hey arminder! speaking of maggies farm i was recently at their release party of their 2 year aged hidden harbor single barrel and i told the head marketing guy about your youtube channel and how their sherry cask rum was in your top 10 rums of all time and he totally remembered giving you that bottle at san francisco rum fest. thought it was a cool small world moment that i thought i’d share! great video and keep up the blind brackets! maybe a agricole bracket next? 👀
That's awesome! We've shared a couple of message back and forth and he's been very kind. How was that 2 year old release by the way?... and I definitely have eyes on doing an agricole version of this.
@@therumrevival The 2 year release was great! Loved the unaged as a daiquiri and i love a lightly aged rum so i knew it would be for me. It has a kind of confectionery note, while tempering the harsher elements on the unaged release. A very rummy rum that reads as somewhere in the middle of the ocean between jamaica, martinique, and trinidad with a little of that maggies farm flavor lobbed in. Hoping to pick up some of their queens share coming around black friday. Looking forward to that and all future videos ✌️
When channelled to make a good spiced rum cocktail I came up with this which so far has been well received Mystical spice 2oz spiced rum 0.75oz apricot liqueur 0.75oz lime juice 0.5oz orgeat syrup 1dash angostura
Cool vid. I had the Chairman Reserved Spiced as a sipping rum for friends to help them transition away from captain morgan/kirkland spiced rum/bumbu. I think this where the sugar that comes through infusion of spices helps (It is not added) as most folks don't really have a dry palate. I personally did enjoy it, but its not a restock for me. Foursquare Spiced looks interesting, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to buy it but If offered I would definitely sip.
"I think this where the sugar that comes through infusion of spices helps (It is not added)" what do you mean by this? sometimes rum does have a little added sugar and a spiced rum is likely to have more on average
I was 100% invested in this video! Haven't had spiced rum since long before my rum journey. The Smuggler's Cove book (which, of course, is the tiki Bible) says to just make your own. And very few recipes call for it. So buying spiced rum hasn't been a priority. But with autumn here, I've been curious, so your video got me excited. Love your blind tastings and the bracket-style match-ups. Thanks for introducing us to some new rums!
thanks for watching.. And I was thinking about the SC book and their spiced rum recipe while working on this video. If only I wasn;t so lazy I might have made my own. Though I feel like the Foursquare and the Don Q were fine enough for me to save me the effort.
Loved this! Especially dismissing one rum because it tasted like French Toast Crunch! Talk about a cereal deep cut. Also that cereal might have been the first thing I ever ate where I thought, "This tastes artificial in a bad way."
This was a super fun vid (and yes, it was entertaining for sure!)! I’ve not actually gone down the spiced rum rabbit hole but I think a spiced rum Mai Tai with maybe an acid adjusted pomegranate juice instead of lime juice, or something like that, would be awesome. Or an Ancient Mariner cocktail……🤔
I have a typically dim view of spiced rums in general, but of the few I've tried, Maggie's Farm is my clear winner. Like, by a million miles. That said, I haven't had an opportunity to try the Foursquare or Chairman's Reserve, both of which I've read good things about. I appreciate you taking one for the team! 🤣
I've not had any spiced rum, but I've had flavored rums. I guess that's different? Actually the theme for this month in my cocktail videos is flavored rums and I have Plantation Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple, Discarded Banana Peel and Bacardi Coconut to choose from. Not really even interested in spiced rums, but this video was entertaining. I guessed you would end up picking the Foursquare after you had tasted it for the first time. It was the look on your face 😀
Great vid, brother! I picked up a bottle of that Foursquare spiced in Barbados last May. Yes, please do more of these. I'd love to see you in the same format with Rhum Vieux Agricole!
What a great way to try rums you don’t (think you would) like. Rum F was sounding good until the hot dog water comment- can’t get past that! I was hoping Rum A would have done better.
