Stolen from And Some It's Just As Well.
My favorites are all here (in order of personal preference):
- W. L. Weller Special Reserve. I posted about their less expensive Private Reserve here. It looks like they don't make it anymore which is a pity - it was a price/performance leader.
- Four Roses. Good enough to sip neat but not so expensive you wouldn't make an Old Fashioned with it.
- Basil Hayden. When they say it maxes the "Delicate" axis they're not kidding. This is a Bourbon for people who don't like Bourbon.
- Maker's Mark. My go-to for an Old Fashioned. The Queen Of The World got me a smoker to make a smoked Old Fashioned. It's a lot of fun but enough of a production that I usually only do this for guests.
And my favorite rums (sorry, no fancy chart):
- Zafra 21 year old. Panamanian.
- Kirk & Sweeny Gran Reserva. A blend of rums aged between 3 and 18 years. Dominican Republic.
- Siesta Key Coffee Rum. Siesta Key, Florida. Very unusual, very strong flavor. Outstanding over ice. And (for me, at least), it's drinking the Local.
- Siesta Key Spiced Rum. Unlike the Captain Morgan's "let's just dump some vanilla in the rum" approach, Siesta Key uses actual, you know, spices in theirs. If you think you don't like spiced rum, this is the one for you. Drink over ice with no mixer.
- Bacardi silver. If you're going to dump something in Coke then this is the one. Repeatable, reliable smoothness. Only for mixing.
Note that rums #1 and #2 will cost you every bit as much as the good Bourbons.
I stopped drinking bourbon after getting a bad case of alcohol poisoning almost 50 years ago. It has only been the past ten years that I can smell bourbon without getting nauseous.
ReplyDeleteUp until then my favorite was the Weller Special Reserve.
My favorite rums are the Bacardi Gold and the Bacardi Black. I've never felt the need to try the expensive rums.
I like Blanton's when you can get it up here, though the price has increased a LOT since I first tried it years ago. Try Zaya rum from Trinidad ---you may like it, I do. I like it neat or on the rocks.
ReplyDeleteIf you mix rum in a cocktail, for a rum and coke I like Mount Gay.
It is nice to have so many choices.
My Jamaican friend who supplies me with Blue Mountain Coffee got me started on Appleton Estate rums. Of their line I prefer the V/X.
ReplyDeleteRum is my preference. I like Zafra but my go to sipping rum, neat, is Zacapa21.
ReplyDeleteOops. Zacapa23.
ReplyDeleteBasil Hayden is also good for beginners.
ReplyDelete