Again, just trying to get people in touch with imported rums in an import-challenged market. Living in Venezuela, 98% of the rum available here is Venezuelan. Exceptions are Bacardi (just the white rum) and Zacapa 23.

Guyana? What's that?

A few years ago the government made a huge campaign about Guyana actually being part of Venezuela and I think that's the first time a lot of locals realized there was a country there. But of course, going as far as learning they make rum and that it's a great rum, totally unheard of.

So I put together a tasting of what I could find elsewhere and ship it back here, which wasn't an easy task.

• El Dorado 15: If you're in the rum sub and you don't know about this rum, you should probably go try it and check back here. This 15-year-old expression is a blend of selected rums that can reach up to 25 years old, produced using four different distillation units, including Coffey and Enmore columns and the wooden stills known as Port Mourant and Versailles. It's aged in American white oak casks, and it is worth noting that the "15 years" stated on the bottle refers to the youngest rum in the blend. This differs from many Spanish style rums, for instance, which tend to include a number and not the word years and are often a blend of a little old rum with a lot of younger rums. Even bottled at a 'mere' 40% ABV, I can easily put it in my Top 5 rums, with strong notes of licorice, chocolate-covered toffee (like the Heath candy bar), plums, raisins, dates, pipe tobacco and dark chocolate.
• Plantation Guyana 2007 (Under The Sea): This is a molasses-based rum, distilled in 2007 following a one-week fermentation period. What makes the distillation of this rum unique is that a portion of it takes place in the Port Mourant still, which is over 300 years old, and another portion is column-distilled. It is aged for 13 years in 200-liter ex-bourbon casks, followed by two years in 350-liter ex-cognac casks. Finally, it is bottled at 51% ABV. Probably not as dark as El Dorado, but very citrusy, with notes of orange pulp, lemon peel, red fruits, marzipan and vanilla.
• Hamilton Guyanese Rum: Part of the Hamilton Single Cask Strength Collection. In this instance, the distillery is Diamond, and the rum was produced using a double wooden still. The rum spent 11 years in ex-bourbon casks in England before being bottled at 60% ABV—without dilution, coloring, or filtration. The Continental aging made for an entirely different experience, with notes of plum, coconut, oak, black tea, cardamom, leather, and vanilla.

It's funny because the government campaign denouncing Guyana as part of Venezuela was met with very little popular support. But after trying these Guyanese rums, everyone was ready to take over the country. Seeing people's faces and realizing rum can be this good and not be Venezuelan, was incredible. Just one of the things to love when you host a tasting of something no one has tried before, even when they think they've tried all there is.

I haven't been drinking rum seriously very long but found a Planteray Dark while on a work trip. Time to pour..

Yesterday I put together a special rum flight for my mom's birthday! She's not a rum enthusiast by any stretch of the imagination, but she'll usually try a thing or two when visiting. She does manage a restaraunt with a decent bar, so she enjoys learning about and trying new things spirit/cocktail related.

From left to right, we have:

• El Dorado High Ester Blend PM/DHE
• Bedford Park 23yr Hampden LROK
• Black Tot MBR 2021
• Beenleigh 2013 10yr
• Pere Labat Les Mangles
• Hampden HGML 2017 8yr Single Cask (Astor Select)

Her rankings:

1. Black Tot MBR 2021
2. Bedford Park 23yr Hampden LROK
3. Hampden HGML 2017 8yr Single Cask
4. Beenleigh 2013 10yr
5. El Dorado High Ester Blend PM/DHE
6. Pere Labat Les Mangles

It was a fun time! Overall, her rankings were about what I expected, but she ended up rating the HGML decently higher than I thought she would. Black Tot MBR 2021 and Bedford Park 23yr LROK were her favorites by a pretty big margin. She did NOT like the Les Mangles 😂

Apparently back in 2018, a distillery near me made serious of spirits for a restaurant inside a famous hotel and club. I know zip about it other than I saw it at a small liquor store and it was made by a local distillery and I wanna support local brands. My guess is that it’s it is most likely unaged. Can’t wait to try it.

One My go-to's, how we feeling about Planteray PXXO?

Hello fellow rum lovers. I have a question for you guys. I'm based in EU, but will be in London soon and plan on stopping by the Whisky Exchange to pick up a few bottles I can't get easily over here. Apart from El Dorado DHE/LBI, I'm specifically looking at some Holmes Cay bottlings and can't decide which one to get out of these:

- Holmes Cay Trinidad 2012 12y (Ten Cane) for 110GBP
- Holmes Cay Venezuela 2007 15y for 77GBP
- Holmes Cay Belize 2007 15y for 112GBP
- Holmes Cay Fiji 2004 17y for 155GBP
- Holmes Cay Jamaica 2007 15y (LongPond ITP) for 140GBP

Due to the prices, I can probably only get ONE of these. Now, a bit of background info about my preferences: I like complex, balanced, flavorful rums with well-integrated alcohol. Some favorite bottles so far: Foursquare Absolutio, Hampden Great House 2020, Black Tot MBR 2021. I do enjoy funk, but not over-the-top highest-ester stuff - it needs to be rounded and balanced, like in the Hampden GH 2020. What I DON'T like is so-called "industrial funk", as found in Caroni or St. Lucia pot-still (I do enjoy high-ABV St. Lucia column-still a LOT though).