Love the format and would agree with all your tasting notes. My take away from this is it further emphasize why I make my own spiced rum and why it also sits on my shelf for so long. ;)
Great episode! Would have also been good to have compared them when mixed with coke, ginger beer, or apple cider, since those are how most ppl use them. Your tasting notes are always so Interesting to hear.
Brick gum! Bazooka!! It was so nasty! I felt like I had to chew bazooka when I was in little league, it’s all they had at the baseball diamonds, so so bad. Great descriptions as always! Loving the videos!
I was surprisingly invested in this. I only have one "spiced" rum on my shelves and its foursquare, I feel validated that you also picked it hahaha. My only cocktail I use it in is a lower abv drink: 2 oz Figenza (fig vodka), 1 oz foursquare spiced, .75 oz lime, .25 oz simple syrup. Shaken and open poured into a rocks glass.
This man just made a video comparing spiced rum and at the end chose one as if was held at gunpoint, stranded on an island, on another planet with nothing but that bottle. Great video overall. There are many ideas such as comparing cask finished rums, coffee infused rums and rum creams.
hahah that's funny. Ooo I like the idea of comparing rum creams. It's a category I don't have much experience with and no opinion on. And there's some great producers like Worthy Park that make some.. You've got me thinking!
Fun episode. BTW, is the "hotdog water" you are picking up in the Don Q, mace? That's the main spice note (along w/ supporting coriander) in most quality hotdogs. Cheers.
Also, let’s get him some likes. It helps the creators so much and gets them in front of more people, which benefits us because we get more great videos!
@@therumrevival I found Kraken in my 20's and it's been a staple since the primary alternative was Cpt Morgan or Bacardi and both are pretty poor options. Kraken feels oversweet though. Bumbu is too expensive as a mixer so yeah Don Q feels like it could be perfect.
Also in your defense, it felt like based on your tasting notes that Maggie's Farm could have easily met Foursquare in the final tasting had they been separated more in the bracket. Maybe it's my preconceived bias about don q, but you weren't really selling me on cereal and hot dog water 😂
I would never buy a spiced rum for sipping but I don’t mind one or two mixed with Fever Tree Cola while cooking dinner. Husk, Devil's Thumb and West Winds, all Australian, are currently on the go at my place. On a side note I've heard people say the Goslings Black Seal is a spiced rum, which I find hard to believe. Can you confirm that one way or the other?
I tried a premium spice rum yesterday and I found it repellent to drink neat at least, could cope with it in a cocktail. My palate has completely adjusted to drinking dry 'proper rum' that I found the added sweetness and vanilla quite disgusting!
Yah I think its much easier to go from spiced rum drinking to drier non spiced rums than the other way around. For me its the added sweetness that I can't get into.
I think this would work better if you could somehow find a way of not knowing which rum was going into the next round. That way you couldn’t have confirmation bias and say things like “oh this is the rum that I thought had most orange” for example, and let that carry you through. Surely, some of the rums would reveal themselves again, but you may also get an interesting moment where your tasting notes don’t just echo themselves, especially when put in a new bracket.
I think this would work better if you could somehow find a way of not knowing which rum was going into the next round. That way you couldn’t have confirmation bias and say things like “oh this is the rum that I thought had most orange” for example, and let that carry you through. Surely, some of the rums would reveal themselves again, but you may also get an interesting moment where your tasting notes don’t just echo themselves, especially when put in a new bracket. Anyway, I’m a big fan of the Jeffrey Morganthaler DIY spiced rum method. Worked wonders for us in our bar.
@@therumrevival Oh it’s not a criticism, and I knew that without a filming partner, it could be hard work. But I know that you’ve not been afraid of exposing biases, and being shown to be “wrong” in certain videos with Derek, so trust your enjoy the challenge. I work in wine, so when I know I’m drinking certain wines, you’re looking for archetypes of the style. When you’re truly blind, it really opens your mind to the potential of the samples.
