Category Archives: Rum

Review: DICTADOR 12yo – #56 hit

Posted on by liverpunisher

This Colombian rum is named after Severo Arango y Ferro who was nicknamed “Dictador” after his success with establishing trades with Spain in the 18th century. Just like its attractive bottle this rum is very dark both in taste and color. I would even go as far as to say that this is definitely the “darkest” rum I have tasted. When I say dark I refer to a very piercing taste of burnt cocoa and oak. Still it is uniquely balanced with a delightful taste of caramel and as it drools down the throat it leaves traces of toasted nuts, tobacco leafs, and creamy toffee that fades away slowly. I love this rum not only for its unique taste but also dictador-12for its darn cool bottle design.

VERDICT: I can sincerely say that I have never tasted rum more roasted and burnt than this one. The flavor is unique and I warmly recommended this rum to people who don’t mind going beyond the beaten path. I should mention though that some friends of mine (who love Zacapa 23yo and El Dorado 12yo) did not fancy this one at all for some reason. Personally I can’t wait to taste its eight year older brother!

  (8.1/10)

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Review: MATUSALEM 15yo – #49 hit

Posted on by liverpunisher

The company behind this rum introduced Matusalem in 1792 but was forced into exile after Castro gmatusalem-15-yo-gran-reserva-cuban-rum-70cl-40-abvained power in Cuba. In 2001 the brand was relaunched and achieved Double Gold Medal at San Fransisco World Spirits Competition in 2008. I am not as overly enthusiastic about this rum as most people are. It reminds me of the 21 year old Malecon; predominated by toasted flavors, a bit dry and spicy and with an oaky finish. As this might sound good my biggest concern is its lack of character which makes it come across as a bit indifferent.

VERDICT: Despite all the fine medals and reviews this rum has received I have yet to call it a personal favorite.

  (6.3/10)

Review: PLANTATION 20th Anniversario – #28 hit

Posted on by liverpunisher

Okay I admit, this review is extremely biased by the fact that I am a complete sucker for coconuts. When that is said, I still believe that most people would enjoy this rum (unless you don’t like coconuts of course). Let me start by clearing something out this is NOT a 20 year old rum as many mistake it to be. The 20th refer to the number of years Alexandre Gabriel had been president and owner of Cognac Ferrand. The rum itself has Plantation barbados 20“only” matured around 10 years in bourbon casks and then about 2 years in Pierre Ferrand – Grande Champagne – Cognac Casks. Not surprisingly it enters with waves of sweet coconuts almost concealing everything else. At the same time your mouth is coated with brown sugar while traces of vanilla, orange marmalade and cinnamon linger on the palate. This is coconut rum at its best! The only concern I have is that it becomes too sweet if you drink too much (which I have a bad tendency to do by the way). Therefore I would suggest savoring this in moderate quantities.

VERDICT: This is one of the more sweet coconut rums I have tasted but it still manages to keep within an acceptable range. A must buy for coconut enthusiasts!

  (7.8/10)

Review: RON ZACAPA Centenario 23yo – #23 hit

Posted on by liverpunisher

At 2,300 meters above sea level close to the Pacific coast of Guatemala you will find the origin of this high quality rum. Here it matures for up till 23 years in casks that previously stored bourbons, sherries, and wines. My expectations were extremely higron-zacapa-solera-centenario-23-gran-reservah for this one. A rum that can claim the first place five years in a row (International Rum Festival : 1998-2002) must be close to perfection. For some reason I do not share the popular opinion here. Yes this is certainly good rum. I would even say great rum. But a masterpiece? Well not if you ask me. But then again I like rums with more edge and character; smooth rums are good but kind of dull in the long run I think. It should be mentioned that my review is based on two or three tastings. Maybe this is just one of those rums that will grow on you with time. We shall see.

VERDICT: This is a wonderfully smooth and delicious rum but lack complexity in my opinion.

  (8/10)

Review: MALIBU black rum – #42 hit

Posted on by liverpunisher

Okay before I lose your respect here please read the full review. I promise you that this bottling is nothing like the traditional Malibu that makes you queasy just by the smell.Malibu black

This rum makes me reminisce about exotic islands with hot women using tons of sun lotion and walking around in bikinis smelling like oh so sweet coconuts. Maybe my memories cloud my judgment and you are probably thinking “what is Malibu doing here”? If you associate Malibu with underage girls and cheap booze you may not be that far off. Actually this is still cheap booze. However, this black edition is an upgrade that can’t be compared to the traditional Malibu. This is why: 1) It has gone from measly 21% abv. to 35% abv. 2) It is much darker, viscous, and spicier than its predecessor. 3) If you have female visit this is always a safe drink, even neat. 4) In contrast to many other coconut flavored rums Malibu Black is not overly sweet and it tastes like dry fermented coconuts and leaves a slightly woody aroma in your mouth. 5) It is also ridiculously cheap (around 15 bucks). So there are five reasons for you to get yourself a bottle. I know most of you are probably still shocked but I can give you my word that this is worth trying out.

VERDICT: If you like coconut rums you have to give this a try.

  (7.4/10)