EDIT: A couple mistakes on our end!! 1. In the “French-Style” infographic, Haiti shouldn’t have been included on the list as Rum Agricole. That’s a protected name, so not all sugarcane-based rums (rhums) can be called Agricole. Haitian rums are one of these and are called Clairin (but still sugarcane-based). 2. Apparently El Dorado has stopped adding notable amounts of sweeteners to their rums! This happened within the last couple of years - I'm overdue for a software update in my brain. Hope this clears things up! Sorry for any confusion! There are so many great rums out there. What are some of your favorite bottles? 🏴☠🥃
I love el dorado 12 year. You used it in a video a while back which lead me to try it and I have yet to find a rum that I like more. Love the rich caramel taste of the demerara rums and am so glad you introduced me to it.
This is easily the one-stop master class for anyone who needs a quick education on Rum/Rhum. I learned more in these 15 minutes than watching the collection of other available videos on-line. Very well done! School is in session. Thank you for the lesson.
Finished smugglers cove and just finished reading and a bottle of rum. My bar is stocked with rum but I’m coming to see one one of my favorite bartenders has to say! You’ve inspired me to stock my home bar with fine spirits and inspired me to bartend professionally. I’m only 23 years old but have been following you probably since I turned 21 and first read imbibe after your recommendation. Thank you Anders and Az ❤️
I appreciate your approach to rum's history. It's important to acknowledge the realities of history and learn from the mistakes made. It's not important to "cancel" rum because it has some dark realities in its history.
I'd even argue that "canceling" rum due to its horrific history is counter intuitive and damaging to the current industry it has evolved into. Plenty of people in the Caribbean rely on the rum industry to live and canceling it to probe a point would only hurt those people.
A lot of products have dark realities not just in their history but in their present, too. Avoiding products with darkness in their present does more to help people than boycotting products that left their darkness behind. Anyone who refuses to drink rum, because it once involved slave labour, but happily munches on cheap chocolate and drinks cheap coffee is a hypocrite, because there's a lot of child labour on cocoa and coffee plantations right now. If you can afford to spend a little more, getting those from fair trade stores is the best you can do, because unlike boycotting all coffee and cocoa this can change the industry.
@@Boommssloot Seriously, I'm reading these comments thinking I missed something. Why would anyone cancel something because slaves used to make it? Do they think people want to cancel bananas too?
Bruh, the history around El Dorado is insane. They're still using the original stills from hundreds of years ago, during the Age of Sail. A bottle of El Dorado is a bottle of history.
This is what we need, for me. I am a bartender who just started few months ago here in Dubai and still learning about all the spirits, history about them, process of making and the story behind it. This is really huge help for me for RUM. The way you deliver the messages it was loud, and clear. 🙌🏻 Hoping that u make another one for whiskey, vodka, tequila, gin, brandy and wines. Thank you very much! 🙌🏻
Cachaça is older than rum. Historians, among them Câmera Cascudo, have discovered that the first cachaça was distilled in 1532 in São Vicente, near the port of the modern-day Sao Paulo. São Vincent was where the original sugarcane farms were located in Brazil - nearly a hundred years before the beginning of rum production.
I love cachaca. I fell in love with that style of rum when i was in costa rica and had a bunch of their Cacique, which is their national version of cachaca. I really wish i could actually import Cacique into the US, but Cacique is owned by the government of Costa Rica, and they don't export it. There were rumors that they were going to start exporting, but i have not seen any of it show up in the US yet.
Smuggler’s Cove is possibly the best cocktail book ever made. It got me waaaaaay down the tiki rabbit hole but also taught me a ton about distilled spirits in general.
I just made my first 6 cocktails out of that book this weekend and I just gotta say ... wow, like every single cocktail in there was delicious and surprisingly well-balanced. I'm down that same rabbit hole now. Martin Cate did an awesome job at making quality tiki cocktails accessible.
I'm a total rum newbie. For years my brothers raved about bourbons and whiskeys. They have had some of the best in the world to offer me. But for some reason though I honestly cannot lie to myself any longer. They both just seem like paint thinner. So here I am today. Not sure how rum ever appeared on my radar but it did and I took the leap. My first bottle ever after watching numerous videos was Appleton Estate's signature blend. Well sipping it slow was just amazing. It tasted like something, it had flavor that was smoothe and amazing, not the paint thinner-like taste of whiskey or bourbon. I enjoyed a backyard barbecue with my sipper and I was just as mellow as i could be. So I'm gonna search other rums and get my bearing on a favorite. A new world for me.
Rum is a great spirit to get into because the price of good rum is held down by Bacardi being most people's go-to rum. You can get some really great rums for $40-70/bottle. In the $40-50 range, you can't go wrong with Diplomatico Reserva and Dos Maderas 5+5 or Seleccion. In the $70 range, the Gosling's Old Rum and Ron Centenario 25 year Gran Reserva are incredible.
I appreciate you for not shying away from this history. It's great that I ask questions as you talk and you end up answering them in your explanation. Thanks for being so thorough.
Thank you Anders for your guide, I have a blast every week you published. I have been here for more than a year. Zacapa Centenario 23 YO is absolutely the tastiest rum I have ever drank. Totally recommended.
You have forgotten the most sacred in the Southern Hemisphere, North Queensland Fighting Juice - Bundaberg Rum!!! Burnt to the ground TWICE! Had its entire stock commandeered for troop moral in WW2 and still the number 1 down under. I can Highly recommended the Small Batch reserve as a base for cocktails and they even do a charcoal filtered white rum. The regular U.P Rum is perfect for a rum and coke.
I have about 150 bottles of whiskey and was thinking of diving into rum next. I have never drank a rum neat, only ever in cocktails. This video was very helpful! Good stuff! Thanks!!
I have more than 100 bottles of rum. It is amazing adventure, give it a shot. Start with Havana Club Puerto Rican, El Dorado five year, Plantation three star one of my favorites, Hamilton 86, Mount Gay Eclipse, Plantation OFTD over proofed, Denizen, Lemon heart and son original 1804, Hamilton Jamaican pot still black, Rhum JM VSOP and Koloa Dark rum Hawaiian. You’ll need some mixers to get you started orange Curaçao Blue Curaçao , Blackberry randy apricot brandy, a coconut flavored rum pineapple juice, cherries, Orgeat, Demerara and simple syrup. Is it supposed to get you started if you’re going in the room you might as well try Tiki! It’s a whole New World! Enjoy!
@@BROVERLANDER this is fantastic!! Thank you so much for the guidance. For real. I will definitely look into your suggestions!! I am really interested in the category so it’s great to get some advice from someone that into it. Thanks again
As a rum and mixology enthusiast and avid follower of the channel, I keep coming back to this one while assessing my rum at hand and before buying one or two new bottles. Love your videos and especially your original drinks; this right here is the good stuff :)
You are great, Anders! TH-cam Channels like yours are priceless. No BS, no Coops every single video, but on point authentic information. You got me into mixing, that I am enjoying a lot.
This has been the most informative video on Rum that I’ve seen, you cleared some things up in my mind about Stills and the different characteristics they produce. Thanks for a great video
I had always wanted to find something to sip on as I created my den in my home. I tried whiskey, couldn't do it. Tried Scotch, couldn't do it. Then went to Cognac. Went up the line in quality until I came across Hardy XO Rare Fine Champagne and have sipped on nothing but that for the last 5 years. I decided to try some Rum just to see. Did a little research about light and dark Rums and bought some Equiano . This is amazing as it is aged in Cognac barrels from their blend. I have found my new sipping drink.
This is by far the best Rum (dont have a word for it, round-up, explanation) on the WWW. I love rum. As a member of a whiskey club trying to explain Rum to my peers who just dont understand anything other than peated. Well done, nailed it. Especially explaining the different types, as I always do a shit job of that.
In Brazil, cachaça is not considered a rum, but a spirit in its own right. It is indeed made exclusively from fermented sugar cane juice, but it can be aged in over 15 different types of wood, and there can be blending of cachaças aged in two or more of these types. It is produced in many different regions of the country, but the name cachaça can only be used if it is produced in Brazil, according to local regulations - for example, the abv has to be between 38% and 48%, otherwise it will be categorized as “aguardente de cana”.
I recently bought a bottle of Plantation Barbados 5 year and absolutely adore it! It has a ton of character and I'm very excited to go out and try more varieties of the spirit. I made a daiquiri with it, went light on the simple, and it is simply one of the cocktails I've managed to fashion, very balanced and a ton of character. I've mostly been a gin and tequila guy up until this point but frankly, this one bottle of rum has convinced me that I am, in fact, a rum guy. Thank you for the booze lesson, great as always, cheers.
As a starting bartender, i must say that this video actually gave me more information and insight than both the Diageo/PernodRicard education programs. Thank you so much, Anders!
I love the outright funkiness and complexity of Hampden 8, the rich smooth warmth of El Dorado 15 and the bold tobacco whack of Dictador 12. Great video there, don't think I've tried an aged agricole before
Thanks Anders! One of my biggest pet peeves is when recipes call for "gold rum" or "light rum" when there is so much variability of flavors when you categorize that way! thanks for educating!
