Don Q Grand Añejo Conmemorativo
Category: Dark
Country: Puerto Rico
Aged: 3-12 years
Alcohol: 40% (80 proof)
Availability: Extremely Limited
Price: $35 in San Juan, P.R. (750 mL)
Appearance (0-5): 5
Aroma (0-25): 17
Taste (0-35): 25
Smoothness (0-10): 5
Body (0-5): 4
Overall Quality (0-20): 16
Machete Grade (0-100): 72
Notes: After returning home from my Caribbean-hopping honeymoon last year, my wife selected two rums to set aside: Don Q Grand Añejo Conmemorativo for when she got pregnant and Havana Club Añejo 7 Años for celebrating the baby's birth. As far as I was concerned, this meant holding onto the unopened bottles for years. Less than a year later... man, was I wrong. Don Q Grand Añejo from Serralles distilleries comes beautifully presented in a classy, squared decanter with large glass-topped cork. The Conmemorativo is for commemorating the 500 year anniversary of Puerto Rico's discovery by Cristóbal Colón. The liquid is a dark gold with a light pour and somewhat quick legs. Underneath a strong smell of alcohol, the aroma is slightly sweet and spicy, and initially doesn't seem very aged. Given some time to breathe, brown sugar and an almost fruity molasses comes through with toasted oak. Alcohol makes the initial taste introduction, followed by molasses, some spiciness, and a faint fruit taste - not defined enough to pinpoint, but it's somewhere between banana and papaya. Quite dry and overly harsh but it doesn't linger. Overall, it's not very complex. A few merciful drops of water released some hidden sweetness, as well as tamed some of the heat, making the sipping a bit more palatable. The faint fruit flavor is now closer to banana. It's fairly enjoyable - and preferred - in simple cocktails; the tangy sweetness from splashed citrus juice is particularly appreciated. It may be too pricey and tough to find for what it is, but it's definitely a star attraction on the shelf and not a bad way to celebrate the anticipated arrival of my first-born.
Reviewed: March 2008
Notes: There is no mistaking that Starr African Rum, also known as Green Island rum outside of the US, is a unique rum. If the highly-stylized, pyramid-shaped bottle doesn't at least merit a glance, the fact that it's African rum made from sugar cane grown in volcanic soil and distilled like a vodka should get your attention. Specifically, this rum is from the island of Mauritius, east of Madagascar in the southern Indian Ocean. Definitely an unusual place for rum-production. As a bonus, they donate a portion of their proceeds to various African charities in an effort to become "the Ben & Jerry’s of the booze business." Now on to the tasting... Very clean and gentle aromas of vanilla and alcohol float from the open bottle. Pours clear and clean. In the glass the alcohol becomes strikingly strong but eventually gives way to earthy cherry and brown sugar. Cherry is also identified in the taste as the prominent flavor, followed by anise, vanilla, and ginger. Bittersweet aftertaste. Because of its exhaustive distilling, I expected a bit more smoothness. As far as white rums go, though, the sipping is acceptable, as the cherry flavor is present enough, yet subtle enough, to make for an interesting drink had neat. On the rocks with a touch of lemon, as recommended on the bottle, is pretty good. Above all, Starr is wonderfully versatile in cocktails (the cherry adds a nice complementing note to Hemingway 
Category: Cane, White
Notes: 10 Cane lauds itself as "rum's redemption," as its creators at Moet Hennessey depart from traditional molasses and instead use first press sugar cane. The bottle is a classy combination of vintage and modern stylings. A slim square body with a long, gripped neck is designed for premium shelf placement and suited for bar handling. Its plastic-topped cork assures us that this is a high-end spirit. The color is an interesting light straw yellow (though it's still really a white rum), and from the open bottle, the aroma is of alcohol and sugar cane with a hint of vanilla. Poured into a glass, the color becomes much clearer and the smell of alcohol becomes particularly pungent. Allowed to breathe, the aroma is reminiscent of whiskey. Flavor is fairly clean and smoky-sweet with a medium burn on the tongue and young rum harshness on the throat. The heat is too much to enjoy neat and carries with it a faint bitter aftertaste. On the rocks, the cooled liquid releases subtle tastes of earthy wood with a honey and mild fruit aftertaste. A little lime and some club soda (or ginger ale, or coke), and 10 Cane will slowly start to grow on you. It's great in simple mixed drinks like classic 
Category: Dark
Notes: Have you ever chewed rum? If not, you've likely never tried Gosling's Black Seal. In the bottle, the liquid looks black as night, but poured it's more of a deep brown with red amber hue. On the nose there are tones of molasses, herbs, and bourbon. I love the aroma of Black Seal; it's subdued, creamy, and pleasant, particularly when compared side by side with the other black rum I 
Category: Gold
Notes: All bottles of Brugal rum come encased in a thin braided and crosshatched yellow rope, which gives it a unique and appropriate touch of class. It pours with fair weight and has a medium amber color. The nose has an overtone of enamel and is rich with caramel, molasses, and maybe a touch of butterscotch, which are all identified in the flavor. The bite is very present when sipped neat but somewhat softened when on ice, which releases a faint buttery taste. It's a little too dry, but overall this is a good rum. It can be enjoyed on the rocks or mixed with coke or other liqueurs. Brugal Añejo is better than most commonly found golds, and is decently-priced rum that's well worth looking for.