My top 5 sipping rums/ no particular order 🥃 1. Real McCoy 12yr 2. Plantation XO 3. Hampden Estate OP 4. Authentico Nativo OP 5. Don Pancho Origines 18yr
Which one of them? Ron Zacapa 23 Solera, Ron Zacapa Centenario 23, Ron Zacapa 23 Black Label or my favorite Ron Zacapa La Armonia Heavenly Cask Collection?
Over here in the SouthEastern US. the Ron Zacapa Negra, runs about $70. I love Doory’s 12 and El Dorado 12. Doorlys 12 is THE rum to try for us Whisky drinkers. Perfect intro rum for bourbon drinkers.
I have actually just bought the Ron Zacapa negra. I cant wait to try it. It is supposed to be a smokier version of RC 23. Everybody is complaining about the smoky flavor, but i am a bourbon drinker, so that is a big plus. All of the bad reviews pointed to that one common factor and that is what sold it to me. I love both rum and whisky.
Ignore bad reviews. Everyone has a different palate. Bad reviews will come from Geeks who love 65% Rum with no added sugar that’s been aged in Whiskey casks for 10-12 years. Which is great, cos it leaves decent rum for the rest of us to enjoy!
@@StevetheBarmanUK the bad reviews on the Ron Zacapa edición Negra were because of the smoky notes. I think that most Rum drinkers hate the smoke and oaky notes of a liquor. I actually saw those bad reviews as a great review because thier negative was my positive. I also want to try the plantation XO and the 20th anniversary edition as well. I actually like both styles of rums. The added sugar and the non-sweet kind as well. both mass market and the connessiur types can do. My type of palate is multifaceted and diverse.
R.l. seale was my first proper rum going from scotch per your videos. Was weird at first but I've torn through that bottle since. Really looking forward to my next sipper. The plantation xo is too pricey here, but I'm tempted to try one of theirs. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing these great liquors with us Steve. I am particularly interested in Plantation XO, Black Tot and Flor de Cana. Could you suggest if those have liquid sugar added?
I currently use Appleton 12 for my aged rum but if I'm looking for a less expensive bottle for mixing, what would you recommend? I like the wood but I don't want it overpowered. Plantation 5yr, Doorlys 5, Doorlys 8, are all fairly inexpensive where I am. flora cana 12 is even more expensive than the appleton 12 for me
Maestro & Plantation XO 💯 Also huge fan of Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva (sweeter side for sure) & Dictador 20 (slightly sweet to smooth dry). I'd put Dictador 20 against any multi hundred dollar bottle. Not in this category but just tried Coconut Cartel, Bueno!
I have the Plantation XO, one of my favorites. I also have the Havana Club, didn't do much for me. Still haven't tasted the Flor De Cana 18 year old that I have. I'm thinking about buying the RL Seale. The rest, no thanks.
wow, Cana! really takes me back my memory the time I used to dating with nicaraguan girl :) by the way, yeah its really great sipper and also great for nica libre (bit overkill to use this on mixer but anyway)
I really enjoyed your video and I think you would really enjoy if you haven't tried it already Pacto navio. The resort I was staying out in Cuba in February had it. I fell in love with it. And sadly only brought back one bottle with me. It's long gone
Great video Steve, I tried the Duo pineapple rum this weekend it was very moreish my sister has offered me a bottle of Bumbu if I don’t bring out my Ukulele on Christmas Day should I take it? 🤔 Looking forward to the next one 👍
Havana Club is the only reason I care about the trade embargo. I come from the wine world and we don’t have an embargo with a winemaking country that I know of. If we didn’t have an embargo with Cuba, I might never pick it up. I think next year, I’ll try some Puerto Rican rum to see if I can find a good sipping rum.