@@adamg.manning6088 It'll be interesting to try this with 16 or even 32 (lol) rums. perhaps there'll be less of that knowledge/familiarity with the rum in subsequent rounds just given the sheer quantity of rums.
I don't get the sheepishness at picking the Foursquare. They are a very good distiller. I think your previous comment about the sameness of their ECS releases is totally valid so it's clear you're not above criticising them when it's warranted. But the reality is there are few distillers on the planet doing consistently good work like Foursquare. I actually think it's more cliquish to be embarrassed at your low stakes blind pick. Are you afraid of losing street cred with the Caroni loving crowd?
I think my initial reaction to the reveal is in part coming from favoring a 35% abv rum regardless of the producer. Leave it to Richard Seale to come out with a sub 40% rum that stands head and shoulders over others at higher proof. Also, in response to your question, no. Thanks!
@@therumrevival no worries! I think I’m just tired of seeing a similar trope on r/rum where some rum aficionados look back at their naïveté at enjoying Bajan rum early in their rum journey now that they’ve discovered drinkable diesel. 😊
I absolutely HATED your winner. I have a half Captain / half Sailor Jerry bottle that I use in cocktails that call for a spice rum (like Donnie's Element).
@@therumrevival lol I was jokingly implying you were promoting total wine. I want to clarify that I don’t truly think you are though. I only say it because of Old Brigand Black Label review had me asking everyone I knew who was traveling to Wisconsin try to grab a bottle for me for an entire month and a half until I was able to go get one for myself. But I enjoy your channel and the content you provide for the rum community
@@erikv8114 oooh i get it lol All good! Yeah it is kinda frustrating when something is only available at just one retailer especially something like TW.
![SAFEPLANET - ดาวเคราะห์ [ THE PLANET ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4X1XL3I_k3c/mqdefault.jpg)
Love love love you doing the blind test! I love the Chairman’s Reserve. Do more of these, please
Definitely have some more in the works
hey arminder! speaking of maggies farm i was recently at their release party of their 2 year aged hidden harbor single barrel and i told the head marketing guy about your youtube channel and how their sherry cask rum was in your top 10 rums of all time and he totally remembered giving you that bottle at san francisco rum fest. thought it was a cool small world moment that i thought i’d share! great video and keep up the blind brackets! maybe a agricole bracket next? 👀
That's awesome! We've shared a couple of message back and forth and he's been very kind. How was that 2 year old release by the way?... and I definitely have eyes on doing an agricole version of this.
@@therumrevival The 2 year release was great! Loved the unaged as a daiquiri and i love a lightly aged rum so i knew it would be for me. It has a kind of confectionery note, while tempering the harsher elements on the unaged release. A very rummy rum that reads as somewhere in the middle of the ocean between jamaica, martinique, and trinidad with a little of that maggies farm flavor lobbed in. Hoping to pick up some of their queens share coming around black friday.
Looking forward to that and all future videos ✌️
When channelled to make a good spiced rum cocktail I came up with this which so far has been well received
Mystical spice
2oz spiced rum
0.75oz apricot liqueur
0.75oz lime juice
0.5oz orgeat syrup
1dash angostura
Oh I’m intrigued! Will try that with the Foursquare
Let’s gooooo. I’ve been hoping for a video like this in my feed with the weather cooling down!
Enjoy!!
Cool vid. I had the Chairman Reserved Spiced as a sipping rum for friends to help them transition away from captain morgan/kirkland spiced rum/bumbu. I think this where the sugar that comes through infusion of spices helps (It is not added) as most folks don't really have a dry palate. I personally did enjoy it, but its not a restock for me.
Foursquare Spiced looks interesting, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to buy it but If offered I would definitely sip.
That's a great idea to use the Chairman's as a transition rum. From there you could even transition them to the other Chairman's offerings.