First time viewer! Very good teaching! I’m on my 6th month of my bourbon journey with other spirits included. My rum choices so far have been Four Square Indelible(90.00) and Dos Maderas (30.00) Bacardi 8yr? (42.00) the 4 Square is very good and the Dos Maderas is really delicious! I have the Bacardi to my son for a mixer:) I only drink neat and mostly bourbon but the rum finished bourbon and rum is very sweet and tasty!
Rum has always been my "go-to" hard spirit, but after working / living in Colombia for 5 yrs, it took my tastes to a different level. Ron Viejo de Caldas produces rums of 3, 5, 8 & 15 yrs. The 3yr old is fine for mixed drinks & cocktails and the aged rums are all delicious for sipping.
Right now I'm exploring gin and fortified wines, but rum is a spirit I'm looking forward to learning more about and tasting more in the future so this video is very helpful. I loved the style, I think you struck a great balance between being concise and thorough. You packed a lot of information in while making it feel breezy and not overwhelming. Also I appreciate you being mindful and talking about the history. When you respect something, you learn all you can about it whether it's what you want to hear or not, so I think it's good not to shy away when you're teaching others.
As someone who has the Smuggler's Cove book already, and considers himself a connoisseur of rums, this is still a great intro! I didn't know about the traditional categorization of rums! But yes, I've explained that rum is the most diverse of the spirits because there are little rules, but it's a super fun journey! I'm a big fan of the El Dorado series and Plantation series!
Jason from Montreal here. Love the show first of all. Love the sign... wish I had one. I agree with everything you pointed out which should help so many people understand better what rum is all about. I myself am primarily a rum drinker. I have 43 different kinds of rum in my home bar today. I could only guesstimate that I've tasted uppers of 150-200 kinds of rum since I realized I wasn't a beer fan back in my 20s. Keep up the great videos... CHEERS!!!!
That's probably because is difficult to get in the US because of the embargo, since Havana Club is state-owned by Cuba. IIRC, USA is the only country in the world where Havan isn't sold so you need to go a long way to get it
The Zaya Grand Reserva was my Dad's favorite so we have drank a ton of that over the years and love it. It's a nice blend. Pampero Anniversario has always been one of my favorites. I recently tried the Meyers Single Barrel aged in Sazerac Rye casks and enjoyed that! Very affordable at about $25.
Great video! As a Puerto Rican nyself, I come from "the land of rum". As much as we are known around the world for our rums, actually my favorites are not necessarily from Puerto Rico. From my homeland, I would recommend everyone here to try Ron El Barrilito. It is without a doubt one of the best rums produced in the island. My personal favorites though, at least for sipping, are Diplomatico Gran Reserva Especial and Zacapa Solera 23. I hear great things about Santa Teresa Solera as well, but haven't tried it. The true Havana Club Añejo from Cuba is another great one. Just my 2 cents!
My absolute favorite as far as brands go is Plantation - I find their double aged dark or 3 star the best for mixing, and their XO is simply exquisite. And the other bottles they offer are nice, and at very affordable price points for sipping. Another favorite is Don Papa smal batch - it tastes like marshmallows, and I can't get over that. Honorable mentions (for sipping or a rum old fashioned mainly) include Diplomatico Grande Reserva, Ron Zacapa 23, and Matusalem 15 Gran Solera. And finally, for my ginger beer intake, Gosling's Black Strap I find enjoyable, especially on a hot summer day. Cheers Anders, thanks for this informative yet brief summary!
My go-to rum is Havana Club Anejo Especial, a traditional golden rum aged in oak barrels from Cuba. I prefer golden to white or dark rums generally, though I'm not a purist about it and certainly won't refuse either if I'm offered them. Also, I find a dark rum is preferable if smoking a strong cigar. Interesting rums pop up in surprising places; one of my local bottle store proprietors put me on to a very tasty little number from India - Old Monk - which is a dark rum and a popular seller. Your neon sign is great! 👍 Yes, rum, like tobacco, sugar, coffee, tea and cacao, carries a dark colonial history. In fact, food and drink walk side by side with the rise and fall of empires. I think it's a great way to introduce students to history, a subject many balk at for being dry and boring (of course it's boringly taught!). I'm keen to dig out the books you featured.
Just got my copy of Smuggler’s Cove! I’ve been super excited to dive into it after watching all of your tiki videos. Now all I need to do is find the perfect tiki mugs. The Real McCoy has been a workhorse for me this summer cranking out mojitos. A very delicious, but dangerously subtle rum.
I enjoy all of your videos, this is one of your better ones. Great break down of rum and its variants. I have honestly stood in front of the rum section of my favorite liquor store and wondered "what is really the difference in all of these?" I think I have a decent understanding of whiskeys. But not rum. This video really helps. Thanks! If you haven't already, you should do a series of videos on whiskey.
I really liked the traditional approach, it makes a lot more sense and easier to explain in my mind to new rum enjoyers. My favorite English style rum is Smith&Cross, favorite Spanish style rum is Brugal XV, favorite Agricole rhum is Trois Rivières :)
I have the El Dorado 12 and 21 years for sipping! I've not tasted the 15 yet. But man the 12 is so smooth and well rounded! I also finally picked up the Smith&Cross!
I just got back from Punta Cana Dominican Republic last week and rekindled my love for rum! I even brought Barcelo rum cream and another dark rum back with me. Can't wait to make some drinks with these! This video was right on time Anders! Thanks 😀
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is one of my all time favourite rums ,in fact the whole line up from Diplomatico is excellent . Another bottler i have very much enjoyed is Dictador the 20 year is what i would call my sweet spot (price /flavour/value mixed or on the rocks) I love rum
@Matthew-wn8oq It is not a nightmare. DSRE is a good rum, but better from the brand is the Mantuano or the Ambassador. Now from Venezuela I think there are better ones: Carupano brand Barrica brand Caballo Viejo brand 1796 Solera Extra from Santa Teresa (better than plain 1796)
Definitely one of the better RUM 101 videos out here, but there are a few small mistakes or some details to clear up. But really appreciate the video and will share it in our Rum Group as a starting point to stimulate more discussion and much more tasting! Two biggest issues up front are that both Cachaça and Arrack predate Rum by a couple hundred years so while they are all in the sugarcane distillate family, they are not technically "Rum".
Very nice video, and the perfect starter. Rums are vast and varied. A good example-- column still rums are thought of as clean and low ester, but both agricoles and grand aromes are column distilled traditionally. Huge flavors are capable from column stills. But frankly that's a little bit advanced for someone looking to dip their toes into rum.
I live in the Philippines, and though years ago I tasted some rums from the Caribbean, the rhums/rums here are very different. The most common are the Tanduay Rhum, but there are a number of runs native here to the Philippines. I have a bottle of Don Papa Rum on the shelf, next to a bottle of Zabana Rum, net to a bottle of Tanduay Select Rhum. each one is different from the next and all are good in their own ways. We grow sugar cane here in the Philippines. 🙂
So I was debating with my friend which "rum" to get on the weekend, havana or captain morgan, and here I am. Thanks google that you like to listen to literally everything in my life. Great video, learned a lot keep it that way!
Favorite bottle would definitely be Appleton Estate. I always keep it in my cabinet. As a Jamaican woman married to a Haitian man, this video made me so happy! Definitely want to give the Haitian rum a try soon. Also, love the sign!!!
Rum is easily the most under-appreciated spirit, due to most people's experience with rum being limited to Bacardi and Captain Morgan. Very few people understand just how great a really good rum can be. In my days behind the bar, I guided many people away from Bacardi and onto the path of good rum.
“And A Bottle Of Rum” is a great read regarding the history of rum. One of my favorite rums is Papa’s Pilar with great maple notes. Another one is Bumbu; with higher notes of banana.
I grew up drinking the basic Coconut rums for mixed drinks and the sweet ones. I just bought the Appleton Estates rum hoping for more clean flavors like a nice scotch. Holy cow, it’s amazing. You can smell and taste fruit all in it. It’s really enjoyable to sip on with dinner or dessert. Thank you sir for the video and knowledge.
Scientific fact: there isn’t a Jamaican household anywhere in the world that doesn’t have that yellow and green bottle of Wray & Nephews in it. My dad is Jamaican, and thanks to his influence, I don’t think I was aware of other brands of rum for the longest time. Who needs Theraflu/NeoCitran when you have Wray & Nephews, hot water, honey and lime? Oh, and I JUST got “And A Bottle of Rum” last week, based on your earlier video on great cocktail books.
From a Rum novise, really informatic video. I dont fancy drinks, cognacs or vodka, so I found rum. Oh my, theres a whole world of good flavoures out there. So far, my goto rums has been Zacapa, Plantation, Diplomatico and QRM. Have to say Plantation XO are a favourite. Awesome sign btw...cheers!👌
I have visited Cuba at least a dozen times , all the bars make Mojitos and daiquiris out of three year old Havana club, my favourite sipping rum would be Santiago de Cuba seven year , and that would be matched with a nice Churchill cigar. Great channel, awesome content. Great job
I've only started to get into rum, maybe the past 2 years. I leaned towards whisk(e)y when it came to spirits, as my understanding of how single malt scotch and bourbon were produced increased; my interest in rum started. El Dorado 15 is superb.
