[Durbs]

So there's a gin and a whisky thread, but no rum - which is a shame as it's both nicer and cheaper than whisky (  ) and more interesting than gin.

I'm a huge rum fan (borderline snob...) but just wondered if anyone else was partial to a sip of the sugar-juice and if so, which ones?

[Self-promotion]I have a micro-blog-instagram-thing which I setup purely with the hope of receiving free rum[/self promotion]
https://www.instagram.com/the_rum_shelf/

Or, more interestingly - were any of you whisky-drinkers aware that "nice rum" existed to be sipped neat and savoured as much as any whisky?

[Fiend]

I drink almost nothing these days due to my digestion, but I do sometimes have a wee bottle of run in the fridge for a brief post-dinner sip.

It's usually Asda's own brand "Fine Dark Navy Rum", HTH 

[tomtom]

Bundy and coke.... #dirtyrum

[Paul B]

My in-laws brought me a bottle of Chairmen's Reserve Spiced back from St Lucia and it's been a staple in our alcohol cupboard ever since.

https://www.masterofmalt.com/rum/st-lucia-distillers/chairmans-reserve-spiced-rum/?utm_content=st-lucia-distillers/chairmans-reserve-spiced-rum&countryCodeShort=GB&currencyCode=GBP&utm_source=database&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=mom_base_1&gclid=CjwKCAjw6fCCBhBNEiwAem5SOxhm0zSarBcpe6lMcpZ6iSzlElP7UArzDMC-gvsBW4Xmh_AAJTjvtBoCZ4oQAvD_BwE

At <£24 a bottle it always seems to be blisteringly good value. My Dad (who is a whisky fan) seems to like it as every time it stays the angel's seem to have an overwhelming share!

I bought some cheaper Red Leg Spiced a few months back. It isn't all that great.

[Nibile]

I'm not a huge rum fan, but speaking about Chairman's Reserve I highly advice their Forgotten Casks bottling.
Now where's my whisky?

[Duma]

I like Woods for mixing with lime and ginger beer - its actually decent on it's own too, despite 57%, lots of molasses
A friend of my folks makes this, https://www.falriverdistillery.com/shop/750ml-bottle-petrel-rum which is great!

[Duma]

Old thread here

[Durbs]

So, some loved for spiced, or mixed with coke.

Heathens

[gollum]

No connoisseur but do like a spiced rum with a bloody great big ice cube in it.

[Monolith]

Or, more interestingly - were any of you whisky-drinkers aware that "nice rum" existed to be sipped neat and savoured as much as any whisky?

Very much so. Did you know that Liverpool is a bit of a UK rum capital? Loads of it is stored in the Plutus bonded warehouse here alongside whisky. The UK's main rum broker is also tucked away in a back office here.

Some recommendations of good indy rum bottlers:

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Whisky Sponge
Thompson Brothers (Dornoch distillery)

[SA Chris]

Or, more interestingly - were any of you whisky-drinkers aware that "nice rum" existed to be sipped neat and savoured as much as any whisky?

There's also sipping Tequila too, not all about shots and mixes.

[Duma]

Heathens

I have a memory when I was around 12 of my parents taking every empty container on board to the distillery in Paramaribo, apparently you just chose dark or light and they filled them from a tap...

[northern yob]

The oldest El Dorado your budget allows, for the truly authentic experience it should be swigged from the bottle in 35 degree heat with 100% humidity.

[Durbs]

There's also sipping Tequila too, not all about shots and mixes.

Good tequila is a lovely thing!

[Durbs]

The oldest El Dorado your budget allows, for the truly authentic experience it should be swigged from the bottle in 35 degree heat with 100% humidity.

El Dorado add quite a bit of sugar to all their rums (except the youngest oddly)
Their 21 YO has less sugar than their 12/15YO but it's still pretty sweetened.

There's a lot of dosing/rounding in the murky world of rum as some people expect rum to be sweet

Unlike whisky, there's no global rules around rum - they're typically defined by their country of origin; Jamaica, Barbados and (I think) Antigua won't let you call your product Jamaican/Barbabos/Antiguan Rum if it's had sugar added.
You can take these rums and add sugar to them, but then they're just "rum".

You also see this a lot in the "premium" brands; Ron Zacapa being particularly guilty of dumping in the sugar.

Same applies for age statements - some countries the year on the bottle is oldest in the blend, others the youngest.
Some you can put whatever you want, especially if it's a solera.

[SA Chris]

There's also sipping Tequila too, not all about shots and mixes.

Good tequila is a lovely thing!