"I think this where the sugar that comes through infusion of spices helps (It is not added)" what do you mean by this? sometimes rum does have a little added sugar and a spiced rum is likely to have more on average
I was 100% invested in this video! Haven't had spiced rum since long before my rum journey. The Smuggler's Cove book (which, of course, is the tiki Bible) says to just make your own. And very few recipes call for it. So buying spiced rum hasn't been a priority. But with autumn here, I've been curious, so your video got me excited. Love your blind tastings and the bracket-style match-ups. Thanks for introducing us to some new rums!
thanks for watching.. And I was thinking about the SC book and their spiced rum recipe while working on this video. If only I wasn;t so lazy I might have made my own. Though I feel like the Foursquare and the Don Q were fine enough for me to save me the effort.
Loved this! Especially dismissing one rum because it tasted like French Toast Crunch! Talk about a cereal deep cut. Also that cereal might have been the first thing I ever ate where I thought, "This tastes artificial in a bad way."
Yeah, that flavor is seared onto my palate!
This was a super fun vid (and yes, it was entertaining for sure!)! I’ve not actually gone down the spiced rum rabbit hole but I think a spiced rum Mai Tai with maybe an acid adjusted pomegranate juice instead of lime juice, or something like that, would be awesome. Or an Ancient Mariner cocktail……🤔
Oh all that sounds delicious!
I have a typically dim view of spiced rums in general, but of the few I've tried, Maggie's Farm is my clear winner. Like, by a million miles. That said, I haven't had an opportunity to try the Foursquare or Chairman's Reserve, both of which I've read good things about. I appreciate you taking one for the team! 🤣
Happy to take one for the team lol.... I wish the Maggie's Farm was much more available throughout the country.
I've not had any spiced rum, but I've had flavored rums. I guess that's different? Actually the theme for this month in my cocktail videos is flavored rums and I have Plantation Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple, Discarded Banana Peel and Bacardi Coconut to choose from. Not really even interested in spiced rums, but this video was entertaining. I guessed you would end up picking the Foursquare after you had tasted it for the first time. It was the look on your face 😀
it was an option but opted for the daiquiri instead
Siesta Key Distillers Reserve Solara Spiced rum is worth checking out
Agreed, my favorite
I’ll check it out, thanks!
Like I mentioned in your channel update video, Foursquare in a cablecar. Great fall drink.
Actually making one tomorrow. Looking forward to it
Foursquare spiced from Total Wine?
@@SandstormGT Yes, same one in this video
@@therumrevival Nice. Let us know how you like it
Great vid, brother! I picked up a bottle of that Foursquare spiced in Barbados last May. Yes, please do more of these. I'd love to see you in the same format with Rhum Vieux Agricole!
Thanks! definitely hope to do more in this format, including Rhum Agricole.
What a great way to try rums you don’t (think you would) like. Rum F was sounding good until the hot dog water comment- can’t get past that! I was hoping Rum A would have done better.
Haha yea the hot dog water came out of nowhere. Yeah I wanted A to do better too!
Thanks for taking one for the team, Arminder. I think I'll skip all of these, but the insight is invaluable.
Always happy to take the hit lol
Sweet video! The Maggie’s Farm spiced rum reminds me of the Constant Comment spiced tea by Bigelow.
I think I have a packet of that somewhere... need to try a comparison
@@therumrevival Cool! Let us know what you think! When I cracked my MF spiced rum open, the fragrance was so familiar but couldn’t place it. Cheers!!
Love the format and would agree with all your tasting notes. My take away from this is it further emphasize why I make my own spiced rum and why it also sits on my shelf for so long. ;)
I am tempted to try my hand at making my own. If only I had the patience lol
Great episode! Would have also been good to have compared them when mixed with coke, ginger beer, or apple cider, since those are how most ppl use them. Your tasting notes are always so Interesting to hear.
Great feedback! thanks for sharing. I did try them in some cocktails with some interesting results
Okay, we’re 20 seconds in, I’d say spiced rum is for leaving on the shelf, but let’s keep an open mind 😉
hahah
Brick gum! Bazooka!! It was so nasty! I felt like I had to chew bazooka when I was in little league, it’s all they had at the baseball diamonds, so so bad. Great descriptions as always! Loving the videos!
yep, that's the one! It could have chipped a tooth lol... thanks for watching!