So far my favorite has been Havana Club especial. I found it in the duty free in Mexico, and I still have a little bit left. I’ll be buying a lot more next time I fly.
Thanks for episode, as a fan of rums I appreciate it a lot.. I have a lot of favorite rums but if I should pick one it is Zafra 21y.. In case some budget rum it is Malteco 15y
Zafra 21 for the price point is Hands down the best.... when I retired I treated myself to a bottle of Zafar 30 year and that my friend is the best I've ever had! Super happy to see someone mention Zafra!!!
Being an Engineering Grad student in India, I can't help but recommend Old Monk. The 7 years aged and blended rum is quite the staple in India. And if you want a bolder yet smoother flavour you could try the Old Monk Gold Reserve 12 years.
I'm from Trinidad and I had a friend bring a bottle of Old Monk for me.. Extremely good rum... It was the closest thing to Caribbean rum I tasted while living in EU... I always ask my friends travelling to India to being me back a bottle.
Well, as a whiskey drinker, I have been oblivious to the nature of rums, so this has been an excellent introduction. I have a Pusser's lingering in the liquor cabinet; I bought it to have a rum on hand and haven't any idea as to its quality, but it serves well for those times a hot toddy or buttered rum is called for.
Plantation is a very good and versatile rum. I especially like it as part of the CNCPAC special, which is a drink that I think more people should know of.
I think the Plantation 5 is a great gateway rum. But it is dosed, (Has sugar added.), without saying so. But, if you're in a Total Wine getting a bottle, you can get the Doorley's 12 for right about the same price. (It's without added sugar, and good enough to sip neat, imho.)
@@danielstebbins5380 According to Naval Historian Jon Parshall, Admiral Nimitz liked to make a standard Bourbon Old Fashioned and then add an ounce (half the amount of Bourbon) of "Dark Rum". He would name that drink, in honour of his job title (Commander In Chief, Pacific fleet) The CINCPAC Special. (Citation: Drachinifel Midway Anniversary Stream 2021). According to me, this drink is delicious; especially if you use Plantation 5 year. (Citation: Several nights over the past year.)
I have loved every Plantation rum I've tried! Definitely on the sweeter, fruitier side. 5yr is good for mixing/sipping. The Original Dark and Overproof are excellent mixers and cheaper than the 5 yr. The XO is delicious (less fruity, super smoooth), but I don't find it worth the extra money over the 5yr.
Hello from Cuba! Here in Havana talking about drinking is to assume we're drinking rum. There are so many different types regarding color, age and technique it's almost a universe. I loooove Havana Club 15 and a new brand, Black Tears Spiced Rum, but my favourite over the years has been Santiago de Cuba 11 years. Cheers!!!
Fantastic video Anders! Thank you for breaking it down so succintly. My favourite sipping rums are Dos Maderas 5+5 and as a runner up would be the Ron Zacapa 23 (though that age statement is more than a bit iffy, but it tastes good) and my favourite rhum agricole is Clement VSOP. A Also, I love the sign, though I think there's space for GIN to the left or right of it.
Solid video. One in important distinction though when talking about British and Spanish rums and their uses of column still. Most all Spanish rums now use multi-column stills that can push a distillate to an extremely high ABV and strip out the majority of the congeners that provide flavor. They're basically making vodka from sugarcane. On the other hand, the column stills used by distilleries like Foursquare and DDL in Guyana are single or double traditional column stills. While they still take the distillate to a high ABV, it's lower than multi-column, but most importantly doesn't strip out all the character.
Great video, Anders! I'm from Venezuela, so my favourite rums are from Venezuela. Here's my list: 1. Carupano 21 (Aged for 21 years) 2. Diplomatico Mantuano 3. Hacienda Saruro 4. Santa Teresa 1796
Hey, another Venezuelan here! Hacienda Saruro is a rum liqueur, so it's more blended than usual and it's not categorized as a clasical rum, it has more sweetness like an aperitif liqueur, pretty good though! cheers!
As a brazilian and cachaça and rum lover, I did not know French-style rum. Since it is made from sugarcane juice, it must be very similar to our cachaça. I must try it. Excelent video! Really enjoyed it.
Amazing work as always Anders! Please do more of these concise and informative videos about different spirits - I would love to see something similar for all the major liquors (whiskey, gin, tequila, etc). Once again, top quality content
This was a great video! I just bought my second ever bottle of rum. First one was a small bottle of Diplomatico which I really liked. Now got myself a christmas gift of Plantation Fiji Islands 2004 19yo, 17 years in Fiji in Bourbon casks and 2 years in France in french oak casks. Molasses, column still. Sounds like exactly what I wanted to have.
I bought a bottle of Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva last year when it was on sale for just under $100AUD and it blew my mind. Along with my local gin (Four Pillars) it has become my absolute go-to spirit. Rum is delicious y'all.
Hello there, Anders! Just a little correction about the Cachaça. In Brasil we have two different distillates of sugar cane: Cachaça and Aguardente. Cachaça is only made from the cane's mash, in which the cane's stalk is also mixed in. Since rum can be made from juice or molasses, it is the same as "aguardente de cana", or "sugarcane spirit" in Portuguese, but distinct from Cachaça.
Anders, pls correct you video as per Virior's reply below. I was about to scorch you for calling CACHAÇA a Rum. It is a detriment to both if you do that.
And cachaça can be aged in diferent barrels, rum can only be aged in Oak. Cachaça has milions of possibilities of barrels (umburana, balsamo, cabreuva, grápia and so on)
@@Trizzoneable Yeah that's certainly a truth about rum that comes from Central America. Rum made in Brazil (just as whisky made in Brazil) CAN be aged in different woods, but it MUST be at least partially aged in oak (something cachaça does not).
As someone who was raised in an area of Brazil that is to cachaça what piedmont is to Italian wines, I was ready to torch you. Thankfully this guy did it for me. Damn TH-cam algorithm!!!!
Dos Maderas 5+5 PX is my favorite. It's a Spanish style rum aged in rum casks for 5 years, then taken to Spain and aged in sherry casks for 3 years, and then Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for another 2 years. Pedro Ximenez sherry is the sweetest, richest type of sherry. Those 2 years make a huge difference. There's a raisin and molasses aftertaste to the rum. To get a scotch aged in the same type of casks, you'd be expected to pay hundreds of dollars, which is another thing I love about rum. You can get quality for a good price.
My favorite rum, also my favorite spirit to sip straight, is Diplomatico Reserva, from Venezuela. It drinks like a whiskey, but tastes like a rum. Pot distilled and barrel aged I believe it’s smooth and sweet and I wouldn’t even put it on the rocks. It’s so lovely.
It's one of the rums that's definitely got a bunch of sugar added, but it really is a delicious sip. This one and Matusalem 12 Solera (extremely smooth) are perfect choices to get newcomers interested in rum, or sipping spirits in general.
@@ramonalfredomuchachopantin6616Greetings from Germany to Venezuela. The Diplomatico (only here they have to label it Botucal) is so far the best, I have tried! Better than Plantation XO and Zacapa Centenario 23. How much does it cost in Venezuela (here around 30€) and is the sugar in the Reserva Exclusiva in Venezuela also reduced from 40g/l to 19g/l?
You definitely have to try Dominican rum, especially rums like Don Isidro, Brugal 1888 and Leyenda, Barceló Imperial Onyx, Don Miguel Homenaje, Bermudez Don Armando, and the best of them Opthimus by Oliver Rums, actually, all of Oliver rums are fantastic, in fact, there's a bunch of fabulous Dominican rums and I've skipped a bunch of deserving ones, still, I hope to see more Dominican rums in your channel, they're criminally under the radar.
A long awaited video and so worth the wait 🤩 as for my favourite rum, Zacapa XO (or sometimes the 23) from Guatemala has been my go to for the past 15 years.
Tried an Appleton Estate 3-year based on your recommendation in a previous video last year and was very pleased with it. It was a revelation to discover that there's something beyond the standard Bacardi/Kraken/Captain Morgan and that rum, too, can be a sipping liquor.
Try their 8 or 12 year. the taste profile goes up a huge notch and are much bolder bodied. leave it air in the glass for 30 minutes, give it a swirl and you're in.
Así a Venezuelan bartender abroad, you have no idea how hard it was for me to accept Rum for what it really is, because where I come from, Rum was only one thing and we "are the best at it". I was so wrong and I promise you, very few Venezuelans are ready to accept this hahaha. Anyways, amazing video!
Great video breaking down rum classifiers. I like the "triforce" approach to classification. While it cleans up some of the color and Spanish/french/English classifiers, and is much more useful than "light" vs "heavy" rums, the one weak leg in it's 3-legged stool approach is age. Twelve years isn't always more "aged" than four years. Some age statements are youngest barrel, some are averages etc. Moreover, the type of barrel makes a difference --be it rum, sherry, bourbon etc--and how many times that barrel has been used influences the effect that time will have on the rum contained within. A third factor that negates the usefulness of age statements is geography. A 4yr old rum aged in New England will taste significantly different than the same rum in the same barrel when aged in the Virgin Islands. And finally, we shouldn't discount how many producers are dabbling in the modern wizardry of rapid aging technologies like ultra sonics, light, heat and pressure. Some of these rapid esterification techniques are truly a wonder and make any attempt to issue a useful age statements impossible.