A friend who has moved to Mexico brought some back, it's delicious, especially cold.

[lagerstarfish]

Cockspur and Mount Gay are my choices. I probably have one bottle per year. I would happily have more, but it would soon escalate.

They are the two that I remember the taste and smell as a kid. I still like them.

My mum used to rub it on our gums when we were teething - my sister can't stand the smell of it.

I bought a bottle of Foursquare spiced rum as a thank you present for a mate - he likes it a lot.

[moose]

I think the best rum I've had was the Foursquare 11 Year Old - lovely and rich.  I really liked Zaya too - perhaps too sweet for some but I thought it had depth without being too teeth-aching.  Plantation XO Barbados Rum was mighty rich and complex.  I once had a bottle of St Nicholas Abbey 5 y.o, which while very good wasn't exactly value.

Also, a shout out for the "Rhum Agricoles" of the ex-French islands.  Rhums are distilled from a mash derived from cane juice, rather than the molasses used by most other rum producing areas.  They tend to have weird, funky, vegetal flavours, as well as the usual caramel sweetness etc.  That might sound unappetizing but they can be really good - you could regard them as the Islay Whiskies of the rum world - perhaps an acquired taste but great if acquired.  A few favourites rhums I recall are Barbancourt 15 y.o, Rhum J.M XO, and Clement Rhum Vieux XO.

I'm also partial to Pusser's Navy Rum - the Blue Label or preferably the Gunpower Proof, if in need of some straightforward fire in the belly (my day job is boarding ships, armed with a cutlass).  Gosling's Black Seal is good mixing rum for a dark'n'stormy etc.

A decent source of reviews:

https://thelonecaner.com/

[Sasquatch]

So, some loved for spiced, or mixed with coke.

Heathens

I love rum, but am not a fan of spiced...

[TobyD]

Or, more interestingly - were any of you whisky-drinkers aware that "nice rum" existed to be sipped neat and savoured as much as any whisky?

There's also sipping Tequila too, not all about shots and mixes.

I've only had really good tequila in the USA, but it was possibly the finest tasting spirit I've ever had.

[Durbs]

I think the best rum I've had was the Foursquare 11 Year Old - lovely and rich.  I really liked Zaya too - perhaps too sweet for some but I thought it had depth without being too teeth-aching.  Plantation XO Barbados Rum was mighty rich and complex.  I once had a bottle of St Nicholas Abbey 5 y.o, which while very good wasn't exactly value.

Also, a shout out for the "Rhum Agricoles" of the ex-French islands.  Rhums are distilled from a mash derived from cane juice, rather than the molasses used by most other rum producing areas.  They tend to have weird, funky, vegetal flavours, as well as the usual caramel sweetness etc.  That might sound unappetizing but they can be really good - you could regard them as the Islay Whiskies of the rum world - perhaps an acquired taste but great if acquired.  A few favourites rhums I recall are Barbancourt 15 y.o, Rhum J.M XO, and Clement Rhum Vieux XO.

I'm also partial to Pusser's Navy Rum - the Blue Label or preferably the Gunpower Proof, if in need of some straightforward fire in the belly (my day job is boarding ships, armed with a cutlass).  Gosling's Black Seal is good mixing rum for a dark'n'stormy etc.

A decent source of reviews:

https://thelonecaner.com/

Foursquare are the brand of choice at the moment - slightly to the extreme in that their regular "Exceptional Cask Selection" now sell out within minutes in the UK and are flipped for profits within weeks, whereas 2 years ago you could buy them months after release.
They do have some regular expressions which are all delicious; Doorly's, McCoy and Rum SixtySix 12 are all great.

Mount Gay likewise another great Barbados Rum. Black Barrel used to be my go-to sipper, but they've just tweaked the blend which has made it nicer, but also hiked the price by £7.

Appleton 12 (and has now taken that mantle.

I usually say pot still rums are the islay whiskies of the world; strong nose, really pungent, but deep and wonderful.
The Worthy Park overproof is wonderful, as are the Hampden Estate releases.

Rhum Agricole's a very different product and flavour profile - there's not many I like as find most too grassy. Rhum Depaz is nice (but pricey), HSE have some nice expressions too. Was blown away by the Engenho do Norte release by That Boutique-y Rum company, delicious stuff, but it's rare I buy a bottle (except in Font - the French love a rhum...)


Pusser's is lovely, but revisited the Gunpower Proof in a pub "recently" and was surprised how sweet it was.
Black Tot rum are a decent honest navy style, good price.

Other great UK blends are Merser Double Barrel and Thameside.