Glad Don Q had a good showing after your comments in the rumcast contest 😂😂 just kidding. Enjoyed the video
I was expecting someone to bring that up in this video lol
STB will be shell shocked with you dissing The Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum so early!
hahah, I'm waiting for him to leave a comment
I was surprisingly invested in this. I only have one "spiced" rum on my shelves and its foursquare, I feel validated that you also picked it hahaha. My only cocktail I use it in is a lower abv drink: 2 oz Figenza (fig vodka), 1 oz foursquare spiced, .75 oz lime, .25 oz simple syrup. Shaken and open poured into a rocks glass.
Figs and spiced rum actually sounds like a delicious combo!
This man just made a video comparing spiced rum and at the end chose one as if was held at gunpoint, stranded on an island, on another planet with nothing but that bottle. Great video overall. There are many ideas such as comparing cask finished rums, coffee infused rums and rum creams.
hahah that's funny. Ooo I like the idea of comparing rum creams. It's a category I don't have much experience with and no opinion on. And there's some great producers like Worthy Park that make some.. You've got me thinking!
Make a Cable Car! Sidecar riff and perfect for Fall.
I made some last night... great cocktail!
Fun episode. BTW, is the "hotdog water" you are picking up in the Don Q, mace? That's the main spice note (along w/ supporting coriander) in most quality hotdogs. Cheers.
oh interesting... perhaps that;s whats going on. I wish they actually told you which spices they used on the rum label.
Nice thick pours man. I’ve got 2 of the 8. Both are ok as sippers
pretty generous pours for sure lol
I only use spiced rum in supermarket eggnog. I kinda go crazy with the stuff starting the day after Thanksgiving.
I’ve never thought to do that. Will def try that this season
Also, let’s get him some likes. It helps the creators so much and gets them in front of more people, which benefits us because we get more great videos!
Awesome, I've been thinking about spiced rum the past few weeks as my 1.75 of Kraken black is almost empty and looking to upgrade... my mixer.
Oh nice...if you're digging the kraken then perhaps you might like the Don Q.
@@therumrevival I found Kraken in my 20's and it's been a staple since the primary alternative was Cpt Morgan or Bacardi and both are pretty poor options. Kraken feels oversweet though. Bumbu is too expensive as a mixer so yeah Don Q feels like it could be perfect.
We all know the Captain would have won if given a fair shake.
Justice for the Captain.
Also in your defense, it felt like based on your tasting notes that Maggie's Farm could have easily met Foursquare in the final tasting had they been separated more in the bracket. Maybe it's my preconceived bias about don q, but you weren't really selling me on cereal and hot dog water 😂
oh totally, if the pairings had been different I could even see the Chairman's move onto the second round.
I would never buy a spiced rum for sipping but I don’t mind one or two mixed with Fever Tree Cola while cooking dinner. Husk, Devil's Thumb and West Winds, all Australian, are currently on the go at my place. On a side note I've heard people say the Goslings Black Seal is a spiced rum, which I find hard to believe. Can you confirm that one way or the other?
Ive heard that too, but its been ages since I've had the rum so can't say
Koloa Spice Rum is a good sipper
I think it was Ander Erickson who picked that one has his favorite in his blind tasting of spiced rums. will keep an eye out for it.
@@therumrevival I like it because to me I get hints of vanilla (works great over vanilla ice cream too!)
@@scotty_tiki-ohana hmm maybe i should do a video trying a bunch of spiced rums with ice cream? Always looking for an excuse to eat ice cream lol
@@therumrevival Sounds good!
I tried a premium spice rum yesterday and I found it repellent to drink neat at least, could cope with it in a cocktail. My palate has completely adjusted to drinking dry 'proper rum' that I found the added sweetness and vanilla quite disgusting!