I love this episode! As a scotch drinker I always discarded rums as a lesser spirit. For a couple of months now, I realise I was wrong! Been getting into rum and it’s quite overwhelming, this video helps - a lot.
Any spirit which is distilled and can be aged is 'worthy'. Rum, whiskey (plus all its variations), brandy etc. None of them are really 'lesser' since they're all historied and come packaged with it. I may not respect drinks which feel new and cashing in and generally catering to an unknowing consumer base.
Great video on rum! I'm a fan on the El Dorado 15 and the El Dorado 21 for sipping. For mixing, I like Plantation 5 year and Appleton Estate Signature and Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve. I'll also sip on my mixing rums when I give them a little chill and dilution! I am generally a big fan of rums because they are very diverse! I went to the Appleton Estate rum factory down in Jamaica a few years ago. It was a blast!
I’ve been waiting for this episode - so glad you posted while it’s still rum/tiki season! More specifically, I’ve been waiting to ask you this question: I’ve never had rum Agricole but I love cachaca. Are the two similar enough to sub for one another in cocktails like your Mai Thai?
The two categories use different methods - meaning the results will differ. However, some un-aged versions of both can taste very similar. I think if you love cachaça, you'll probably enjoy rhum agricole. Feel free to sub them out for each other any cocktail - it might be your new favorite thing!
I experimented a lot with Mai Tai recepies and mixed a Appelton Estate with a Saint James rum agricole. But I really didn't like the taste. It took me a while to realise, that the agricole was the problem, because first I changed the ratios of the other incredients, like lime, sugar, orgeat, etc. Then I kicked out the agricole and used a El Dorado and the result was perfect. :) I hope i could help you with that.
Ha, the first bottles I got when I got serious about rums were Wray & Nephew and Smith & Cross. Wasn’t disappointed. Both hold up well in cocktails. I love a daiquiri with Wray & Nephew. I also like El Dorado 15 for sipping, Appleton, and anything by Plantation. A couple of things to note: “Robust” perhaps isn’t a useful term for the uninitiated. For Jamaican pot-still rums, for example, I’d suggest “funky”. These are rich in esters, with flavors including over-ripe banana, for example. Also, if you are a Scotch or bourbon drinker, you should be aware that in the heat of the tropics, rum ages in oak much faster than whiskey, so a 10-year rum might be as oaked and aged as a 20-year or older whiskey. Which is why rum can be a better value than whiskey, as much of the cost of those spirits is the long aging.
Zacapa from Guatemala is BY FAR the best rum I have tried. Every single rum lover that has not tried it should. Work your way up thru the aging. Cheers!
This is an excellent introduction to rum. Rum and scotch are my favourite spirits. I prefer rich, bold, rums suitable for sipping neat. Of those I've had the opportunity to try, my favourite is Eldorado 21. Eldorado 15 and Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva are (slightly) less expensive alternatives for sipping neat, or Angostura 1824 if I want something a little lighter. I keep a bottle of Eldorado 12 as an inexpensive sipping rum or premium mixing rum (it's a great substitute for vanilla in whipped cream, or for adding of flavour to chocolate cake or hot chocolate). Interestingly the Eldorado rums have significantly different flavour profiles, and are very obviously different blends, not just similar rums aged for different time frames.
I think it's because in the US those brands are harder to find and overshadowed by mainstream Spanish-style Rums from Puerto Rico, Cuba and Nicaragua. I'm from a North Midwestern US city and I've only ever seen 1 Brugal bottle in the whole city, and I've been to dozens of liquor stores.
Thanks for such a great tour to this amazing spirit. My favorite rum is Zacapa 23 years, I highly recommend it. Another one is Bavaro Grand Noir Rum from Dominican Republic, if you happen to find it, because that’s from a relatively small company.
The Probitas is amazing for a Daiquiri. We make a lime simple syrup and it’s just an awesome cocktail. Based off Anders recipe but with a small twist. Great vanilla notes and perfect for this hot weather. Loved this video, really cool and helpful. Cheers all!
I am often mixing several rums (rhums) in a cocktail. The best example would be my preferred Rum Old Fashioned. Rum Old Fashioned (Jelani Johnson @ Clover Club in NYC) • 3 oz. Mt. Gay Barbados Rum • 1 oz. Hamilton 151 Rum • ¼ oz. Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum • 1 Barspoon Clement Creole Shrub • ¼ oz. Demerara Syrup • 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters • 2 Dashes (20 drops) Bittermen’s Tiki bitters Express an Orange twist over the mixing glass and shake with ice Strain it into a coupe. Garnish with a Lime Coin
Myers's Dark Rum. I wish you would have mentioned this terrific pure Jamaican molasses rum. It's made from continuous and pot still distillation and matured in white oak barrels. The rum is then carefully blended making for a very distinctive color, aroma, and flavorful taste. My favorite! Thanks for the very interesting information
More Rum talk! My favorite rum is Goslings Old Rum But, what is more important is my favorite rum drinks: 1. Pain Killer, 2. Goombay Smash, 3. Dark n' Stormy 4. Daiquiri 5. Piña Colada (at any swim up bar in the Caribbean). Love to see a top 10 or 20 list of yours!
I really enjoyed this one! It was really cool learning about the history and the different types. Do you think you’ll ever do a bourbon/ whiskey one? Keep up the awesome work!
Great video! I'm relatively new to rum. One of my best friend introduced me and we tasted many rums the last time i went to his place. My favorites have been: Bira! (gold, from South Africa)), Foursquare 2009, Chairman's Reserve 1931 and The Real McCoy 12. One thing that made me appreciate the more complex rums was to buy a "Final Touch" glass and to sip a very little rum quantity at a time. With the cheap rums (with added sugar and other crap!), i took largers sips, doesn't work with real rum!!!
Im from Martinique...and happy to see us get some shout out. My favourite for mixing : Trois Riviere cuvée Oceanique (Martinique) My favourite that most suprised me: Pyrat (Guyana) My favourite i go back to: Saint James cuvée d'excellence (Martinique)
EDIT: A couple mistakes on our end!!
1. In the “French-Style” infographic, Haiti shouldn’t have been included on the list as Rum Agricole. That’s a protected name, so not all sugarcane-based rums (rhums) can be called Agricole. Haitian rums are one of these and are called Clairin (but still sugarcane-based).
2. Apparently El Dorado has stopped adding notable amounts of sweeteners to their rums! This happened within the last couple of years - I'm overdue for a software update in my brain.
Hope this clears things up! Sorry for any confusion!
There are so many great rums out there. What are some of your favorite bottles? 🏴☠🥃
I'm a really big fan of Plantation XO and Santa Teresa 1796, highly recommend both bottles.
I love el dorado 12 year. You used it in a video a while back which lead me to try it and I have yet to find a rum that I like more. Love the rich caramel taste of the demerara rums and am so glad you introduced me to it.
Definitely Centenario Fundacion 20 for sipping
El Dorado 8-year
Lemon Hart 151
Rum Fire by Hampden. Strong and funky. Goes great in a Wordsmith.
This is easily the one-stop master class for anyone who needs a quick education on Rum/Rhum. I learned more in these 15 minutes than watching the collection of other available videos on-line. Very well done! School is in session. Thank you for the lesson.
Thanks Michael! Happy you found it helpful!
If you have a Total Wine location, near you 🍷🍸🍺🥃 check it out!
Amders is the one that got me into making drinks as a hobby. Could literally listen to him all day
Finished smugglers cove and just finished reading and a bottle of rum. My bar is stocked with rum but I’m coming to see one one of my favorite bartenders has to say!
You’ve inspired me to stock my home bar with fine spirits and inspired me to bartend professionally. I’m only 23 years old but have been following you probably since I turned 21 and first read imbibe after your recommendation. Thank you Anders and Az ❤️
Love this. Cheers Nick!
I appreciate your approach to rum's history. It's important to acknowledge the realities of history and learn from the mistakes made. It's not important to "cancel" rum because it has some dark realities in its history.
I'd even argue that "canceling" rum due to its horrific history is counter intuitive and damaging to the current industry it has evolved into. Plenty of people in the Caribbean rely on the rum industry to live and canceling it to probe a point would only hurt those people.
A lot of products have dark realities not just in their history but in their present, too. Avoiding products with darkness in their present does more to help people than boycotting products that left their darkness behind. Anyone who refuses to drink rum, because it once involved slave labour, but happily munches on cheap chocolate and drinks cheap coffee is a hypocrite, because there's a lot of child labour on cocoa and coffee plantations right now. If you can afford to spend a little more, getting those from fair trade stores is the best you can do, because unlike boycotting all coffee and cocoa this can change the industry.
Well said, also it is certain cultures history and to cancel rum is to cancel their history
Nobody is trying to cancel rum, guys
@@Boommssloot Seriously, I'm reading these comments thinking I missed something. Why would anyone cancel something because slaves used to make it? Do they think people want to cancel bananas too?
