Cruzan Single Barrel Est. $28 | Zaya Gran Res. $28 | Pyrat XO Res. $40 | Gosling’s – $85
By: Dappered.com Drinks Correspondent Ben Madeska
“It’s not very far from Sulphur to Sugarcane” – Elvis Costello
For most of my life, rum has not been something one sipped. It was something one mixed with Coke or, in a pinch, chugged from a bottle. Thankfully, those days are mostly behind me and there’s a whole wide world of fine aged rums showing up my liquor store shelves. These are rums meant to be enjoyed and savored on their own terms, like cognac and scotch. Or what the hell, throw them in a mojito. This is rum, let’s not take it too seriously even though you may be drinking it from a snifter while wearing a tux.
Some of my standards:
Cruzan Single Barrel Estate – $27.99
The driest rum I’ve yet tried, but not harsh at all. It’s actually nice and creamy, even buttery. Very fragrant too, showing flavors of hazelnuts, coffee and vanilla, with a finish of pepper and ginger.
Zaya Gran Reserva -$27.99
(pictured above) More than any of these other rums Zaya tastes like it was made from sugarcane, full of caramel, honey and spice. Especially delicious on the rocks and not so expensive that I’d mind if a guest grabs it to mix.
Pyrat XO Reserve – $39.99
This is by far the sweetest and fruitiest rum of the bunch. It’s bursting with orange, pineapple and vanilla. A very approachable, distinctive and very tropical rum.
Gosling’s Old Rum – $85.95
Smooth, rich and mellow. The flavors are nutty and raisiny with a touch of coco and cinnamon spice. This tastes very similar to some cognacs and armagnacs. A bit expensive, but worth it. Spend some time with this one.
(Dappered.com does not endorse underage drinking, even if it is consumption of the good stuff. So if you’re not 21, wait until you’re of age. Besides, if you start too young you’ll probably just end up drinking Bacardi with Diet Mountain Dew, Jim Beam, and Cuervo. Not that we’d know anything about that.)
“So if you’re 21, wait until you’re of age”
Oh crap, did someone up the drinking age and not tell me?! 🙂
On a more serious note, I can’t understand how some people can actually taste all these distinct flavors in most alcohol. I actually have a pretty good pallet for most foods, but when it comes to liquor I want it down the hatch ASAP. There will be no swishing, sipping, and/or savoring of the tastes while it sears the inside of my mouth and throat, thank you. Then again, maybe I just haven’t tried the real good stuff yet 😛
I’m a huge fan of the Ron Zacapa “Centenario” (23-yr from Guatemala). Rich, smooth, not-too-sweet, and really elegantly layered. Very nice with a mellow cigar.
Fixed! But back to your point… you’ll get there Bryan. If I could drink without absorbing any of the alcohol (okay… MOST of the alcohol) I’d do it.
Bryan, I think you’re right that you’re not drinking the good stuff. You don’t even have to spend a ton of money to get a mellow or smooth liquor. I’m on a big Kilo Kai kick right now, which is a $20 spiced rum that a non-drinker could drink neat. Jack and Gentleman Jack are the whiskey equivalent.
Aaron, thanks for the recommendation. I’ll keep an eye out for that. What kinds of mellow cigars do you like?
Back to the article. I have Pyrat in my liquor cabinet and I tried Cruzan Single Barrel a couple of weeks ago. The author’s descriptions are spot on. I’m looking forward to tasting the other two and to more Dappered contributions from Mr. Madeska.
I don’t think I noticed good alcohol from bad till I was 26. Up until then alcohol was something you drank when you went out. I didn’t keep any in the house, unless someone was coming over or I was throwing a party. I started working with some wine connoisseurs and I gained an appreciation for the distinctions in alcohol. Now my liqueur cabinet may be one of the most valuable parts of my house.
It sounds crazy, but if I REALLY want to taste the drink and not the alcohol, I will ask for a small glass on the side with a splash of tap water. Add a bit of the booze to it and it cuts the alcohol but not the flavor. This works especially well with scotch, which can taste like firewater at times if you are inexperienced.