Comparisons

[angelsword]

I thought it might be fun to try a series of comparisons and ask others to do the same. Any 2 rums head to head. What do you get?

Later tonight I'll do Zaya 12 vs. Flor 21.

[Scottes]

I love comparisons, and have done a few on my site. I think it's a great way to learn the differences and open up the tastes between 2 or more rums, since tastes from one might open up hints in another.

Anyway, I've been struggling with Zacapa 23 versus Zaya since last Saturday. They're both very similar, and two of us could not pick a winner. I'm actually trying again, with a more concentrated effort, trying each individually and I'll follow that up with another comparison side-by-side.


Beyond that, I like to compare a couple/few of the same style - I recently compared Havana Club Anejo Blanco to Ron Matusalem Platino to Bacardi Superior. I'd like to do the same with some Jamaican golds - even if I have to line up all the Appletons since I can't find any other Jamaican Golds.

And I have a love of tiki drinks, and the recipes often call for rum by island - Puerto Rican White or Barbados Gold and such. So I'd like to sit a number of "tiki rums" together and compare the tastes.


So please, compare away! If you can, I'd love to hear about El Dorado versus Lemon Hart demeraras. I can't find El Dorado yet, but I'm intrigued with demeraras....

[angelsword]

Zaya 12 vs. Flor 21

Color:
Zaya is a shade darker. It is also cloudier with hints of green in the color.
Flor is clear dark golden amber. Fast legs!
Aroma:
Flor has a bigger nose. Plumeria flowers and banana, mildly spicey.
Zaya carries wifts of caramel and vanilla, very soft oak.
Taste:
Flor - Balanced across the tongue. A dry, ancient oak with fruit and flowers intertwining in the branches. Pleasantly herbal light tannic astringancy in the linger.
Zaya - Powerful sweetness, vanilla, and caramel. Hints of chocolate. Long vanilla finish.

Overall I have to go with Flor.

[Hank Koestner]

There is no need for me to add more, as both of you have hit the nail on the head. I would choose one or the other depending upon my mood, but if forced to choose, I would take the Flor 21. One thing I did notice about the Zaya is the creamy texture in the mouth.

Also, when checking color, it is my understanding that the green rim at the edge of the rum indicates age in wood, as does the hint of green in the color. Most aged rums have a green rim, but I have seen great variations in the color, and thickness of the green rim.

[angelsword]

Sea Wynde vs. Plantation Grande Reserve

I thought that these two were close enough in general category to warrant a comparison.

Color: These are quite similar in medium to dark gold shading. GR is a tone redder and darker. Legs are better on the GR.

Nose:
SW has more aroma: pungent, slightly sour, dirty socks, lemons. I can see where the imagery of sea breeze might be used to describe this smell. But there is some old seaweed and rotting shrimp in there too.

GR has more slight alcohol burn even though it is a lower proof of 40% (vs 46% of the SW). Aromas of banana and flowers.

Taste:
SW - Dry, mildly bitter, unsweetened vanilla, hint of salt, overall sourness. Spikey on the tongue. I found it interesting and not disagreable but my tasting partner made a gagging noise and poured his out.

GR Slight sweetness, softly complex. Taste fits the aroma. Broad and smooth across the tongue. Oak is in the background. More gentle than the SW... in a good way. Near the top of my gold rums! I may have to keep this on hand.

Plantation GR is the winner.

[Dood]

Sea Wynde vs. Plantation Grande Reserve

I thought that these two were close enough in general category to warrant a comparison.

Color: These are quite similar in medium to dark gold shading. GR is a tone redder and darker. Legs are better on the GR.

Nose:
SW has more aroma: pungent, slightly sour, dirty socks, lemons. I can see where the imagery of sea breeze might be used to describe this smell. But there is some old seaweed and rotting shrimp in there too.

GR has more slight alcohol burn even though it is a lower proof of 40% (vs 46% of the SW). Aromas of banana and flowers.

Taste:
SW - Dry, mildly bitter, unsweetened vanilla, hint of salt, overall sourness. Spikey on the tongue. I found it interesting and not disagreable but my tasting partner made a gagging noise and poured his out.

GR Slight sweetness, softly complex. Taste fits the aroma. Broad and smooth across the tongue. Oak is in the background. More gentle than the SW... in a good way. Near the top of my gold rums! I may have to keep this on hand.

Plantation GR is the winner.

Wow, your description of SW is PERFECT. To be honest, I'm with your tasting partner...I am not a fan of the Wynde.