As a Guyanese, it makes me happy to hear such good things about our El Dorado Rum
Bruh, the history around El Dorado is insane. They're still using the original stills from hundreds of years ago, during the Age of Sail.
A bottle of El Dorado is a bottle of history.
Just got my first bottle of El Dorado 15 and it is an absolutely beautiful rum! May very well become my new favorite.
Oh it's the absolute best Rum!
I’m Trinidadian and Guyanese is my run of choice! Can’t argue against quality.
My first foray into sipping rums was El Dorado. An excellent first choice. Guyana also has a part in my favorite ever rum, Dos Maderas 5+5
This is what we need, for me. I am a bartender who just started few months ago here in Dubai and still learning about all the spirits, history about them, process of making and the story behind it. This is really huge help for me for RUM. The way you deliver the messages it was loud, and clear. 🙌🏻 Hoping that u make another one for whiskey, vodka, tequila, gin, brandy and wines. Thank you very much! 🙌🏻
Cachaça is older than rum. Historians, among them Câmera Cascudo, have discovered that the first cachaça was distilled in 1532 in São Vicente, near the port of the modern-day Sao Paulo. São Vincent was where the original sugarcane farms were located in Brazil - nearly a hundred years before the beginning of rum production.
I love cachaca. I fell in love with that style of rum when i was in costa rica and had a bunch of their Cacique, which is their national version of cachaca. I really wish i could actually import Cacique into the US, but Cacique is owned by the government of Costa Rica, and they don't export it. There were rumors that they were going to start exporting, but i have not seen any of it show up in the US yet.
Smuggler’s Cove is possibly the best cocktail book ever made. It got me waaaaaay down the tiki rabbit hole but also taught me a ton about distilled spirits in general.
100% concur.
Rum is not tiki. Tiki is Hawaiian
I just made my first 6 cocktails out of that book this weekend and I just gotta say ... wow, like every single cocktail in there was delicious and surprisingly well-balanced. I'm down that same rabbit hole now. Martin Cate did an awesome job at making quality tiki cocktails accessible.
I'm a total rum newbie. For years my brothers raved about bourbons and whiskeys. They have had some of the best in the world to offer me. But for some reason though I honestly cannot lie to myself any longer. They both just seem like paint thinner. So here I am today. Not sure how rum ever appeared on my radar but it did and I took the leap. My first bottle ever after watching numerous videos was Appleton Estate's signature blend. Well sipping it slow was just amazing. It tasted like something, it had flavor that was smoothe and amazing, not the paint thinner-like taste of whiskey or bourbon. I enjoyed a backyard barbecue with my sipper and I was just as mellow as i could be. So I'm gonna search other rums and get my bearing on a favorite. A new world for me.
Rum is a great spirit to get into because the price of good rum is held down by Bacardi being most people's go-to rum. You can get some really great rums for $40-70/bottle. In the $40-50 range, you can't go wrong with Diplomatico Reserva and Dos Maderas 5+5 or Seleccion. In the $70 range, the Gosling's Old Rum and Ron Centenario 25 year Gran Reserva are incredible.
I appreciate you for not shying away from this history. It's great that I ask questions as you talk and you end up answering them in your explanation. Thanks for being so thorough.
Thank you Anders for your guide, I have a blast every week you published. I have been here for more than a year.
Zacapa Centenario 23 YO is absolutely the tastiest rum I have ever drank. Totally recommended.
I wouldn't be mad at longer format videos. So much history, types, styles and varieties; 45 minutes to an hour, would be great!
Anders! This is the best summary on rum I've seen circulating. Congrats, really great work!
You have forgotten the most sacred in the Southern Hemisphere, North Queensland Fighting Juice - Bundaberg Rum!!!
Burnt to the ground TWICE! Had its entire stock commandeered for troop moral in WW2 and still the number 1 down under.
I can Highly recommended the Small Batch reserve as a base for cocktails and they even do a charcoal filtered white rum.
The regular U.P Rum is perfect for a rum and coke.
I thought this was James Hoffman in the thumbnail honestly. Stayed and realized he essentially the same thing only for rum - great stuff.
I have about 150 bottles of whiskey and was thinking of diving into rum next. I have never drank a rum neat, only ever in cocktails. This video was very helpful! Good stuff! Thanks!!
I have more than 100 bottles of rum. It is amazing adventure, give it a shot. Start with Havana Club Puerto Rican, El Dorado five year, Plantation three star one of my favorites, Hamilton 86, Mount Gay Eclipse, Plantation OFTD over proofed, Denizen, Lemon heart and son original 1804, Hamilton Jamaican pot still black, Rhum JM VSOP and Koloa Dark rum Hawaiian. You’ll need some mixers to get you started orange Curaçao Blue Curaçao , Blackberry randy apricot brandy, a coconut flavored rum pineapple juice, cherries, Orgeat, Demerara and simple syrup. Is it supposed to get you started if you’re going in the room you might as well try Tiki! It’s a whole New World! Enjoy!
@@BROVERLANDER this is fantastic!! Thank you so much for the guidance. For real. I will definitely look into your suggestions!! I am really interested in the category so it’s great to get some advice from someone that into it. Thanks again
As a rum and mixology enthusiast and avid follower of the channel, I keep coming back to this one while assessing my rum at hand and before buying one or two new bottles. Love your videos and especially your original drinks; this right here is the good stuff :)
You are great, Anders!
TH-cam Channels like yours are priceless. No BS, no Coops every single video, but on point authentic information.
You got me into mixing, that I am enjoying a lot.
This has been the most informative video on Rum that I’ve seen, you cleared some things up in my mind about Stills and the different characteristics they produce. Thanks for a great video
I had always wanted to find something to sip on as I created my den in my home. I tried whiskey, couldn't do it. Tried Scotch, couldn't do it. Then went to Cognac. Went up the line in quality until I came across Hardy XO Rare Fine Champagne and have sipped on nothing but that for the last 5 years. I decided to try some Rum just to see. Did a little research about light and dark Rums and bought some Equiano . This is amazing as it is aged in Cognac barrels from their blend. I have found my new sipping drink.
This is by far the best Rum (dont have a word for it, round-up, explanation) on the WWW. I love rum. As a member of a whiskey club trying to explain Rum to my peers who just dont understand anything other than peated. Well done, nailed it. Especially explaining the different types, as I always do a shit job of that.
In Brazil, cachaça is not considered a rum, but a spirit in its own right. It is indeed made exclusively from fermented sugar cane juice, but it can be aged in over 15 different types of wood, and there can be blending of cachaças aged in two or more of these types. It is produced in many different regions of the country, but the name cachaça can only be used if it is produced in Brazil, according to local regulations - for example, the abv has to be between 38% and 48%, otherwise it will be categorized as “aguardente de cana”.
I recently bought a bottle of Plantation Barbados 5 year and absolutely adore it! It has a ton of character and I'm very excited to go out and try more varieties of the spirit. I made a daiquiri with it, went light on the simple, and it is simply one of the cocktails I've managed to fashion, very balanced and a ton of character. I've mostly been a gin and tequila guy up until this point but frankly, this one bottle of rum has convinced me that I am, in fact, a rum guy. Thank you for the booze lesson, great as always, cheers.
I really like the 5 year old as well. If you want really good sipping rum try the Plantation 20 anniversary XO or Ron Cartavio XO.
As a starting bartender, i must say that this video actually gave me more information and insight than both the Diageo/PernodRicard education programs. Thank you so much, Anders!
I love the outright funkiness and complexity of Hampden 8, the rich smooth warmth of El Dorado 15 and the bold tobacco whack of Dictador 12. Great video there, don't think I've tried an aged agricole before
Thanks Anders! One of my biggest pet peeves is when recipes call for "gold rum" or "light rum" when there is so much variability of flavors when you categorize that way! thanks for educating!
First time viewer! Very good teaching! I’m on my 6th month of my bourbon journey with other spirits included. My rum choices so far have been Four Square Indelible(90.00) and Dos Maderas (30.00) Bacardi 8yr? (42.00) the 4 Square is very good and the Dos Maderas is really delicious! I have the Bacardi to my son for a mixer:) I only drink neat and mostly bourbon but the rum finished bourbon and rum is very sweet and tasty!
Rum has always been my "go-to" hard spirit, but after working / living in Colombia for 5 yrs, it took my tastes to a different level. Ron Viejo de Caldas produces rums of 3, 5, 8 & 15 yrs. The 3yr old is fine for mixed drinks & cocktails and the aged rums are all delicious for sipping.
I'm Colombian and yeah they have a lot flavor and aroma
Right now I'm exploring gin and fortified wines, but rum is a spirit I'm looking forward to learning more about and tasting more in the future so this video is very helpful. I loved the style, I think you struck a great balance between being concise and thorough. You packed a lot of information in while making it feel breezy and not overwhelming. Also I appreciate you being mindful and talking about the history. When you respect something, you learn all you can about it whether it's what you want to hear or not, so I think it's good not to shy away when you're teaching others.
