I usually can only find Mount Gay Eclipse. Now compare that to a bottle of decent wine. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. On the other hand, a Scotch bottle of similar size and age will cost you at least $100, but more likely $150 – 200 or more. This may be sugar from the cane or the by-products of cane sugar like black treacle and molasses. Going back to Necker Island getting destroyed, its charismatic and outspoken owner, Sir Richard Branson, is the biggest advocate of traveling and doing business for good. It is quite smooth with a nose of honey and vanilla. As always, I love spirits and know quite a bit about them, but I can always learn more so if you have anything to add or any comments to make, I would love to hear from you. Juicing is reglemented and Hot Juicing is not allowed, The fermentation has to be discontinuous and conducted in open tanks with a maximum of 13,208 US gallons or 500 Hectoliters. How to drink rum — just like whiskey with a splash of water or ice, and a slice of lime.

As a young man, Tom never really had any interest in Rum, until about 5 years ago he really developed an affinity for fine, aged rums. This is a great summer drink and one I often make when we host a backyard party. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. Just because drinking rum instead of beverages like beer, wine, and sweetened cocktails might be a better choice for your waistline, that doesn't mean drinking rum every night will make you lose weight. Rum production quickly took over many of the Caribbean Islands and made some plantation owners richer than royalty back at home. Many claim drinking Scotch makes them feel more elegant, or brandy more relaxed. El Dorado 12 Year Old from Guyana (great notes of anise and smooth, long finish) – $24, Saint James Royal Ambre Rhum Agricole from Martinique (A Rhum Agricole for a student’s budget) – $22, Flor de Cana Gold 4 year from Nicaragua (Exceptional value and heavily underpriced) – $16, Pampero Ron Anejo Especial from Venezuala (a little harsher burn, but very typical of Latin American rums) – $17, Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum from St. Croix (Yes, I sometimes drink spiced rums, and if I do, they are always neat) – $13, Edwin Charley The Virtue (The best stays on the island and does never get exported from Jamaica, but in my book it gets 100 out of 100;comes in an exquisite bottle) –  $140US for 700ml, Havana Club Barrel Proof from Cuba (Not available in the U.S., but devine), English Harbour Aged 10 Years Reserve from Antigua (Rather pricey for rum, and difficult to find) – $90, Saint James Hors D’Age Rhum Agricole from Martinique (best example of Rhum Agricole – Martinique rhums have a unique taste) -$35, Plantation 20th Anniversary Extra Old from Barbados (cognac producer Claude Ferrand produced an exceptional rum) -$40. Saint James Rhum Agricole from Martinique. Undoubtedly the best books about Rum were written by the leading rum authority Edward Hamilton who wrote. After 500 years rum is making an impressive comeback and predictions show that spiced and flavoured rum categories will become a leading drink for consumers in the next few years. Sometimes referred to as an “amber” rum, these are lighter than the dark rums but stronger than the light rums making them fairly medium bodied. In addition, the pirates used the rum as currency in port, selling it in exchange for slaves and goods. Today, rum is well regarded as a ladies spirit. Finally, the rum is blended to maintain consistency and dark rums aged in wood casks will often have caramel coloring added to it as well. This step is extremely important because it releases the flavorful oils from the skin of the lime. Aged rum benefits from a but of water or one or two ice cubes to really develop its best flavors. Unless of course we consider beer and wine, which are both popular but not nearly as versatile. In order to get this designation, certain criterias must be fulfilled.

Since rum was so strong, an admiral by the name of Edward Vernon ordered that it be watered down into a cocktail to prevent his sailors from being too intoxicated to work. What I learned while island hopping on this Rum Tour was that Molasses was considered an inconvenient, messy waste by-product of sugar cane production back in the 1700’s and the colonists were just dumping it to get rid of it.

I have been working for a lot of years in the bar industry and I have to say that Diplomatico is one of the drinks every man needs to try in his life. I felt like a Rum Tour that gives back to the people of the Caribbean and helps their local economy was a beautiful metaphor for the history of these island nations and how they have been survivors since day one. At the end of the day, each individual has different taste buds and all that matters is what you enjoy. It’s a very rare blend of several rums, the youngest of which is 8 years. Sure, the cork fell apart while taking it out, but filtered it was a wonderful drink on a hot summer day. Spiced rum has natural herbs and spices added. The palate is a little more mellow and is quite oaky and sweet with pops of spice and wafts of vanilla. The final step to producing rum is to age it. Whatever you do, don’t strain the mixture. This is where some regions actually maintain loose regulations.

In a world that has become hyper device driven, fast paced, and on display 24-7 through social media, the traveler of 2018 wants to feel more connected and one great way to do that is to travel in a way that positively impacts conservation efforts and transforms lives. While many believe pirates simply took what they wanted – and while that is true – they still needed currency to barter with when running low on supplies or crew. Rum is made from molasses, a by-product of sugar cane juice, while cachaça is made from fresh sugar cane. Wanderluster, Destination Photographer, Photo Anthropologist, Travel Writer, and Adventure Seeker, Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter. Ingredients: Preparation: First, combine the lime and sugar in a glass and thoroughly mash it with a muddler.

The Complete Guide to Rum by Edward Hamilton, To learn more about aged rum, you should try rums from different islands because they taste distinctly different.

How many times have you sat and watched a natural disaster or tragedy on TV and felt powerless to help?

Personally, I don’t have a huge rum collection but Sven Raphael Schneider interviewed Rum Connoisseur Tom Hudson, who has a collection of way over 100 bottles of aged rum in his bar. Instead water it down to about 70 – 80 proof to get the best sipping experience. Enjoy.

Note, brown sugar will take much longer to dissolve than white sugar, and while some prefer their drink with little crystals of brown sugar, others prefer their white sugar to be almost completely dissolved. But what if I told you that you don’t have to make that choice and that you can Travel, have fun, AND do good? Ingredients: Preparation: Pour all the ingredients except the dark rum into a shaker with ice cubes and shake well. Since rum is produced in various ways throughout the Caribbean, many regions have actually adopted styles that set them apart from their competition. Often consumed by the drinker who’s only interest is getting intoxicated, these are rums that are over proofed higher than the standard 40% ABV with many as high or higher than 75% (or 150 proof). In fact, the Swedish warship Vasa which famously sunk in 1628 had tin bottles of labelled rum found amongst the wreckage. For the distillation it’s similar in the fact that there are no hard and fast rules. This “trend”, which I like to think is just us all remembering our humanity, will change the face and experience of travel, and ultimately create a better world. Mojitos and daiquiris seem like different drinks to the inferior versions that too many bars still serve up elsewhere. What is rum? Strain into a hurricane glass and garnish. It certainly converted me. By just booking their Rum Tour that took me on jumper flights from Antigua, St. Kitts, and Barbados, 20% of the proceeds would be helping some of their sister islands like Barbuda, St. Maarten, The BVI’s, and Puerto who were some of the hardest hit by these natural disasters.

Of all the 150+ aged and sipping rums I’ve tasted, all of the Barbancourt rums, including the 15 year, are at the bottom of my list. In fact, the Malay people have been documented to produce a spirit they referred to as Brum and Marco Polo even wrote about a sugar based wine he tried in the fourteenth century. This rum update is great. One of the most comprehensive guides to Rum I have ever read.