About
May 29, 2007 — Scott SteevesI love rum in all forms, and over the last few years I have been attempting to taste as many good ones as I can. Recently I decided to take that up a notch and start learning as much about rum as possible. This blog is my way of keeping track of my tasting notes, comparisons, and reviews, as well as keeping all my rum information - links, books, etc - in one place. Given that I’ve found so much information on the web I figured that this blog would also be a handy way to share the information. I hope you find it useful.
On with the journey….
A few years ago I decided to find and try some good rums, so I did some research on the Internet, bought a couple books, and then started buying the recommended or highly-rated rums. I concentrated on aged rums for sipping, and found a number of great rums. I decided to expand my research, so I’ve been “collecting” rums recently - picking up a bottle here and there, and occasionally hunting down a rum that caught my interest.
The wide variety of rum means that I have a lot of choices, and a lot to learn. Currently I have about a bunch of rums - check my lists in the sidebar - mostly aged sipping rums but I’ve been adding better rums in all classes in order to learn as much as possible. (I have to admit that I have only a single flavored rum, though. It will take a bit of convincing for me to purchase another.) So these rums will be the basis of my studies, tasting, and (hopefully) enjoyment. I’m sure that I’ll be finding new rums as time goes on, of course. I’ll share my research, information and tasting notes as I go.
I’m not a professional taster by any means, so don’t expect a lot of fancy wine-tasting terms or remarks. Hopefully I’ll be able to teach something about rum, but my goal is really to share my thoughts about the rums I try. I’ll consider this all a great success if I can convince someone to try a great rum, or save another from buying a rum that isn’t worth the money.
On a slightly different note, I’ve found that my love for rum had lead my into the area of Tiki Drinks. No, not the sicky-sweet, poorly-made drinks you get at your local Chinese restaurant, but proper Tiki cocktails. A Mai Tai made with care and concern is a wonderful drink, a great blend of tastes, a delicate balance of sour and sweet, and a splendid way to show off a great rum or two.
The Tiki Drink Wizards like Donn Beach, Trader Vic, and Beachbum Berry have amassed a good deal of info about rum-based cocktails, and I like them. Because of this you may find me sliding off rums and into areas of tiki, whether by testing or comparing drinks recipes, or comparing ingredients for tiki drinks, or by taste-testing rums to see how they suit various tiki recipes. So even though a post or two might not seem to be related to rum, they somehow will be.
I may even discuss non-tiki rum drinks. I hope to get several different agricoles in order to do a ti’ punch comparison. And enough cachacas to do a caipirinha shootout. I love rum punches, and daiquiris, and - yes - pina coladas. In the end, it all comes down to rum.
To get some insight into my rums and my process of reviewing, you want want to check the following articles:
How I Review
Tasting Rum
List Of Rums I Have On Hand
List Of Rums I’d Like To Try
List Of Rums I Need To Replenish
And my imperfect list of Rum Rankings
I hope you enjoy this site.
Scott Steeves
ScottesRum@gmail.com
If you wish to submit a rum for review please email me at the above address. All samples sent will be reviewed within 2 weeks of receipt, and will get a full write-up review and a dedicated page on this site.
September 18, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Hello
Very interesting information! Thanks!
G’night
October 20, 2007 at 9:07 pm
try and get your hands on some Père Labat - white. In agricole there’s not much point in the amber and vieux if you want to experience the canefield. A vieux can be a lot like an aged “rhum industrielle” - so you lose what you gained by being agricole. Père Labat is from Marie Galante (Guadeloupe) and develops for about twenty minutes after it hits your palate. The 4.5 litre box is especially handy. Warning: it may spoil you for all these other rums you seem to be enjoying, they’ll have to be recalibrated against the pere labat.
October 24, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Hey Scott, glad to have found your site. this is a dumb question, but we keep bringing Cpt Morgan white back from Canada - because it mixes well and can’t find it in the US. I’d like to know what sweet rums (but not spiced) you have found and think are OK. Not a straight up drinker, I enjoy mojito’s, and was taught to make them by the pitcher by my friend, who’s origins are Cuba/Puerto Rico. We always use the freshest ingredents, but always Bacardi. Any suggestions for a fun replacement?? btw, Mark is from the maritimes. moonshine is produced there - some is suger based (ie screech, etc). Have you ever tried any?
thanks for the great website.
Nancy
October 24, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Sweet rums? I immediately think of Ron Zacapa 23 and especially Pyrat XO. The Ron Zacapa is not a mixing rum, but the Pyrat can be found for about $24 is most places in the US.
For Mojitos I go with traditional rum - Havana Club or Ron Matusalem Platino for those in the US. But to make it interesting try throwing in 2-4 raspberries per glass and muddle them in. Or a strawberry or two. Small fresh fruit does wonders for making a Mojito interesting.
November 1, 2007 at 10:20 pm
If you’re already going up to Canada to get the Morgans, why not get the REAL Cuban rum (Havana Club)? The fresh mint + lime juice are not optional or substitutable. The genuine article is a lively and vivacious cocktail that is briskly refreshing.
I’ve had screech while spending a month on Newfoundland [it rhymes with understand]. Woof. That’s some pretty rough stuff, really. But alas, I’d sampled it during a period of my life when my impressions of rum were soiled and trashed by having tried Bacardi.
November 2, 2007 at 6:13 am
Chances are very good that I will do what I can to at least sample the Havana Club rums while in Canada. No doubt…
May 6, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Great website. I’m a huge rum fan and have tried several different brands.
IMHO Havana Club Blanco is the best white rum I’ve ever had. I also suggest serving it the way they did when I first tried it in Cuba. Pour the rum and your cola into a regular sized plastic beer cup at the same time until it gets to the top.
This may sound like it’s strong but it’s not. I had several of these throughout the day and not once had a hangover. I enjoy this way every time.
One rum I wish I could get here in Canada is Matusalem. I hear it’s a very good rum.
One last rum I had recently in Las Vegas was a brand Montecristo Rum. I think I had the ten year old. Almost, if not slightly better than Havana Club.
Again, they do not sell Montecristo rum in Canada. I tried seeing if I could order it, but only if I order it by the case, which is not in my current budget.
One last rum I wish to try that I hear is decent is a brand called Pitu, that I hear has a slightly smokey flavor.
My last piece of advice, at lkeast for buying Havana Club rum is stick to buying the Blanco. both myself and my close friends agree that all other aged Havana Club rum’s don’t taste the same as buying the bottle from Cuba itself. This may sound strange since they are imported, but it;s true. Maybe it has to do with storage conditions.
Thanks for listening!