Category: Rum

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Vienna Nightcap

After a red-eye flight and connection through Frankfort, we finally arrived in Vienna where our tour of Christmas Markets starts on Monday. We explored the city a bit and landed back at our Imperial Riding School hotel for a nightcap before crashing.

For my first proper cocktail in Europe I had to go with a classic Daiquiri made with Havana Club 3 and it didn’t disappoint, crisp and limey. It was a really great drink and the Cuban rum never disappoints in this format, though being placed in a Martini glass rather than a coupe meant that I spilled it not once but twice. I hate Martini glasses! Though, in this case, sleep depravation may have played a part.

Mrs. Mai Tai went in a festive direction with a gingerbread Old Fashioned that was delightful, with some really great ice too. I wish my Daiquiri was served in that format.

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Trader Vic’s Jamaica Relief Fundraiser

I’ve had a bit of an up and down week but was feeling good enough on Wednesday to drive up to Trader Vic’s Emeryville for the One Love For Jamaica, Rum Relief Fundraiser. The ticketed event featured a DJ, one cocktail and rum tastings from a variety of Jamaican rums, plus a silent auction. I’ve tasted most of the rums before but was impressed by a Planteray Single Cask that was new to me.

Island Spirit

The cocktail I tried was called Island Spirit, featuring lemon, pineapple, grog mix, and Planteray’s Xaymaca and Original Dark rums. Quite easy drinking and plenty of great Jamaican rum flavor.

The centerpiece of the event was a silent auction that included rum bottles, merchandise from vendors, and even some items donated by Trader Vic’s. I bid on several items but left early and so was outbid at the end. I donated a private Ultimate Mai Tai Happy Hour cocktail experience which sold for $160. I’ve already started to make arrangements with the winner and was pleased I could help raise funds for those in Jamaica impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Trader Vic’s employee Jhan spoke briefly about the impact in Jamaica where it took a couple weeks to hear from loved ones living there. Vic’s continues to be heart of the Bay Area tiki scene and this event proved it once again. Thank you to Eve, Aaron, Carlos and all the staff at Trader Vic’s for putting this together and to all who donated and bid on auction items.

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Monymusk Special Reserve Rum

This was the third bottle the rum fairy delivered and it turned out to be really pleasant surprise. Monymusk went through a rebranding a couple years ago and the rum inside is a different blend than the Special Reserve I bought in 2021. The 100% column still rum comes from the Long Pond and Clarendon distilleries and is aged for ten years in Jamaica, issued at 40% ABV.

This expression is closer to Appleton than some of the super funky Hampden rums, so I decided to do a blind test with the old expression plus Appleton 8 and Appleton 12. It was fairly clear which ones were from each brand but it was immediately noticeable that the Monymusk rums had a higher degree of that funky Jamaican rum flavor. At the same time the new Special Reserve was a lot more flavorful than the old one, making this a great lower proof sipping option for those who want it a little more funky than the Appletons or those Myers’s Reserve or Single Barrel bottlings. The leather and tobacco notes from Monymusk Special Reserve are very approachable.

Those flavors do work well in my favorite cocktail as well, even with an ABV below what I usually go for. I absolutely enjoyed Monymusk Special Reserve in a Mai Tai.

If you’re looking for something different from Jamaica or a nice sipping rum to gift to friends, Monymusk Special Reserve is a great option to consider.

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Pumpkin Spice Colada Scoop + Shot

We are unapologetic fans of pumpkin spice and we made sure to check out the special offering at Zombie Village where you get a scoop of frozen colada sorbet plus a side shot of pumpkin spice rum. Halloween is over but pumpkin spice season lasts at least through Thanksgiving so this fit right in for our November evening in the city.

The pumpkin spiced rum itself is rather dry, which means this is far less of a sugar bomb than you might expect. The flavors pair really well and the little spoon is helpful to savor this delightful treat. It’s great, so check it out in San Francisco while you can.

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Second Jamaican Overproof Rum Blind Shootout

We’re revisiting overproof white rum from Jamaica. When we omitted Monymusk in our last test a little birdie made sure we had a bottle. Total Wine recently started carrying a “Spirits Direct” expression from indie bottler Infinity Spirts called Kingston Queen that’s also included.

