a taste from the barrel a couple of months back and I expect this to be more of the same.
I did have a pretty nice one from up in the Atherton Tablelands when we were up there last year (bottle is finished and I cannot remember the name, but it was 5YO and tasted pretty interesting).
Favourite goto is Santisima Trinidad de Cuba. 15YO and very nice...