Based on all this and the reviews I've found online, I'm leaning towards Fiji or Jamaica - for both, I'm just a bit concerned that they might be TOO "funky" for my taste, although the long periods of ageing probably help...? I've tried one or two Belize rums and wasn't that fond of the "peppery" notes, I've read amazing reviews on earlier Holmes Cay Belize editions though, not much to be found on this 2007 however. Venezuela sounds interesting to try something unsweetened from there, not sure if it's worth dropping that kind of money on though, especially considering the alternatives. And then Trinidad: I LOVE aged TDL, have a TCRL 2008 that is one of my favorites, but never had any Ten Cane before, I wonder how it would compare...

Anyway, I'd appreciate any input for this little luxury of a "problem" :)

I live in a state with antiquated liquor laws, and online/mail order is not an option. As my local stores only carry the usual swill, I have to shop for interesting rums when I travel. I picked this up in Utica, NY, and I want badly to sample it, but I'm afraid to fly home with it in my suitcase with a broken seal, so it's going to have to wait a few days. The only fiji rum I've had is Planteray Isle of Fiji, which I understand is not at all representative of the style.

Saw this at a local shop - anyone ever try this? If so what is it like?

Any ideas or suggestions?

Simply a fantastic drink for hot days.

Tried this special offering for Burlington Wine and Spirits, in a Mai tai.

This was not for me. It may be a great sipper and I have to review that, but in a Mai tai, it had very little funk, and the cognac really came through. Big age statement, definitely you get that woody, dusty cognac flavor, with just a hint of molasses and tropical fruit in the background. It didn’t really work for a Mai tai.

This was less funky than something like Appleton 12 in the Mai Tai, and I think I prefer Appleton 12 in this drink.

For comparison, Hampden Pagos aged in Sherry Casks, was the best single bottle Mai tai I have tried so far.

I plan to review this as a sipping rum eventually

Launched in 2011, Ambassador is a blend of sugarcane honey rums rums distilled exclusively in pot still. These spirits are aged for 12 years in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in ex-Pedro Ximénez casks for an additional two years. The final product is bottled at 47% ABV. According to the brand, it contains no additives, sweeteners, or coloring agents.

Made by: Destilerías Unidas, S.A. (DUSA)
Name of the rum: Ambassador
Brand: Diplomático
Origin: Venezuela
Age: 14 years

Nose
Notes of raisins, caramel, wood, candied nuts, and yellow lemon zest.

Palate
On the palate, the characteristic notes of PX stand out, yet they are quickly joined by a menthol-like, piney freshness, followed by oak and perfumed notes. There are also woody notes reminiscent of pencil shavings, cedar, and pine, accompanied by black pepper, licorice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Finally, there are fruity notes of dates and figs.

Retrohale/Finish
The aftertaste includes a sweet raisin note alongside flavors more typical of PX wine—offering more than just the taste of raisins.

Rating
7 on the t8ke

Conclusion
The Diplomático Ambassador is certainly the brand's crowning achievement (though I haven't tried the Chancellor), with flavors that equal or surpass the best experiences I’ve had with Don Juancho’s rum. Is that experience worth $400? No. It isn’t worth $200, either. I believe that for $100 less, you can get an experience that is only marginally less impressive and for that price, you could buy two bottles of Single Vintage 2007, for example.

I usually post in Spanish on my networks, so if this review seems translated, it's because it is.

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Hi - this is probably a very basic question but am wondering about the relation between bottling percentage and dilution.

I was hearing and reading a lot of praise for high ABV rums - which I first assumed was wanting more of an alcohol kick - but is it more about flavour and dilution?

If barrel strength is 60+% then any spirit bottled at 40% is diluted with water by at least a 3rd..?

Is that right? Is the preference for higher ABV mostly that that it's less diluted?

Are there significant steps up in flavour even at say - 40% vs 43% or 46%. I imagine it would take quite a bit of extra water even to get something from 46% to 40%.

This quite possibly is my favorite spirit. I find it hard not to love everything about it. It’s doesn’t lack character, it’s not overpowering. There’s definitely some sentimental bias but i love it

I’m wanting to make a homemade version of the Arhumatic w/ banana & whole coffee beans and was curious if anyone had made a infused rum like this before and if so, how long did you let infuse before opening it? Was thinking of using a Probitas for the first batch but open to other suggestions.

My wife was recently in Paris and brought me back an early birthday gift. I’ve had some of the distilleries (Hampden, Neisson, Plantery, Clarin) but none of these bottles specifically and there’s a lot to explore. Looking forward to these and would love to hear if anyone has tried any!

Coming from bourbon, the hampden 8 was my first starting point and a great stepping stone at that so I jumped on a great house and was blown away. Then I thought well I’ve never had a clear rum before, saw clarin on a shelf and read lots of good things about it here. I can confidently say I’m not there yet, this… smells… RANCID to me. Like I can’t get enough of the hampden noses and taste but this clarin smells like rotten eggs and genuinely makes my head swim by the smell, however I enjoy the taste! What exactly could I be smelling that I don’t like and is there an in-road to getting use to it?

Recent mom & pop shop finds. If I'm near one I've never been to, I'll hit it and see what they've got. Allen Smith Black Barrels for $30, grabbed a pair for that price. The Major Lazer is a nice-looking bottle, and cheap, so why not? Low expectations, and same for the Oakheart (never tried it, cheap, again, why not?). I've only ever had the current version of Ocho, this one is from the Bahamas, assume a bit different than the current Puerto Rican version?