Tastes

Popular, but flawed sweet sipper. I can see why many people love this—it’s sweet, it’s strongly flavored with reliable notes of coffee, nuts, and chocolate, and it’s priced among other mid to high end sippers from Jamaica, Barbados, and Venezuela. But this blend from Guatemala desperately needs ice in my opinion—otherwise, it gives me a harsh burn that travels into my chest. When chilled and softened, its a decent sipper, but I still prefer its competitors from the aforementioned countries.

Silky smooth tropical sipper. After much hype, I finally acquired a bottle to pit against my other sweet sippers from Venezuela and Guyana. This Barbados meets France base skips the more typical caramel and molasses flavors in favor of a lighter, more tropical take—bananas, chocolate, vanilla, and coconut. The mouth feel is lovely—oily, yet somehow light-bodied as well. This stuff is just pleasant from start to finish—an enticing fruity nose, a decadent sweet palette, and a subtle lingering burn that encourages you to immediately do it all over again. My favorite, crave-worthy sipper to date.

I started out a bit hesitant with the nose—fresh paint dominated my first whiff, slowly unveiling ginger, nuts, and brown sugar with time. The high proof was clearly evident by the nose-tingling burn. But the taste, quite frankly, blew me away. This is the most impressive rum I’ve enjoyed to date. Its cask strength, while definitely noticeable, was not the burning beast I expected. Instead, the burn was controlled, providing warmth and development to a delightfully balanced composition of sweet butterscotch, rich fruits, toasted nuts, and smoky wood. Given my limited experience, this tastes like a deft combination of the lighter and sweeter Plantation XO (tropical fruit: banana, mango, coconut) with the darker and denser El Dorado 15 (caramelized nuts, coffee, and charred oak). Still, let me be clear—this is on another level in terms of quality, sophistication, and complexity. This is a rum you take your time appreciating. Absolutely deserving of all the praise, and a must-try for evolving palettes eager to progress beyond the popular sweetened rums out there. An utter joy to sip and savor. I’ll be sad when this is gone. [10/10]

This was my second Demerara rum after El Dorado 15. By comparison, this one is significantly less sweet and complex, but perhaps a bit more on the funky and smoky side. Great in a Dark & Stormy, so I’m hopeful it will work well in other cocktails too. Much easier to sip than expected, although not how I’d typically reach for it. Looking to explore this one a bit more...

I got this as an introduction to the Agricole style—reading it was somewhere between the sugar cane spirit and the typical molasses-based rum. I was initially perplexed by the nose—had a harsh acetone vibe that dominated much of the more familiar aged rum notes. Not expecting much, I was pleasantly surprised by the caramel, fruit, and grassy nuances at the top and its smooth, almost soft development as a sipper. But where it really shines is in a Mai-Tai, split with either Smith & Cross or a Demerara rum. Still haven’t tried a true Agricole, but I’m liking where this is heading...

The first light rum to leave an impression on me. I’m on my second bottle as it goes well with most summer cocktails. It’s super clean, lightly sweet, and subtly grassy in flavor, with a dry burn at the finish. Absolutely stellar in light Latin drinks like Daiquiris and Mojitos—really highlights the citrus and vegetal notes in each drink respectively. By no means a sipper, but my go-to white/silver/light rum mixer for all the summer staple cocktails.

Unexpectedly flavorful and nuanced for a light rum. And a budget-priced one at that! A bit fruity, a bit funky, and roundly sweet, with none of the typically grassy elements I’ve found in other lighter varieties. Great in cocktails like Painkillers, that fully leverage tropical fruit and citrus. However, I found it too sweet and dominating in my typical Daiquiri and Mojito recipes, where I expect cleaner and brighter flavors. Perhaps if I tweak the recipes... Still, so shockingly smooth you could sip it on its own.

DRE was my very first sipping rum and it was a great place to start. Sweet and approachable, smooth going down, with just enough tingly burn to remind you it’s a rum and not some syrupy liqueur. The nose is a bit modest, but the taste is a nice caramel butterscotch with some dark fruit and honey. Flavors fall a bit flat compared to other rums I’ve tried since, but I’m thinking I’ll keep a bottle of this around for guests and as an effortless and economical sipper.

My second sipper rum after Diplomatico RE, I instantly found this one drier, more complex, and slightly more challenging given its pleasant burn. My favorite part of this rum is the nose—toasted nuts, roasted coffee, and dark brown sugar. Pro tip: revisit the empty glass a couple hours after finishing for an indulgent olfactory treat. The taste is equally luscious and rich, with walnuts, vanilla, caramel, and a large hit of woody oak. At times, I find the dry oak burn a bit much if I’m not ready for it. There’s no mistaking this is barrel-aged rum. My preferred sipper of choice—a balance of indulgence with a hint of challenge. I plan on trying it in the occasional cocktail as well.

As only my second Jamaican rum, S&C blew me away with its unstoppable ester funk and high proof burn. I foolishly sipped some straight out of the just-opened bottle and blew out my taste buds. Then I made a Mai Tai without splitting it with another rum—mistake number two. So why such a high rating? Because when properly yielded, it is masterful in cocktails. Whether blended with a lighter rum, stirred with ginger beer, or balanced with citrus, it’s a superb mixer that manages to both showcase its own unique character and also elevate its fellow ingredients. I will always keep a bottle to represent some of the best in the Jamaican style.