As someone who has the Smuggler's Cove book already, and considers himself a connoisseur of rums, this is still a great intro! I didn't know about the traditional categorization of rums! But yes, I've explained that rum is the most diverse of the spirits because there are little rules, but it's a super fun journey! I'm a big fan of the El Dorado series and Plantation series!
Jason from Montreal here. Love the show first of all. Love the sign... wish I had one. I agree with everything you pointed out which should help so many people understand better what rum is all about. I myself am primarily a rum drinker. I have 43 different kinds of rum in my home bar today. I could only guesstimate that I've tasted uppers of 150-200 kinds of rum since I realized I wasn't a beer fan back in my 20s. Keep up the great videos... CHEERS!!!!
love how you managed to go the whole video without mentioning havana club - possibly one of my favourite rums
That's probably because is difficult to get in the US because of the embargo, since Havana Club is state-owned by Cuba. IIRC, USA is the only country in the world where Havan isn't sold so you need to go a long way to get it
@@lorenzocrepaldi1630 oh yeah i get that - just thought it was worth a mention given its magnitude worldwide
I commented that the two biggest in there history of cocktails and spread around the world the Havana club and of course Bacardi
The Zaya Grand Reserva was my Dad's favorite so we have drank a ton of that over the years and love it. It's a nice blend. Pampero Anniversario has always been one of my favorites. I recently tried the Meyers Single Barrel aged in Sazerac Rye casks and enjoyed that! Very affordable at about $25.
Great video! As a Puerto Rican nyself, I come from "the land of rum". As much as we are known around the world for our rums, actually my favorites are not necessarily from Puerto Rico. From my homeland, I would recommend everyone here to try Ron El Barrilito. It is without a doubt one of the best rums produced in the island. My personal favorites though, at least for sipping, are Diplomatico Gran Reserva Especial and Zacapa Solera 23. I hear great things about Santa Teresa Solera as well, but haven't tried it. The true Havana Club Añejo from Cuba is another great one. Just my 2 cents!
Hampden Estate 8 Years is by far my favorite rum, its wonderful to sip on its own, but also work wonderfully in many rum drinks, love it
My absolute favorite as far as brands go is Plantation - I find their double aged dark or 3 star the best for mixing, and their XO is simply exquisite. And the other bottles they offer are nice, and at very affordable price points for sipping.
Another favorite is Don Papa smal batch - it tastes like marshmallows, and I can't get over that. Honorable mentions (for sipping or a rum old fashioned mainly) include Diplomatico Grande Reserva, Ron Zacapa 23, and Matusalem 15 Gran Solera.
And finally, for my ginger beer intake, Gosling's Black Strap I find enjoyable, especially on a hot summer day.
Cheers Anders, thanks for this informative yet brief summary!
I like your lineup! Cheers!
My go-to rum is Havana Club Anejo Especial, a traditional golden rum aged in oak barrels from Cuba. I prefer golden to white or dark rums generally, though I'm not a purist about it and certainly won't refuse either if I'm offered them. Also, I find a dark rum is preferable if smoking a strong cigar.
Interesting rums pop up in surprising places; one of my local bottle store proprietors put me on to a very tasty little number from India - Old Monk - which is a dark rum and a popular seller.
Your neon sign is great! 👍
Yes, rum, like tobacco, sugar, coffee, tea and cacao, carries a dark colonial history. In fact, food and drink walk side by side with the rise and fall of empires. I think it's a great way to introduce students to history, a subject many balk at for being dry and boring (of course it's boringly taught!). I'm keen to dig out the books you featured.
Just got my copy of Smuggler’s Cove! I’ve been super excited to dive into it after watching all of your tiki videos. Now all I need to do is find the perfect tiki mugs. The Real McCoy has been a workhorse for me this summer cranking out mojitos. A very delicious, but dangerously subtle rum.
Probably one of the best cocktail books in my collection. An absolute must read for anyone into rum and/or tiki. Cheers.
I enjoy all of your videos, this is one of your better ones. Great break down of rum and its variants. I have honestly stood in front of the rum section of my favorite liquor store and wondered "what is really the difference in all of these?" I think I have a decent understanding of whiskeys. But not rum. This video really helps. Thanks! If you haven't already, you should do a series of videos on whiskey.
I really liked the traditional approach, it makes a lot more sense and easier to explain in my mind to new rum enjoyers. My favorite English style rum is Smith&Cross, favorite Spanish style rum is Brugal XV, favorite Agricole rhum is Trois Rivières :)
I second this, Brugal is amazing
I have the El Dorado 12 and 21 years for sipping! I've not tasted the 15 yet. But man the 12 is so smooth and well rounded! I also finally picked up the Smith&Cross!
Brugal!
smith & cross all the way!!!
I just got back from Punta Cana Dominican Republic last week and rekindled my love for rum! I even brought Barcelo rum cream and another dark rum back with me. Can't wait to make some drinks with these! This video was right on time Anders! Thanks 😀
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is one of my all time favourite rums ,in fact the whole line up from Diplomatico is excellent . Another bottler i have very much enjoyed is Dictador the 20 year is what i would call my sweet spot (price /flavour/value mixed or on the rocks)
I love rum
@Matthew-wn8oq It is not a nightmare. DSRE is a good rum, but better from the brand is the Mantuano or the Ambassador. Now from Venezuela I think there are better ones:
Carupano brand
Barrica brand
Caballo Viejo brand
1796 Solera Extra from Santa Teresa (better than plain 1796)
El Dorado is amazing. My favorite. I'm glad you think so as well. Very cool.
Definitely one of the better RUM 101 videos out here, but there are a few small mistakes or some details to clear up.
But really appreciate the video and will share it in our Rum Group as a starting point to stimulate more discussion and much more tasting!
Two biggest issues up front are that both Cachaça and Arrack predate Rum by a couple hundred years so while they are all in the sugarcane distillate family, they are not technically "Rum".
I've always been fascinated by rum, but I've never understood it. After viewing this vid, I'm ready to venture forth. Thanks for posting this episode.
Yes, charge on my friend! And rum bottles are some of the coolest too. They get very creative with the bottles and labels - Cheers !!
I loved the aged rums, Flor De Cana 12 is up there but El Dorado 5 is my favorite mixing rum, it is just so versatile
Very nice video, and the perfect starter. Rums are vast and varied. A good example-- column still rums are thought of as clean and low ester, but both agricoles and grand aromes are column distilled traditionally. Huge flavors are capable from column stills. But frankly that's a little bit advanced for someone looking to dip their toes into rum.
I live in the Philippines, and though years ago I tasted some rums from the Caribbean, the rhums/rums here are very different. The most common are the Tanduay Rhum, but there are a number of runs native here to the Philippines. I have a bottle of Don Papa Rum on the shelf, next to a bottle of Zabana Rum, net to a bottle of Tanduay Select Rhum. each one is different from the next and all are good in their own ways. We grow sugar cane here in the Philippines. 🙂
Thank you for reminding me of all the great rum and calamansi I drank in the Philippines. SO GOOD.
Zabana is quite good! Haven't tried the others yet.
I live in Malaysia....heading to the Philippines soon for a diving trip. Looking forward to trying some of your rums! 🙂
So I was debating with my friend which "rum" to get on the weekend, havana or captain morgan, and here I am. Thanks google that you like to listen to literally everything in my life. Great video, learned a lot keep it that way!
Favorite bottle would definitely be Appleton Estate. I always keep it in my cabinet.
As a Jamaican woman married to a Haitian man, this video made me so happy! Definitely want to give the Haitian rum a try soon. Also, love the sign!!!
Barbancourt 15yr out of Haiti is a great pour
Rum is easily the most under-appreciated spirit, due to most people's experience with rum being limited to Bacardi and Captain Morgan. Very few people understand just how great a really good rum can be. In my days behind the bar, I guided many people away from Bacardi and onto the path of good rum.
After Bacardi went out Cuba, everything changed for them. Is not the same anymore.😅
“And A Bottle Of Rum” is a great read regarding the history of rum. One of my favorite rums is Papa’s Pilar with great maple notes. Another one is Bumbu; with higher notes of banana.
Bumbu is amazing very sweet but amazing
I grew up drinking the basic Coconut rums for mixed drinks and the sweet ones. I just bought the Appleton Estates rum hoping for more clean flavors like a nice scotch. Holy cow, it’s amazing. You can smell and taste fruit all in it. It’s really enjoyable to sip on with dinner or dessert. Thank you sir for the video and knowledge.
Scientific fact: there isn’t a Jamaican household anywhere in the world that doesn’t have that yellow and green bottle of Wray & Nephews in it. My dad is Jamaican, and thanks to his influence, I don’t think I was aware of other brands of rum for the longest time. Who needs Theraflu/NeoCitran when you have Wray & Nephews, hot water, honey and lime?
Oh, and I JUST got “And A Bottle of Rum” last week, based on your earlier video on great cocktail books.
