Rum – Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle

by · December 20, 2019

“If you keep on drinking rum, the world will soon be quit of a very dirty scoundrel!” — Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

Chances are, you along with the rest of the U.S. think of mixed drinks when you think of Rum — Rum Punch, Rum Swizzle, Daiquiri, Mai Tai, Mojito, Grog, Pina Colada … and you think of the summer or beach vacations. But if you’ve never sipped on an amber or dark 8-25 year aged rum, you’re missing a surprising treat. It’s worth investigating these special reserves. They’re great neat or on the rocks. Enjoy at wintertime by the fireplace, reading a book, smoking a cigar. They make good gifts too, and I’ve provided a list below of the best rums of 2019 (scroll down).

Yo-ho-ho, George!: Maritime literature and movies are showered with rum. Did you know that George Washington treated voters to rum and rum punch, doling out 28 gallons and 50 gallons respectively, to achieve a county seat in Virginia’s House? Of course, the British parliament taxed the molasses trade, from which rum is made, leading to a colonist rebellion and later a revolution. But rum has come a long way since George Washington and “Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum.”

History: Rum originated in the West Indies around 1650. It was a part of the slave trade in the American colonies whereby slaves were brought from Africa and traded for molasses, which was processed into rum in New England, which was then traded to Africa for more slaves. Rum pre-dates whiskey as the original liquor of the United States.

Facts: The three types of rum are white, amber/dark and spiced. It’s derived from molasses, which is a by-product of sugar from sugarcane. The light-bodied white rums are largely made in Puerto Rico and Cuba while the amber and darker full-flavored rums originate in Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana and Bermuda. The darker the rum, the longer it has usually been aged. The alcohol content is usually 43–49 percent by volume (86–98 U.S. proof).

To select some great bottles of rum, I’ve gone outside my own reach, to the experts. Check out Vinepair.com, who listed the following best 2019 bottles to consider from $15 and up:

Here’s another link, this one from liquor.com, which ranks their own list of favorite 2019 rums:

https://www.liquor.com/slideshows/best-rum-2019/#gs.n3q4m1

My personal favorites: El Dorado Special Reserve 15-year aged, Bacardi Gran Reserve 8-year aged, Myers’ Dark, Malibu Caribbean Rum w/ Coconut Liqueur. And as a special treat or gift: Ron Centenario 25 Year Gran Reserva Rum – by far the best!

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