Agreed about Cuban rums. I am so freaking mad because before I started watching Rum TH-cam videos my wife and I was at Cancun during mediation last July. I missed the opportunity to try different rums to include Cuban rums. I want to go back to Cancun or Cabo, but wife insist we go to Hawaii first lol @@numanuma20
Hi Steve-- I enjoy your videos! I'm newly interested in Rum, but I'm fairly well into my Scotch journey. I know you are focusing on budget-friendly options for your vids. But I'm looking for a sipping Rum to drink neat, to keep on hand as an alternative to my Scotches. I've tried a few Rums recently, including Flor De Cana 18. And they just aren't offering enough punch in terms of flavor. (My favorite Scotches are light to heavily peated, though a Rum wouldn't have to be.) Any advice for buying one potent sipping Rum, where I don't mind spending a bit extra? I am in the US, so Cuban is off limits.
So immediate picks for you would be Doorlys 12/14. RL Seale 12. El Dorado 15 (maybe the 12). Appleton 15 (maybe the 12). These are mainly Pot Still Rums from English colonies…not Spanish which are lighter Column. Now these are not Rums for me. Cos they taste more like Whiskey cos of the excessive aging. I like Rum to taste of Rum. However…I know whiskey heads love these. Also a good channel for you is Arminder (The Rum Revival), he’s a really good lad. And also Lance (The Lone Caner). Your side of the world and love proper neat sippers. That said, Arminder is a bit like me and also loves unaged Rum with bags of flavour. Basically Rum is so diverse that Unaged can punch a lot more than standard boring aged. It’s why I don’t do Barbados Rums. They’re just plain and don’t offer a Oooooooooooh wow. What’s that.
A freezer! 😂😂 Seriously though, just search out 3cm Ice Cube Trays. Most normal ones are 1.5-2cm. The very big cubes are 6cm. (Although they’re really hard to get cos most online are 5cm).
I’ve been wanting to try an agricole but I’m not sure where to start. Do you think that jm terroir volcanique would be a good choice? Or is there something else you’d recommend to start that is more “typical”?
Hi, may you advice me the best dark rum with low calorie please? im trying to watch my diet at the same time enjoy a drink once in a while. I think Kraken black spiced rum is low in calorie but will like to hear your opinion please. Love from Singapore :)
Spirits aren’t that high in calories. However, Spirits with Added Sugar and Flavours obviously are. Kraken is one of those. It’s not a Dark Rum either. It’s a Spiced Rum. So if you’re worried about counting calories, stay away from Spiced Rums and stick to actual Dark Rums like Goslings, Myers, Plantation OD, etc
@StevetheBarmanUK thanks for replying me so fast, I appreciate that. For those you mentioned like plantation for instance, any particular plantation cos I see there are a couple of different kinds.
I have yet to find a Rum that comes anywhere near the AMAZING taste of : "AH RIISE ULTRA VERY RARE" Everyone that I have ever let try it thinks its the best rum they have ever had bar none nothing else comes close. All I can say is try it people and then welcome to the club.
📔 DOWNLOAD MY FREE RUM eBOOK; stevethebarman.com/ebook (Updated as of January 2024) 📔
My top 5 sipping rums/ no particular order 🥃
1. Real McCoy 12yr
2. Plantation XO
3. Hampden Estate OP
4. Authentico Nativo OP
5. Don Pancho Origines 18yr
Finished my FDC12, haven't replaced. Got the XO and the Black Tot. Need to get myself an aged Cuban.
When my wife travels overseas I always reminded her to grab a bottle of the, Havana club seleccion de maestros. Cheers from California!
My favourite this year by a country mile for sipping has been Zacapa 23.
Which one of them? Ron Zacapa 23 Solera, Ron Zacapa Centenario 23, Ron Zacapa 23 Black Label or my favorite Ron Zacapa La Armonia Heavenly Cask Collection?
Always a good sipping option
Over here in the SouthEastern US. the Ron Zacapa Negra, runs about $70. I love Doory’s 12 and El Dorado 12. Doorlys 12 is THE rum to try for us Whisky drinkers. Perfect intro rum for bourbon drinkers.
I have actually just bought the Ron Zacapa negra. I cant wait to try it. It is supposed to be a smokier version of RC 23. Everybody is complaining about the smoky flavor, but i am a bourbon drinker, so that is a big plus. All of the bad reviews pointed to that one common factor and that is what sold it to me. I love both rum and whisky.
Ignore bad reviews. Everyone has a different palate. Bad reviews will come from Geeks who love 65% Rum with no added sugar that’s been aged in Whiskey casks for 10-12 years. Which is great, cos it leaves decent rum for the rest of us to enjoy!