This is true!!! Wray & Nephews is our Vicks vapor rub, as well as our NyQuil 😉
Thx
Yaaas! 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲
From a Rum novise, really informatic video. I dont fancy drinks, cognacs or vodka, so I found rum. Oh my, theres a whole world of good flavoures out there. So far, my goto rums has been Zacapa, Plantation, Diplomatico and QRM. Have to say Plantation XO are a favourite. Awesome sign btw...cheers!👌
I have visited Cuba at least a dozen times , all the bars make Mojitos and daiquiris out of three year old Havana club, my favourite sipping rum would be Santiago de Cuba seven year , and that would be matched with a nice Churchill cigar. Great channel, awesome content. Great job
Love your opinion going to Cuba next year any recommandations?
I've only started to get into rum, maybe the past 2 years. I leaned towards whisk(e)y when it came to spirits, as my understanding of how single malt scotch and bourbon were produced increased; my interest in rum started. El Dorado 15 is superb.
So far my favorite has been Havana Club especial. I found it in the duty free in Mexico, and I still have a little bit left. I’ll be buying a lot more next time I fly.
Thanks for episode, as a fan of rums I appreciate it a lot.. I have a lot of favorite rums but if I should pick one it is Zafra 21y.. In case some budget rum it is Malteco 15y
Zafra 21 for the price point is Hands down the best.... when I retired I treated myself to a bottle of Zafar 30 year and that my friend is the best I've ever had! Super happy to see someone mention Zafra!!!
Being an Engineering Grad student in India, I can't help but recommend Old Monk. The 7 years aged and blended rum is quite the staple in India. And if you want a bolder yet smoother flavour you could try the Old Monk Gold Reserve 12 years.
Tokei Khujchilam Bhai
I'm from Trinidad and I had a friend bring a bottle of Old Monk for me.. Extremely good rum... It was the closest thing to Caribbean rum I tasted while living in EU... I always ask my friends travelling to India to being me back a bottle.
Am a Ugandan in Bahrain, I have Indian friends of mine here who introduced me to Old Monk and am now hooked to Old Monk
Old Monk rum is rubbish..tried it in India, so disappointed
What does being an engineering student have to do with rum recommendations? 😅
Well, as a whiskey drinker, I have been oblivious to the nature of rums, so this has been an excellent introduction. I have a Pusser's lingering in the liquor cabinet; I bought it to have a rum on hand and haven't any idea as to its quality, but it serves well for those times a hot toddy or buttered rum is called for.
My favorite mixer so far has been Plantation 5 year. I've also sipped it and find it to be pretty fantastic either way
Plantation is a very good and versatile rum. I especially like it as part of the CNCPAC special, which is a drink that I think more people should know of.
@@gnyrinn what is this?
I think the Plantation 5 is a great gateway rum. But it is dosed, (Has sugar added.), without saying so. But, if you're in a Total Wine getting a bottle, you can get the Doorley's 12 for right about the same price. (It's without added sugar, and good enough to sip neat, imho.)
@@danielstebbins5380 According to Naval Historian Jon Parshall, Admiral Nimitz liked to make a standard Bourbon Old Fashioned and then add an ounce (half the amount of Bourbon) of "Dark Rum". He would name that drink, in honour of his job title (Commander In Chief, Pacific fleet) The CINCPAC Special. (Citation: Drachinifel Midway Anniversary Stream 2021).
According to me, this drink is delicious; especially if you use Plantation 5 year. (Citation: Several nights over the past year.)
I have loved every Plantation rum I've tried! Definitely on the sweeter, fruitier side. 5yr is good for mixing/sipping. The Original Dark and Overproof are excellent mixers and cheaper than the 5 yr. The XO is delicious (less fruity, super smoooth), but I don't find it worth the extra money over the 5yr.
Hello from Cuba! Here in Havana talking about drinking is to assume we're drinking rum. There are so many different types regarding color, age and technique it's almost a universe. I loooove Havana Club 15 and a new brand, Black Tears Spiced Rum, but my favourite over the years has been Santiago de Cuba 11 years. Cheers!!!
Fantastic video Anders! Thank you for breaking it down so succintly.
My favourite sipping rums are Dos Maderas 5+5 and as a runner up would be the Ron Zacapa 23 (though that age statement is more than a bit iffy, but it tastes good) and my favourite rhum agricole is Clement VSOP. A
Also, I love the sign, though I think there's space for GIN to the left or right of it.
I like how you think, Joonha! Now I just want more signs 😂 Hope you have a great weekend!
agreed Dos Maderas 5+5
@@AndersErickson I second the Gin sign! 😂
Solid video. One in important distinction though when talking about British and Spanish rums and their uses of column still. Most all Spanish rums now use multi-column stills that can push a distillate to an extremely high ABV and strip out the majority of the congeners that provide flavor. They're basically making vodka from sugarcane.
On the other hand, the column stills used by distilleries like Foursquare and DDL in Guyana are single or double traditional column stills. While they still take the distillate to a high ABV, it's lower than multi-column, but most importantly doesn't strip out all the character.
Great video, Anders! I'm from Venezuela, so my favourite rums are from Venezuela. Here's my list: 1. Carupano 21 (Aged for 21 years) 2. Diplomatico Mantuano 3. Hacienda Saruro 4. Santa Teresa 1796
Hey, another Venezuelan here! Hacienda Saruro is a rum liqueur, so it's more blended than usual and it's not categorized as a clasical rum, it has more sweetness like an aperitif liqueur, pretty good though! cheers!
@@eduardoguerrero2330, I totally agree with you, Eduardo!
As a brazilian and cachaça and rum lover, I did not know French-style rum. Since it is made from sugarcane juice, it must be very similar to our cachaça. I must try it. Excelent video! Really enjoyed it.
Amazing work as always Anders! Please do more of these concise and informative videos about different spirits - I would love to see something similar for all the major liquors (whiskey, gin, tequila, etc). Once again, top quality content
This was a great video! I just bought my second ever bottle of rum. First one was a small bottle of Diplomatico which I really liked.
Now got myself a christmas gift of Plantation Fiji Islands 2004 19yo, 17 years in Fiji in Bourbon casks and 2 years in France in french oak casks. Molasses, column still. Sounds like exactly what I wanted to have.
I bought a bottle of Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva last year when it was on sale for just under $100AUD and it blew my mind. Along with my local gin (Four Pillars) it has become my absolute go-to spirit. Rum is delicious y'all.
It is hands down the best bottle I've ever purchased ❤
The best!!!!
One of my favorites. Its also a good gateway into whisky.
Dos Maderas triple aged is also s really good one around the same price. Slightly sweeter
35 grams of added sugar per liter ain't rum buddy it's crap....
@@9ballwizard what do you think rum is made out of? flour?
Plantation overproof and Stiggins’ Fancy are my go to! A classic daquiri with either of these or even an ounce of both is my all time favorite drink!
Hello there, Anders! Just a little correction about the Cachaça.
In Brasil we have two different distillates of sugar cane: Cachaça and Aguardente. Cachaça is only made from the cane's mash, in which the cane's stalk is also mixed in. Since rum can be made from juice or molasses, it is the same as "aguardente de cana", or "sugarcane spirit" in Portuguese, but distinct from Cachaça.
Anders, pls correct you video as per Virior's reply below. I was about to scorch you for calling CACHAÇA a Rum. It is a detriment to both if you do that.
And cachaça can be aged in diferent barrels, rum can only be aged in Oak. Cachaça has milions of possibilities of barrels (umburana, balsamo, cabreuva, grápia and so on)
@@Trizzoneable Yeah that's certainly a truth about rum that comes from Central America.
Rum made in Brazil (just as whisky made in Brazil) CAN be aged in different woods, but it MUST be at least partially aged in oak (something cachaça does not).
As someone who was raised in an area of Brazil that is to cachaça what piedmont is to Italian wines, I was ready to torch you. Thankfully this guy did it for me.
Damn TH-cam algorithm!!!!
@@viriorI just watched a review of a rum aged in maple barrels.
Dos Maderas 5+5 PX is my favorite. It's a Spanish style rum aged in rum casks for 5 years, then taken to Spain and aged in sherry casks for 3 years, and then Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for another 2 years. Pedro Ximenez sherry is the sweetest, richest type of sherry. Those 2 years make a huge difference. There's a raisin and molasses aftertaste to the rum. To get a scotch aged in the same type of casks, you'd be expected to pay hundreds of dollars, which is another thing I love about rum. You can get quality for a good price.
My favorite rum, also my favorite spirit to sip straight, is Diplomatico Reserva, from Venezuela. It drinks like a whiskey, but tastes like a rum. Pot distilled and barrel aged I believe it’s smooth and sweet and I wouldn’t even put it on the rocks. It’s so lovely.
It's one of the rums that's definitely got a bunch of sugar added, but it really is a delicious sip. This one and Matusalem 12 Solera (extremely smooth) are perfect choices to get newcomers interested in rum, or sipping spirits in general.
as someone from Venezuela, you have chosen what I think is our best rum. It’s my favorite
@@ramonalfredomuchachopantin6616Greetings from Germany to Venezuela. The Diplomatico (only here they have to label it Botucal) is so far the best, I have tried! Better than Plantation XO and Zacapa Centenario 23. How much does it cost in Venezuela (here around 30€) and is the sugar in the Reserva Exclusiva in Venezuela also reduced from 40g/l to 19g/l?
Very informative video on Rum. Thanks !!!
Old Monk is the Rum I drink. It's quite popular here in this part of the world.
