Category: Rum

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Worthy Park Blind Taste Test

I posted this to my Instagram stories and it seems to have drawn some interest.

When I posted about Worthy Park 109 a couple days ago, I mentioned that this new black rum from Jamaica tasted more like a Demerara rum from Guyana than the funky rums that Worthy Park is most famous for. Those Worthy Park rums are most notably expressed with Rum-Bar Overproof, but also many of the Hamilton rums that use Worthy Park distillate as their base. And then some people said that 109 didn’t taste anything like a Demerara and I was only looking at the color. Well, I’ll never turn down a challenge.

Hence the blind taste test with some Jamaican, Demerara, and blended rums. I compared the WP109 to Hamilton 86 from Guyana, Blackwell Black Gold from Jamaica, and the new Hamilton Zombie Blend that is a blend of rums from Jamaica and Guyana.

Tasting Notes

To me, the 109 tasted most similar to Hamilton 86. I know that caramel coloring is present in both and in theory does not impart taste, but to me these were very close. The 109 being 100% pot still and higher ABV did have a better mouthfeel and a richer taste.

The Blackwell was a poor choice for this comparison, since it was so clearly not really in the same league as the others. Beside the lower ABV (40%) there definitely was a sugary taste that made it stand out. The color isn’t that black either. I should have maybe tried Coruba instead. I find the Hamilton Pot Still Black to be quite funky (using Worthy Park distillate) so that wouldn’t really have been a good comparison either. In other words, Worthy Park 109 isn’t just a higher proof “black Jamaican” but something a bit different.

As for the true Demerara/Jamaican hybrid, I found the funky notes in the Hamilton Zombie Blend to be quite forward. While delicious and wonderful (and easily sippable at 59% ABV) it too didn’t really taste like the Worthy Park 109.

As I mentioned in my post the other day, I found the rich and heavy and boozy characteristics of the Worthy Park 109 to be delightful in a Mai Tai where I’m looking for rich and heavy and boozy. This one is a keeper.

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Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve

A reacquisition for a product I bought a couple years ago and went empty very quickly. This is a wonderful aged Jamaican Rum expression from Worthy Park.

Bottled with a blend of rums aged 6-10 years in the tropics, this is 100% pot still rum and so flavorful, even at 45% ABV. If Appleton is too mellow and Hampden is too funky, then Worthy Park is, well you know – just right. Very approachable and yet still a great way to introduce newbies to how great Jamaican rums can be. The flavor lingers long after you finish drinking it, but doesn’t completely blow out your tongue.

This is Worthy Park’s mainstream aged expression. It comes in a fancy bottle and while cask-strength aficionados might balk at the price considering the ABV, I’d compare this something like Mount Gay XO. Maybe not the best “pound for pound” but something that perfectly captures what I’m looking for with a sipping rum and worth the slight premium for a trusted brand. Sometimes you don’t want cask strength but you still want it to be great.

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Worthy Park 109 Jamaica Rum

This new expression from Worthy Park is amazingly delicious. The blend of aged and unaged pot still rum from Jamaica, plus caramel coloring, is simply amazing. Bottled at 54.5% ABV (109 proof), it is easy to drink neat and truly shines in cocktails. This very affordable rum works great in the Mai Tai, and it is boozy just like I like it.

This tastes a little more like a Demerara rum than a Jamaican, but does carry characteristics of both. Definitely not “funky” like some of other Worthy Park / Rum-Bar expressions. While I would not say that my tasting talent is overly refined, I did find this to be similar to some circa 1950s Myers’s Planters Punch rum that I tried recently.

Worthy Park 109 is starting to be available in the states and in other territories. Ask for it at your finer liquor outlets.

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Joe Kent Completes Kon-Tiki Expedition

Congrats to the Oakland tiki ohana’s resident wildman Joe Kent for finishing 100 rums to complete the Kon-Tiki Expedition. It is always a pleasure to see someone else be celebrated for the accomplishment.

As is the custom, there was a special menu in Joe’s honor. I had to try the delicious Ports of Despair, which is basically what Trader Vic’s calls a “San Francisco Mai Tai” that has a 151 float added. Per the note, it is “sort of” a thing, though mostly at Vic’s. Just don’t call it an “old way” Mai Tai since that can mean something else.

The Scavenger special with Montucky beer and a shot was fun. The shot had bitters and pimento dram and who knows what else but was very tasty. Montucky is cheap and light lager that is about my style when it comes to beer.

Lots of familiar faces in attendance and Joe’s wife Shannon made a truly excellent rum cake. Fun times at Kon-Tiki.

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Party Night at The Kon-Tiki Room

A big week for The Kon-Tiki room at Palmetto, Oakland’s newest tiki bar. They opened on Wednesday this week to coincide with a show at the Fox Theater across the street. Sounds like business was booming, which is the whole idea of the bar in this location.

Thursday wasn’t a show night but the Oakhana brought the party over from the original Kon-Tiki on 14th and Webster. Lots of fun.

The Grogs were a suggestion and were spicy and boozy. I also tried the Hash Browns that had a lovely sauce. Bar staff remains super friendly and accommodating, even making some off-menu Mai Tais with Saint Benevolence aged rum. Thanks to Bob Stear for the pour of Foursquare 2009, a very fine rum.

Longtime readers know we try to keep reviews and trip reports fair handed here. And despite my frequent advocacy of the Yacht Rock that is often played at The Kon-Tiki, I was not loving the 80s top 40 being played at Kon-Tiki Room on Thursday. I shouldn’t hear any Phil Collins songs in a tiki bar, much less four.

The Kon-Tiki Room is a lot of fun and the cocktails continue to impress.

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Mount Gay Rum Night at The Kon-Tiki

First brand sponsored rum tasting at The Kon-Tiki in quite some time. Mount Gay is a great choice, and I’m a big fan of their XO expression.

The special menu had some nice offerings. I’ve had the copper still rum expressions before so I tried the Barbados Slim; very good up cocktail with rich flavors of honey and Falernum.

The rum tasting was outside and we got to sample small portions of a cognac barrel aged sample. Hey, Mount Gay this rum is delicious, make it a limited edition retail product, please.

The food menu seemed a little larger than last time. In addition to the always fab Kon-Tiki Burger, I sampled the Calamari and Pork Bellies and both were great. More great service and a goovy vibe that Kon-Tiki is famous for.