[angelsword]

Beyond that, I like to compare a couple/few of the same style - I recently compared Havana Club Anejo Blanco to Ron Matusalem Platino to Bacardi Superior. I'd like to do the same with some Jamaican golds - even if I have to line up all the Appletons since I can't find any other Jamaican Golds.

And I have a love of tiki drinks, and the recipes often call for rum by island - Puerto Rican White or Barbados Gold and such. So I'd like to sit a number of "tiki rums" together and compare the tastes.


So please, compare away! If you can, I'd love to hear about El Dorado versus Lemon Hart demeraras. I can't find El Dorado yet, but I'm intrigued with demeraras....

I have been hoping that Scottes, Hank, and Dood would post some of their own comparisons. I see "I'd like to do" in Scottes' post. We would like for you to do too.

[Hank Koestner]

I am going to compare these two tonight. More to come!

[Scottes]

I have been hoping that Scottes, Hank, and Dood would post some of their own comparisons. I see "I'd like to do" in Scottes' post. We would like for you to do too.
Well, I did recently post a "comparison" of 5 white rums on my blog.
http://scottesrum.com/tag/comparisons/5-white-rums/
It was not really meant to be a comparison, but more of an exploration of the 5. Yet I screwed up a bit, as you'll see if you read it.


A couple weeks ago a friend and I compared Ron Zacapa 23 and Zaya. We did it again last Saturday. Within the last week I then reviewed each independently and last night I tried to give my thoughts about a comparison of them.

Zaya: http://scottesrum.com/2007/07/03/zaya-gran-reserva/
Zacapa: http://scottesrum.com/2007/06/26/ron-zacapa-centenario-23-year-old/
Compared: http://scottesrum.com/2007/07/03/ron-zacapa-23-vs-zaya-gran-reserva/


And some time ago I compared St. James Ambre vs their Hors D'Age:
http://scottesrum.com/tag/comparisons/st-james-ambre-vs-hors-dage/


As for others, I'm working on building up the inventory in order to make some sense of the comparisons. I have only 2 white Puerto Ricans, and 2 gold. I'd like a 3rd of each before a decent comparison can be made. I'm in a worse situation with Jamaica and Barbados rums, as well as most others. Heck, at this time I can't even compare a PR to a Jamaican to a Barbados, since I don't have a decent PR rum.

And to go on, I have only 2 cachacas, 1 unaged agricole, 3 aged agricoles but only 2 brands, 1 Martinique non-agricole, 0 Guadelope and on and on and on. I just don't feel that a single unaged agricole will really teach me what agricole tastes like. Same for cachaca, and as a result I hardly feel qualified to compare an agricole to a cachaca. What if my lack of knowledge leads me to grab a crap cachaca and compare it to a top-notch agricole? Is that a fair comparison?

I guess that I have different goals than some others. I like many different sipping rums but I don't find much sense in comparing wildly different rums at this time. I'm trying to learn more about rum styles, not just the taste of specific ones, so I'm curious about that which makes a demerara taste like a demerara, and with a single one in my inventory I will only discover what Lemon Hart Demerara tastes like. So I will wait until I get an El Dorado before I taste them, and hopefully that will give me a better idea of what makes a demerara taste like it does. And that goes for cachaca, and agricole, and so on.


So, when I acquire rums that better match each other for *some* reason, then I'll compare them. And I am actively - voraciously - working on rounding out my rums for such comparisons. I have a strong interest in Tiki drinks and have always been curious about why Don Beach and Trader Vic chose the rums they did. What tastes did each rum style have that made them choose a PR rum over a Jamaican for a particular drink? So my current goals are to learn about "tiki rums" and compare a few of each to learn a bit more about why they were chosen.

However, if you take a look at my list of rums (http://scottesrum.com/my-lists-of-rums/) and would like to know how 2 of them compare, please ask. I don't think you'll need to twist my arm to entice me to sip a couple of rums and talk about them. :-)

[Scottes]

Sea Wynde vs. Plantation Grande Reserve
Very nice review. It makes me want a bottle of the Plantation GR, and makes it even more apparent that I probably won't like the Sea Wynde. I'll pass on the SW, but the PGR goes on my list to get.

[angelsword]

A couple weeks ago a friend and I compared Ron Zacapa 23 and Zaya. We did it again last Saturday. Within the last week I then reviewed each independently and last night I tried to give my thoughts about a comparison of them.

I'm with you on the Zaya over the Zacapa 23.