You definitely have to try Dominican rum, especially rums like Don Isidro, Brugal 1888 and Leyenda, Barceló Imperial Onyx, Don Miguel Homenaje, Bermudez Don Armando, and the best of them Opthimus by Oliver Rums, actually, all of Oliver rums are fantastic, in fact, there's a bunch of fabulous Dominican rums and I've skipped a bunch of deserving ones, still, I hope to see more Dominican rums in your channel, they're criminally under the radar.
A long awaited video and so worth the wait 🤩 as for my favourite rum, Zacapa XO (or sometimes the 23) from Guatemala has been my go to for the past 15 years.
Tried an Appleton Estate 3-year based on your recommendation in a previous video last year and was very pleased with it. It was a revelation to discover that there's something beyond the standard Bacardi/Kraken/Captain Morgan and that rum, too, can be a sipping liquor.
Try their 8 or 12 year. the taste profile goes up a huge notch and are much bolder bodied. leave it air in the glass for 30 minutes, give it a swirl and you're in.
@@Freehardy will have to try this, thanks
Hell of a video! I'm a whisky guy who knew absolutely nothing about rum until just now so thanks!
Así a Venezuelan bartender abroad, you have no idea how hard it was for me to accept Rum for what it really is, because where I come from, Rum was only one thing and we "are the best at it".
I was so wrong and I promise you, very few Venezuelans are ready to accept this hahaha.
Anyways, amazing video!
Still venezualan rum is one of the best in the world :) Diplomatico, Pampero, Santa Tereza, Roble Viejo. Those are perfect
Great video breaking down rum classifiers. I like the "triforce" approach to classification. While it cleans up some of the color and Spanish/french/English classifiers, and is much more useful than "light" vs "heavy" rums, the one weak leg in it's 3-legged stool approach is age.
Twelve years isn't always more "aged" than four years. Some age statements are youngest barrel, some are averages etc. Moreover, the type of barrel makes a difference --be it rum, sherry, bourbon etc--and how many times that barrel has been used influences the effect that time will have on the rum contained within. A third factor that negates the usefulness of age statements is geography. A 4yr old rum aged in New England will taste significantly different than the same rum in the same barrel when aged in the Virgin Islands. And finally, we shouldn't discount how many producers are dabbling in the modern wizardry of rapid aging technologies like ultra sonics, light, heat and pressure. Some of these rapid esterification techniques are truly a wonder and make any attempt to issue a useful age statements impossible.
I love this episode! As a scotch drinker I always discarded rums as a lesser spirit. For a couple of months now, I realise I was wrong! Been getting into rum and it’s quite overwhelming, this video helps - a lot.
Any spirit which is distilled and can be aged is 'worthy'. Rum, whiskey (plus all its variations), brandy etc. None of them are really 'lesser' since they're all historied and come packaged with it. I may not respect drinks which feel new and cashing in and generally catering to an unknowing consumer base.
Great video on rum! I'm a fan on the El Dorado 15 and the El Dorado 21 for sipping. For mixing, I like Plantation 5 year and Appleton Estate Signature and Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve. I'll also sip on my mixing rums when I give them a little chill and dilution! I am generally a big fan of rums because they are very diverse! I went to the Appleton Estate rum factory down in Jamaica a few years ago. It was a blast!
I’ve been waiting for this episode - so glad you posted while it’s still rum/tiki season! More specifically, I’ve been waiting to ask you this question: I’ve never had rum Agricole but I love cachaca. Are the two similar enough to sub for one another in cocktails like your Mai Thai?
The two categories use different methods - meaning the results will differ. However, some un-aged versions of both can taste very similar. I think if you love cachaça, you'll probably enjoy rhum agricole. Feel free to sub them out for each other any cocktail - it might be your new favorite thing!
I experimented a lot with Mai Tai recepies and mixed a Appelton Estate with a Saint James rum agricole. But I really didn't like the taste. It took me a while to realise, that the agricole was the problem, because first I changed the ratios of the other incredients, like lime, sugar, orgeat, etc. Then I kicked out the agricole and used a El Dorado and the result was perfect. :) I hope i could help you with that.
Thanks so much for the advice and keep the great content coming, Anders and Az!
They are pretty similar, generally speaking
Ha, the first bottles I got when I got serious about rums were Wray & Nephew and Smith & Cross. Wasn’t disappointed. Both hold up well in cocktails. I love a daiquiri with Wray & Nephew. I also like El Dorado 15 for sipping, Appleton, and anything by Plantation. A couple of things to note: “Robust” perhaps isn’t a useful term for the uninitiated. For Jamaican pot-still rums, for example, I’d suggest “funky”. These are rich in esters, with flavors including over-ripe banana, for example. Also, if you are a Scotch or bourbon drinker, you should be aware that in the heat of the tropics, rum ages in oak much faster than whiskey, so a 10-year rum might be as oaked and aged as a 20-year or older whiskey. Which is why rum can be a better value than whiskey, as much of the cost of those spirits is the long aging.
Zacapa from Guatemala is BY FAR the best rum I have tried. Every single rum lover that has not tried it should. Work your way up thru the aging. Cheers!
This is an excellent introduction to rum.
Rum and scotch are my favourite spirits. I prefer rich, bold, rums suitable for sipping neat. Of those I've had the opportunity to try, my favourite is Eldorado 21. Eldorado 15 and Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva are (slightly) less expensive alternatives for sipping neat, or Angostura 1824 if I want something a little lighter. I keep a bottle of Eldorado 12 as an inexpensive sipping rum or premium mixing rum (it's a great substitute for vanilla in whipped cream, or for adding of flavour to chocolate cake or hot chocolate). Interestingly the Eldorado rums have significantly different flavour profiles, and are very obviously different blends, not just similar rums aged for different time frames.
I was a bit surprised that some of the great Caribbean rums IMO such as Brugal, Diplomatico, Dictador and Anniversario didn’t get a mention
Haven’t tried Brugal. However, I love Anniversario, Dictador, and Diplomatico is a go to sipping rum.
@@kylerobinson1985 if you get a chance try the Brugal Leyanda, certainly up there with the others mentioned
Diplomatico is loaded with extra sugar and too sweet. Haven’t tried the others.
I think it's because in the US those brands are harder to find and overshadowed by mainstream Spanish-style Rums from Puerto Rico, Cuba and Nicaragua. I'm from a North Midwestern US city and I've only ever seen 1 Brugal bottle in the whole city, and I've been to dozens of liquor stores.
Thanks for such a great tour to this amazing spirit.
My favorite rum is Zacapa 23 years, I highly recommend it. Another one is Bavaro Grand Noir Rum from Dominican Republic, if you happen to find it, because that’s from a relatively small company.
The Probitas is amazing for a Daiquiri. We make a lime simple syrup and it’s just an awesome cocktail. Based off Anders recipe but with a small twist. Great vanilla notes and perfect for this hot weather. Loved this video, really cool and helpful. Cheers all!
I am often mixing several rums (rhums) in a cocktail. The best example would be my preferred Rum Old Fashioned.
Rum Old Fashioned (Jelani Johnson @ Clover Club in NYC)
• 3 oz. Mt. Gay Barbados Rum
• 1 oz. Hamilton 151 Rum
• ¼ oz. Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum
• 1 Barspoon Clement Creole Shrub
• ¼ oz. Demerara Syrup
• 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
• 2 Dashes (20 drops) Bittermen’s Tiki bitters
Express an Orange twist over the mixing glass and shake with ice
Strain it into a coupe.
Garnish with a Lime Coin
Myers's Dark Rum. I wish you would have mentioned this terrific pure Jamaican molasses rum. It's made from continuous and pot still distillation and matured in white oak barrels. The rum is then carefully blended making for a very distinctive color, aroma, and flavorful taste. My favorite! Thanks for the very interesting information
More Rum talk! My favorite rum is Goslings Old Rum But, what is more important is my favorite rum drinks: 1. Pain Killer, 2. Goombay Smash, 3. Dark n' Stormy 4. Daiquiri 5. Piña Colada (at any swim up bar in the Caribbean). Love to see a top 10 or 20 list of yours!
I really enjoyed this one! It was really cool learning about the history and the different types. Do you think you’ll ever do a bourbon/ whiskey one? Keep up the awesome work!
Great video! I'm relatively new to rum. One of my best friend introduced me and we tasted many rums the last time i went to his place. My favorites have been: Bira! (gold, from South Africa)), Foursquare 2009, Chairman's Reserve 1931 and The Real McCoy 12. One thing that made me appreciate the more complex rums was to buy a "Final Touch" glass and to sip a very little rum quantity at a time. With the cheap rums (with added sugar and other crap!), i took largers sips, doesn't work with real rum!!!
0:02 what are you doing to my wall
Im from Martinique...and happy to see us get some shout out.
My favourite for mixing : Trois Riviere cuvée Oceanique (Martinique)
My favourite that most suprised me: Pyrat (Guyana)
My favourite i go back to: Saint James cuvée d'excellence (Martinique)
No old monk, i am out.
Amen to that
You came up on my recommended videos and I’ve never seen your work before but this video was endlessly fascinating!