@@StevetheBarmanUK the bad reviews on the Ron Zacapa edición Negra were because of the smoky notes. I think that most Rum drinkers hate the smoke and oaky notes of a liquor. I actually saw those bad reviews as a great review because thier negative was my positive. I also want to try the plantation XO and the 20th anniversary edition as well. I actually like both styles of rums. The added sugar and the non-sweet kind as well. both mass market and the connessiur types can do. My type of palate is multifaceted and diverse.
Appleton Estate 8 is one of my favorites
I'm genuinely shocked and amazed that I have all of these except the Santiago. All great rums
R.l. seale was my first proper rum going from scotch per your videos. Was weird at first but I've torn through that bottle since. Really looking forward to my next sipper. The plantation xo is too pricey here, but I'm tempted to try one of theirs. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for sharing & watching!
Plantation Xaymaca is nice for whiskey/scotch drinkers. Distinct taste (i.e. funky but good), no sugar added.
The Mount Gay XO still is my favorite regular sipping rum
Thank you for sharing these great liquors with us Steve. I am particularly interested in Plantation XO, Black Tot and Flor de Cana. Could you suggest if those have liquid sugar added?
Plantation XO is 20g per litre. As they tell you that. Black Tot I suspect as Zero Additives. FDC is minimal.
It’s not in the price point, but for us, not too horribly outside of it. That plantation under the sea Barbados has been a real winner for me.
I currently use Appleton 12 for my aged rum but if I'm looking for a less expensive bottle for mixing, what would you recommend? I like the wood but I don't want it overpowered. Plantation 5yr, Doorlys 5, Doorlys 8, are all fairly inexpensive where I am. flora cana 12 is even more expensive than the appleton 12 for me
Nice vid Steve! Not the biggest fan of column still rum but definitely will check out the Volcanique!
Column still…sooooooo much better than Pot! 😉😇
Maestro & Plantation XO 💯
Also huge fan of Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva (sweeter side for sure) & Dictador 20 (slightly sweet to smooth dry). I'd put Dictador 20 against any multi hundred dollar bottle.
Not in this category but just tried Coconut Cartel, Bueno!
I have the Plantation XO, one of my favorites. I also have the Havana Club, didn't do much for me. Still haven't tasted the Flor De Cana 18 year old that I have. I'm thinking about buying the RL Seale. The rest, no thanks.
wow, Cana! really takes me back my memory the time I used to dating with nicaraguan girl :) by the way, yeah its really great sipper and also great for nica libre (bit overkill to use this on mixer but anyway)
Great video Steve which would be your top 2 if you had to choose
😂 If I could pick just 2. The video would’ve been just 2!
I really enjoyed your video and I think you would really enjoy if you haven't tried it already Pacto navio. The resort I was staying out in Cuba in February had it. I fell in love with it. And sadly only brought back one bottle with me. It's long gone
Great video Steve, I tried the Duo pineapple rum this weekend it was very moreish my sister has offered me a bottle of Bumbu if I don’t bring out my Ukulele on Christmas Day should I take it? 🤔
Looking forward to the next one 👍
Havana Club is the only reason I care about the trade embargo. I come from the wine world and we don’t have an embargo with a winemaking country that I know of. If we didn’t have an embargo with Cuba, I might never pick it up. I think next year, I’ll try some Puerto Rican rum to see if I can find a good sipping rum.
Thinking about it now, since Havana Club is owned by the government, I’m out.
I have one bottle of Havana Club 7 years, and it is the worst snip rum I owned.
Teasing us in the US with the Cuban rums…sounds delicious. Love your channels!
Cuban rum is the only reason I care about the Cuba trade embargo. If there wasn’t a trade embargo, I probably would not even think about Cuban rum.
Agreed about Cuban rums. I am so freaking mad because before I started watching Rum TH-cam videos my wife and I was at Cancun during mediation last July. I missed the opportunity to try different rums to include Cuban rums. I want to go back to Cancun or Cabo, but wife insist we go to Hawaii first lol @@numanuma20
Hello Steve, are you interested in making a Video about a Budget Zombie with less ingrediences than the original recipe?