Yah I think its much easier to go from spiced rum drinking to drier non spiced rums than the other way around. For me its the added sweetness that I can't get into.
Ayy! Is this part of the new channel of yours which Derek announced; The Spiced Rum Revival? 😂😂😂
im stepping on Steve the Bar Man territory, so must tread softly lol
Bazooka Gum
YES! That’s it, thank you!
I still struggle with spiced rum
that's fair!
I think this would work better if you could somehow find a way of not knowing which rum was going into the next round.
That way you couldn’t have confirmation bias and say things like “oh this is the rum that I thought had most orange” for example, and let that carry you through.
Surely, some of the rums would reveal themselves again, but you may also get an interesting moment where your tasting notes don’t just echo themselves, especially when put in a new bracket.
I think this would work better if you could somehow find a way of not knowing which rum was going into the next round.
That way you couldn’t have confirmation bias and say things like “oh this is the rum that I thought had most orange” for example, and let that carry you through.
Surely, some of the rums would reveal themselves again, but you may also get an interesting moment where your tasting notes don’t just echo themselves, especially when put in a new bracket.
Anyway, I’m a big fan of the Jeffrey Morganthaler DIY spiced rum method. Worked wonders for us in our bar.
good feedback! its a bit of a logistical puzzle to sort that out especially if you're doing all of that on your own, but worth looking into
@@therumrevival
Oh it’s not a criticism, and I knew that without a filming partner, it could be hard work.
But I know that you’ve not been afraid of exposing biases, and being shown to be “wrong” in certain videos with Derek, so trust your enjoy the challenge.
I work in wine, so when I know I’m drinking certain wines, you’re looking for archetypes of the style.
When you’re truly blind, it really opens your mind to the potential of the samples.
@@adamg.manning6088 It'll be interesting to try this with 16 or even 32 (lol) rums. perhaps there'll be less of that knowledge/familiarity with the rum in subsequent rounds just given the sheer quantity of rums.
Where is your 2024 Hampden Great House? It’s available online
Just placed an order for it... Looking forward to trying it.
I don't get the sheepishness at picking the Foursquare. They are a very good distiller. I think your previous comment about the sameness of their ECS releases is totally valid so it's clear you're not above criticising them when it's warranted. But the reality is there are few distillers on the planet doing consistently good work like Foursquare. I actually think it's more cliquish to be embarrassed at your low stakes blind pick. Are you afraid of losing street cred with the Caroni loving crowd?
I think my initial reaction to the reveal is in part coming from favoring a 35% abv rum regardless of the producer. Leave it to Richard Seale to come out with a sub 40% rum that stands head and shoulders over others at higher proof. Also, in response to your question, no. Thanks!
@@therumrevival no worries! I think I’m just tired of seeing a similar trope on r/rum where some rum aficionados look back at their naïveté at enjoying Bajan rum early in their rum journey now that they’ve discovered drinkable diesel. 😊
Bazooka gum?
That’s it!
I absolutely HATED your winner. I have a half Captain / half Sailor Jerry bottle that I use in cocktails that call for a spice rum (like Donnie's Element).
interesting that you mention Donnie's Element...hmmm ;)
@@therumrevival I tried it without spiced rum and it was horrible.
Thanks for torturing yourself for our entertainment. I use the CaneRock but I usually cut it with another higher proof rum to offset the sweetness
nice tip! thanks!
Another one only available at total wine. I see what’s going on here…….
What's going on?
@@therumrevival lol I was jokingly implying you were promoting total wine. I want to clarify that I don’t truly think you are though. I only say it because of Old Brigand Black Label review had me asking everyone I knew who was traveling to Wisconsin try to grab a bottle for me for an entire month and a half until I was able to go get one for myself. But I enjoy your channel and the content you provide for the rum community
@@erikv8114 oooh i get it lol All good! Yeah it is kinda frustrating when something is only available at just one retailer especially something like TW.