Pirate's favourite drink: Rum!

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

My present personal favourite is Cockspur VSOR. If you can find it anywhere, do not hesitate to buy it. On my current "have to find and try" list are the following rums:

Blackbeards Reserve Rum 24 year
Pyrat XO
Pyrat Pistol
Rhum Barbancourt 15 y/o
Ron Pampero Aniversario
Ron Zacapa Centenario
Zaya

These rums may well cost about 30 dollars and up (USD) per bottle (Zaya perhaps about 50 dollars).

Another important thing to remember is that you should not really start your rum experience with rums like the above. You should first acquire some experience with different varieties and ages of rum (French tradition vs. British tradition) and only then start experimenting with the more expensive stuff. Only with some experience under your belt will you be able to appreciate the better stuff.

@captainkidd78: Readily available in US stores is rather a hazy concept. I've visited San Diego, Chicago and New Orleans and in every city I have had to search around for the best stocked liquor store before I've found one that's been stocked well with rums (and in every city I had to take a cab and go outside the centre to get to it). Also, the selection in every state seems to be a little different. But if you are looking for some rums to start experimenting with, these should be rather easy to find:

Cruzan Estate Diamond Rum Cask Aged 5 Yr
Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum
Appleton V/X or Extra
Mount Gay Special Reserve
Doorly's XO

You might even give a go to Bacardi 8yr, although you should note that Bacardi, even though popular, does not really concentrate on the sipping market (they mostly produce mixing rums).

captainkidd78 · Seaman Posts: 236 **559 Gold** -

thanks Wolfwood. I will be getting some rum to go with me playing of pirates!. I see a lot of prison time...
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"My Lord, it is a very hard sentence. For my part, I am the innocentest person of them all, only I have been sworn against by perjured persons."
-Captain William Kidd, answering the judge after sentence of death by hanging

andyrew · Powder Monkey Posts: 1 **26 Gold** -

Hey Wolfwood,
your comments bring back some nice memories of having a retired judge in Quito (with his WC Fields bulbous proboscis) sit me down to help him decide which rums he was going to order next (3 cases of this one, eight of that one...). His favorite, and still mine, is Ron Matusalem, which was originally from Santiago de Cuba (which I will sack in a couple of days...), but now is made in FL. Since it was no longer available in Ecuador, he was saving two cases to have poured on his grave... I can't get it in ABC-oppressed NC, either.
What a night, though!
_________________
It's not so important that we DESCENDED from the apes, but rather that we don't REGRESS to that stage.

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

@andyrew: Ah, that's quite a story. Sounds like a man worth knowing. Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva 15 Solera (the very lengthy complete name) is also one of my favourites. But if you liked that one, I recommend you try get some Cockspur VSOR into your hands. They are somewhat similar in character, but, in my opinion, Cockspur draws the longer straw in the endgame.

Bilgemunky · Powder Monkey Posts: 10 **279 Gold** -

Ah - I'd love to chat about how much I love the new Pirates! game, but alas, it's still in the mail somewhere. So instead I'll join in on this conversation of another one of life's many splendors - RUM Smile

My own favorites include Mount Gay Extra Old, Blackbeard's 25 Year Reserve, Pyrat Cask 23, and Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva.

I had the pleasure of visiting the New Orleans Rum distillery last summer, which produces a rum you review on your site, Wolfwood. If any rum drinkers have yet to tour a distillery, I hightly recommend it - great fun, and there's nothing quite like seeing thousands of oak casks lining a warehouse. I didn't care much for their NO rum straight, but they do have a premium line (CANE) that tastes strangely like scotch. They also have a Cane Crystal, which is the only white rum I've ever cared to drink straight - very unusual stuff.

My current bottle is Goslings Gold, which just popped up in my store a couple of weeks ago. Their Black Seal rum is fantastic (but definitely not gentle,) so I was excited to see them branch into the world of ambers. Gosling's Gold is a bit tamer than their black, but still packs a whallop. Definitely not a starter rum.

Cockspur is a new one by me - I'll have to look it up.

May as well take this opportunity to plug my own online rum reviews at Bilgemunky.com. I don't go into the history and other aspects of rum production (leave that for experts like Wolfwood), but I do have a decent assortment of rums to read about, along with lots of other piratey goodies.

xwred5 · Powder Monkey Posts: 23 **458 Gold** -

Havana Club Anejo 7 Anos is really good, nice and smooth. I had a bottle of it while I was over in Europe. Some might say I spoiled it by making rum and cokes with it. But let me tell you this, there are few drinks better than a rum and coke made with high quality rum and coca cola from a glass bottle.

It's too bad I can't get more of it back in the states.

Bilgemunky · Powder Monkey Posts: 10 **279 Gold** -

Hmmm.... the word "anejo" is usually associated with tequillas, not rum. I did a search, and right you are, there's a Havana Anejo rum.

I've never had the pleasure of trying a genuine Cuban rum - my understanding is that they tend to be light and sweet, like a Pyrat rum. Any opinions?
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xwred5 · Powder Monkey Posts: 23 **458 Gold** -

Billy Bones · Seaman Posts: 147 **1817 Gold** -

Wolf,

Picked up a bottle of Pyrat XO and it is great. Very different from Appleton VX or Extra, but good in its own way. Thanks for the tip. Smile

If anyone is looking for a way to get rums they can't find locally, here's an interesting link:

http://www.bevmo.com/productlist.asp?sasrc=HomeNav&N=168+166+40+4294962089+4294961975&area=spirits&
_________________
Capt Billy Bones
at sea aboard the BlackSwan

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

Wow! It is great to see so many rummies amongst pirates! Remind me never to sink you ships (if we ever get to play this game online), but to invite you over for a pleasant night with rum and music!

@Billy Bones: Oh, now I envy you! I want that rum also! Sad

@xwred5: I've only drank Havana Club rums (Anejo Reserva, which I prefer, and Anejo 7 Anos) but neither of them is really light and sweet. The Ron Matusalem made in FL nowadays is light and sweet, though, but also a lot older (about 12 yr blend if I remember correctly).

@Bilgemunky: I'll be sure to read your reviews as soon as possible. As it is, I did receive my Pirates! LE yesterday and I have to work now to lessen my guilt for wanting to only play the game... Sad

xwred5 · Powder Monkey Posts: 23 **458 Gold** -

Angel · Seaman Posts: 196 **1757 Gold** -

Billy Bones · Seaman Posts: 147 **1817 Gold** -

Angle,

Pyrat is made by Patron, the Tiquila people. Their web site lists Southern Wine & Spirits in Chicago at 630-685-3000. Wink

_________________
Capt Billy Bones
at sea aboard the BlackSwan

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

One of the best rum shops in Chicago is called Binny's Beverage Depot, and the best stocked one is at 3000 N. Clark. I visited it a couple of years ago on a conference trip and I must say that it is very much worth a visit, even if you have to travel a bit farther to get there.

Apparently another good one, located about ten minutes from Binney's, is SamÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Wines & Spirits.

luckybaer66 · Swabbie Posts: 61 **1282 Gold** -

Man, you guys have inspired me to broaden my horizons. Being a bourbon/whiskey guy myself (premium stuff like Woodford Reserve, Bookers, Baker's, etc.), I never put much stock in rum. I like good tequila, and I like good gin or good vodka for my martinis, but I've never tried rum straight up.

Thanks for getting me to think about trying something new!