@Anthology I’m no expert but I get a lot of my rum knowledge from The Fat Rum Pirate blog. He’s basically the Ralfy of rum minus the cantankerous YouTube channel. Pop on over to that blog and he’s got a bit on esters and other good rummy info.

@WhiskeyLonghorn Thanks for the tips! Will do! I’m also looking for a better understanding of the “esters” concept in rums. For some reason I assumed it was higher esters = better flavors but now it seems it’s more about the “funky, gasoline” notes? Any light you can shed on rum esters is welcomed.

@Anthology you’re gonna like those Foursquares! So much quality and flavor. I prefer their wine finished bottles (I’m working through bottles of Sagacity and Detante right now), because they’re in that 46-51 ABV range and the wine barrels add a layer of depth and complexity I enjoy. Sweet without being sweetened. As to you’re Jamaican rums, the Appleton will be fruity and balanced for you most likely, with a lot of barrel influence. The Hampden will be a funky adventure for sure. Trying a high ester rum for the first time reminded me of the first time I had Lagavulin. Different tastes though. I’ve found that a good introduction to Jamaican funky esters is Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve. It’s not as easy to find as some other brands, but they’re a bit more balanced in the fruits vs esters than Hampden.

Totally agreed with @cascode RE: Doorly’s 12 Yr as a decent, non-syrupy sweet, entry-level rum. I’m currently spending some time with it and quite impressed with what I’m getting for the insanely affordable purchase price ((sub-$20). Ordered the 4Square Nobillary & new Redoutable for pickup and recently grabbed Kirk & Sweeney XO (25Yr) cask strength, Appleton Estate 21Yr and Hampden Estate 7Yr overproof. Last two are Jamaican rums and I’ve heard that Jamaican rums bring the funk (and are not sweet), so I’m over-indexing there for my first forays into rum (+ amargnac/cognac...more to come on that). @cascode any thoughts on IB Caronis? Found some reasonably-priced Caroni from Golden Devil IB but not sure if the quality is there. Also, have you heard of New Yarmouth?

I tolerate... no welcome the sweetness as long as it has at least some balance with hogo or barrel

@Ctrexman I can enjoy a good rum every now and then, but as @cascode I do not tolerate too much sweetness. I noticed that when I started to explore PX sherries, it's nuclear.

@Ctrexman After tasting quite a few rums over the years I’ve landed at a place where I can no longer tolerate even the nose of a sweet, syrupy rum, let alone the taste. If I may offer a couple of suggestions, try Doorly’s 12 year old real soon – it’s reasonably affordable, available and has a slightly drier, fruity quality. If that profile appeals move on to any other rum from Foursquare Distillery. It will almost certainly have an even drier and more lifted character. If this seems like the right direction next seek out a taste of any Caroni rum. This stuff is very individual, almost impossible to find now, even on the secondary market, and when you can it will be very spendy, but you might find a pour in a bar sometime. Caroni is dry, estery and the personification of “funk”. Finally, for a completely different take, try a taste of any rhum agricole. These rums are mostly from Guadeloupe, Haiti and Martinique and have a different style, being based on fresh cane juice instead of molasses. The profile is usually grassy and herbal, and lighter than other rums.

@Ctrexman You've picked some good rums to start with :)

It’s a really fine sipper. Not really for mixing, bit it does make a damn good hot buttered rum on a cold winter night.