Gold Rum Tasting - Quatro, mostly Spanish-style Havana Club Anejo (USA) Don Q Gold Bacardi Gold Koloa Kauai Gold Havana Club Disclaimer: bottle open for a while, still ~2/3 full A - Medium gold hue, like German bier N - Fairly strong ethanol, hints of caramel and… crème brûlée? P/F - Hollow impression of Carmel and vanilla, like from a dried out old rum cork, but somewhat light; slight earthy bitterness like young oak; subtle sweetness but still not really fruity, ethanol is restrained, bitterness builds on the palate Follow-up - Smells like sophisticated carmel candy, tastes like toffee bar after returning. Verdict - possibly doesn’t belong in this category, but surprised with better-developed “usual suspects” type flavors, and stood out in terms of color to the last sip. Might remain more noticeable in a mixed drink than others. Don Q Disclaimer - nearly a bottle kill, and mostly empty for quite a while, months probably A - Pale straw, like a dry white wine N - Light ethanol, toffee and some fruit, papaya maybe? P/F - Light but inoffensive, barely a burn, caramel; burnt sugar, some burn, some wood tannin; brown bread, subtle vanilla, no fruit really Follow-up - Smells like a fruit bowl, tastes like agave nectar after returning. Verdict - lovely fruitiness compared with the others, almost shockingly so. Likely a more harmonious mixer, and pleasant enough to sip on its own. Inviting nose and rewarding palate. Bacardi Disclaimer: Freshly-cracked small 2 dcl bottle, but sat on dram store shelf who knows how long… A - Medium light gold, like domestic beer N - Cleaning products as first, but then ethanol, steeped black tea? Then finally some sweetness, like vanilla latte syrup P/F - Smooth entry with some light vanilla carmel; more subtly sweetness with almost-bitter woody pine-wood lingering; vaguely sweet, somewhat ethanol, light bitterness Follow-up - Smells like sawdust, tastes like dregs of watered-down vanilla iced latte after returning. Verdict - bad nose with smooth taste, oddly enough, although a less-enticing flavor palate than others in the category, can see why this might be a friendly go-to for mixing, if one sought a less filtered experience than the ubiquitous BCB. Koloa Kauai Disclaimer: from a sample bottle bought at the distillery store, and not opened right away upon returning home. A - Light gold, like oaked Chardonnay N - At first, savory, almost bready, like a fresh baked homemade loaf, then oddly sweet, like cleaning products, and almost a cucumber vegetal note, odd. P - Light flavor, some burn, some lingering wood; not fruity, somewhat earthy, barely sweet; faint but round flavor of some nutty dessert Follow-up - Smells like hay, tastes like buttered pancakes with a hint of dried maple syrup upon returning. — So this probabbly doesn’t fit well in the category, but what else to compare this with? Verdict - the different process shows in the product, with unusual notes making their way across the nose and palate. Curious to try a small daiquiri, but makes me think more of a cane juice spirit than molasses from the unusual and unexpected notes.