Maybe. I’ll have a think
Hi mate,
Have got tried Ron Burla Negra? Just bought it at my local wholesaler and was wondering what your opinion was.
Cheers
Look at my Blue Channel. Day 6 of the Advent Calendar 👍
Hi Steve-- I enjoy your videos! I'm newly interested in Rum, but I'm fairly well into my Scotch journey. I know you are focusing on budget-friendly options for your vids. But I'm looking for a sipping Rum to drink neat, to keep on hand as an alternative to my Scotches. I've tried a few Rums recently, including Flor De Cana 18. And they just aren't offering enough punch in terms of flavor. (My favorite Scotches are light to heavily peated, though a Rum wouldn't have to be.) Any advice for buying one potent sipping Rum, where I don't mind spending a bit extra? I am in the US, so Cuban is off limits.
So immediate picks for you would be Doorlys 12/14. RL Seale 12. El Dorado 15 (maybe the 12). Appleton 15 (maybe the 12). These are mainly Pot Still Rums from English colonies…not Spanish which are lighter Column. Now these are not Rums for me. Cos they taste more like Whiskey cos of the excessive aging. I like Rum to taste of Rum. However…I know whiskey heads love these. Also a good channel for you is Arminder (The Rum Revival), he’s a really good lad. And also Lance (The Lone Caner). Your side of the world and love proper neat sippers. That said, Arminder is a bit like me and also loves unaged Rum with bags of flavour. Basically Rum is so diverse that Unaged can punch a lot more than standard boring aged. It’s why I don’t do Barbados Rums. They’re just plain and don’t offer a Oooooooooooh wow. What’s that.
@@StevetheBarmanUK Oh thanks for all the great info. This will help me make a better start. Cheers!
Steve what ice machine do you use for your chunky ice?
A freezer! 😂😂 Seriously though, just search out 3cm Ice Cube Trays. Most normal ones are 1.5-2cm. The very big cubes are 6cm. (Although they’re really hard to get cos most online are 5cm).
Drive to Canada or Mexico for the Havana club. Well worth it
Ha, that could be a long drive though!
I love rum and wiuld love to join the community but cant find your discord. Could anyone help?
Thanks. I closed Discord waaaay back at Easter. It just ended up something I didn’t want to be associated with.
I’ve been wanting to try an agricole but I’m not sure where to start. Do you think that jm terroir volcanique would be a good choice? Or is there something else you’d recommend to start that is more “typical”?
I’d personally start with Aged Agricole yeah. I actually prefer Unaged on the whole. Great grassy funk. But the Aged is more approachable to newbies.
@@StevetheBarmanUK Thanks!
Hi, may you advice me the best dark rum with low calorie please?
im trying to watch my diet at the same time enjoy a drink once in a while.
I think Kraken black spiced rum is low in calorie but will like to hear your opinion please.
Love from Singapore :)
Spirits aren’t that high in calories. However, Spirits with Added Sugar and Flavours obviously are. Kraken is one of those. It’s not a Dark Rum either. It’s a Spiced Rum. So if you’re worried about counting calories, stay away from Spiced Rums and stick to actual Dark Rums like Goslings, Myers, Plantation OD, etc
@StevetheBarmanUK thanks for replying me so fast, I appreciate that. For those you mentioned like plantation for instance, any particular plantation cos I see there are a couple of different kinds.
Yeah. As I mentioned. Plantation OD 👍
@@StevetheBarmanUK thank you soo much! :)
I have yet to find a Rum that comes anywhere near the AMAZING taste of : "AH RIISE ULTRA VERY RARE"
Everyone that I have ever let try it thinks its the best rum they have ever had bar none nothing else comes close. All I can say is try it people and then welcome to the club.
No "best sipping rums" list should be taken too seriously without the inclusion of the Barbancourt Rhum 15 yr. A sin of omission for sure.
I don't recall seeing any Matusalem on your shows. Why might that be?
A few have featured. The Platino and the 15yo. But There’ll be an announcement on my Blue Channel on Boxing Day. So stay tuned for that.
Boo on rums I can’t get!😡