White, Clear or Silver

[Edward Hamilton]

Clear rums are as varied as any other segment of the sugar cane spirits industry. Some are bottled straight from the still, others are aged then carbon-filtered to remove the color gained from the aging barrel.
These clear sugar cane spirits exhibit everything from light, clean, crisp citrus flavors to heavier notes of sugar cane, herbs and white pepper. White sugar cane spirits are typically bottled with an alcohol content of at least 40%. In the French islands, rhum agricole blanc is typically bottled at 50, 55 or 62% abv and in Marie Galante the local white is bottled at 59% abv.
The strongest rums in the Caribbean are bottled at over 80% abv or more than 160 US proof.

[rumdog007]

Hi, Edward, what is the taste that I detect in the Havana Club Anejo Blanco? And, is this straw colored rum a true white/clear/silver? Anyway, there is something about the taste of this rum that I find unique. Some of my favorite cocktails are transformed by it. I bring it in from Canada wheneverf I return on business. I wish I could find something that mimics its flavor which is more readily available in California.

[Rum Runner]

Down here in Puerto Rico... It's Don Q "Cristal" (glass in Spanish) for a pitcher of Mojitos..Made with the local small leafed mint (Yerba Buena) and the local "Limones"...made with a simple syrup of local sugar..or better yet...Gaurapo..local fresh sugar cane syrup...Stir and turn up the Merengue!

[rumdog007]

Wow, quite a conincidence. I am having Don Q for the first time, right now. Pretty good stuff. I found a bottle at Plaza Liquors here in Tucson, Arizona here where I am visting on business. I wish I has a lime and some mint, though.

[Rum Runner]

Rumdog....Don Q is the rum of choice for "upscale" locals here in Puerto Rico. The big "B" is considered to be the "tourists" choice.

[Edward Hamilton]

Hi, Edward, what is the taste that I detect in the Havana Club Anejo Blanco? And, is this straw colored rum a true white/clear/silver? Anyway, there is something about the taste of this rum that I find unique.

The difference you detect in Havana Club Anejo Blanco probably has more to do with what isn't in the rum than what is in it. Through the process of aging and carbon filtering some of the congeners generally associated with white lightly colored rums are removed.

As for the designation white/clear/silver there isn't any standardization in the laws of the rum producing countries. and most countries don't have any regulations regarding the color designation. It's a stretch but it would be legal to have a dark or gold colored rum called XX Silver Rum.

[junkhauler]

Ed,
what is your take on the Havana Club Silver Dry. When I originally procured some, i was a bit confused because Havana Club's website did not list it. Then I saw there are two sites for the distillary, and one had it listed, one did not. This may have changed now. Where would you aplly the Silver Dry as opposed to the Havana Club Blanco?
I have founf Cruzan lights velvety feel and fairly neutral taste to be a very nice base for Daquiris and Mojitos, much more readily available in the states than the ummm.., finding a bottle of Havana Club in the mail. I like the Flor De Cana light, but it has a nutty finish, which would seem to shift the taste of light rum cocktails with minimal flavor components. It works great for Lychee nut daquiris, or with any banana flavored cocktail.