These unaged rums are issued at 63% ABV, with long fermentation creating bold flavors and a fragrance that’ll fill a room.
 
Contenders:

  • Wray & Nephew Overproof – the iconic market leader
  • Rum Fire – Hampden Estate’s funky pot still cult favorite
  • Rum Bar Overproof – Worthy Park’s previous U.S. expression that won our first shootout
  • Worthy Park Overproof – includes sugar cane juice distillate
  • Monymusk Plantation White Overproof – Pot/Column blend from Clarendon distillery
  • Kingston Queen – inexpensive Total Wine exclusive

Neat Test

Wray finished last in our previous test but somehow ranked first with a balanced flavor that included floral notes. Kingston Queen has lots of flavor reminiscent of Worthy Park rums. Rum Bar finished slightly on top of the assertive Rum Fire with Monymusk losing points for not having much of a nose. The sugar cane juice distillate in Worthy Park was less well-received this time.
 
Winner: Wray & Nephew
2nd: Kingston Queen
3rd: Rum Bar

Jamaican White Overproof Rums

Grapefruit Soda Test

A 3:1 mix with Squirt meant that the differences between these rums were harder to perceive, aside from Rum Fire. Kingston Queen finished last here and Wray finished first due to a balance of flavor and a welcome sharp bite, with Rum Bar a close second. Worthy Park took my tongue for a ride so finished just ahead of Monymusk and Rum Fire.

Winner: Wray & Nephew
2nd: Rum Bar
3rd: Worthy Park

Wray & Nephew Wins Both Blind Tests!

A shocking result given that Wray didn’t place in my first blind test, and shows these are all fairly similar and all recommended. Rum Bar again placed high in both competitions with their pot still distillate that strikes a welcome balance of flavors. For me, Rum Fire feels best for use as an accent in cocktails.

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Rum Negroni Halloween Special

Had a good Rum Negroni with skull ice cubes in a Tiki Goth Club glass. Not too bad to celebrate Halloween but also laying low because you have a busy weekend ahead.

I used the new Planteray Mister Fogg Mavy Rum Sail n°2. I hypothesized that this rum wouldn’t be great in cocktails and even with cutting the Campari way back the rum doesn’t really push through. Stick to Jamaican rum next time. Sail n°2 is better as a nice sipping rum.

Rum Negroni
1½ oz Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Campari
1½ oz Planteray Mister Fogg Mavy Rum Sail n°2
Stir with ice and strain over large cubes

Happy Halloween

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Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum Sail n°2

A new edition of Planteray’s Mister Fogg Navy Rum tribute expression has set sail and is now on the way to retailers. “Sail n°2” features different components but similarly follows the inspiration of vintage British Royal Navy rums by incorporating distillate from various producers and countries. The rum is issued at 55.7% ABV including 4.8 g/l of dosage, along with Cognac cask aging in France for a background flavor familiar to Planteray customers.

This year’s blend includes a bit of cane juice rum from Mauritius but mostly leans on a blend of pot and column still rums from Trinidad, Barbados, and Guyana. The blend spends some time in open vats along the riverside in France, intended to replicate the process employed at historic docs in London.

Planteray Mister Fogg Navy Rum Sail n°2 breakdown:
35% Trinidad: Trinidad Distillers, limited
34% Barbados: different vintages from West Indies Rum Distillery
20% Guyana: Diamond Distillery
6% Mauritius: Cane Juice rum from the St Aubin Distillery
5% Jamaica: Blend from Clarendon Distillers, Long Pond Distillery, and Hampden Distillery

Due to the ever-changing blend rums coming into the docks, each flagon of vintage Navy rum had a different character. I was unimpressed by Mister Fogg n°1 but n°2 definitely tastes more like the vintage British Navy rums I’ve tried a couple times by incorporating more smoky molasses notes. Mister Fogg is not nearly as assertive as something like Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof in this regard, however.

Mister Fogg seems better to me as sipping rum than one used for cocktails. It doesn’t drink like a 55% ABV rum, and the small amount of dosage means this is very pleasant to sip. Some of the flavors are subtle enough that you really need to taste this rum neat, though that said it does work fabulously in a rum-forward cocktail like a Mai Tai.

Thanks to the sailor from Nashville for dropping this bottle off the ship and letting it float to California.