[angelsword]

As for others, I'm working on building up the inventory in order to make some sense of the comparisons.
I'm now up to over 100 rums (not counting my own creations) on my private tasting shelf, but it does take a while to do that without going broke (or at least without raising my wife's ire). But it is a business expense for research and development!

[angelsword]

As for others, I'm working on building up the inventory in order to make some sense of the comparisons.
I'm now up to over 100 rums (not counting my own creations) on my private tasting shelf, but it does take a while to do that without going broke (or at least without raising my wife's ire). But it is a business expense for research and development!

[angelsword]

Color: Both are medium dark but Sta. Teresa is redder and darker. Matus has better legs.
Nose: Both are very fine! They are even quite similar in aroma though Sta. Teresa is bigger, more complex.
Taste: Here the difference stands out though both are superb. Matusalem is dry, reseved, subtle, long lasting, refined, elegant... a sophisticated lady. Sta. Teresa is rich, tropical, fruity, a hint of sweetness, slightly tangy in the finish... take me home tonight.

How can you go wrong!

[angelsword]

I am going to compare these two tonight. More to come!

Who is going to win, Methuselah or La Bruja Vieja?

[Hank Koestner]

Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva
Color - Brown tones w/ yellowish highlights, good clarity
Legs - Nice long legs
Nose - Deep vanilla, w/ a cinnamon and nutmeg note, wood and caramel
Taste - Good balance, sweetness up front w/ a dryer finish, a nice warmth in mouth and throat, Vanilla, oak, a hint of pepper in sensation and taste, spice note. Classic rum flavor. Medium in body.
Finish - medium w/ lots of wood.

Brugal Extra Viejo
Color - deep amber with orange tint, fair clarity, darker
Legs - on the thin side
Nose - Grassy, earth, and a moss, almost mold note...Oak, hidden vanilla,
marzipan. More complex than RM.
Taste - Balance is good, edges toward dryness in the mouth., smooth. Oak is very prominent and on top, earth, vanilla and a hint of sour fruit. Slightly heavier in body.
Finish - long and woody

The Brugal has a unique and interesting taste, which I like quite a bit,
and it is a bit unusual compared to other rums. The wood is strong here. I think this is a good cigar rum, with the right med. bodied cigar.
I have to give the contest to Matusalem, which is a well made classic rum. It has more balance than Brugal.;)
The Brugal opened up with a few drops of water.

[angelsword]

To my tastes Matusalem rates far higher of those two.

[angelsword]

I just picked up these 2 bottles today, principally because they were mentioned here. I had tried and very much enjoyed the St James Hors, and since Scottes (?) preferred the amber I certainly thought to try it out.
I hadn't heard of Lemon Hart until it was mentioned here, but Spec's (our liquor superstore) just got it in this week. On first taste of these two there seemed to be several related characteristics, so here we go.

Presentation: The Lemon Hart bottle and label look like crap... Cheap! But Treebeard says, "Don't be hasty." Point to St. James.

Color: St James is a ruddy amber with hints of green. At a rim level far more green than red. Hart is much darker, very dark with lots of red caramel tones, almost no green. Leads me to believe that while the St James is colored principally by wood, the Hart is colored more by caramel. Point to St James.

Nose: Lemon is bigger and richer. Many of the tones are those I associate with rhum agricole. St James is more subtle but quite deep. Point to Hart.

Taste: St James, dry, oaky, straight forward... I really like it, Sugar cane! Hart may seem almost more agricole than St James! More bitter herbal notes. I like it too. I'm a bitter man. Point to Hart.

Finish: St. James takes it here! The Saint just goes on and on.

Overall: This is very close. Since I plan to keep some of the St James Hors around, I may drop their Ambre from my shelf. But the Lemon Hart has won a space.

[angelsword]

Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva
Finish - medium w/ lots of wood.

Brugal Extra Viejo
Finish - long and woody

Many women already know the answer.

[Scottes]

Engulfed in a momentary lapse of reason, I reviewed 3 Coconut rums - Malibu, Parrot Bay, and Cruzan Coconut.

This comparison is best described by repeating my one-word summary: Yuck.


The clear loser was me, since this comparison proved that I had wasted $12 on a fifth and two nips.

The Malibu was rated the worst rum, with the least coconut taste, the most fake coconut taste and the highest smell of alcohol.

Far better - but not exactly good - was the Parrot Bay. It had a tinge of chemical coconut though, but wasn't bad actually.

The winner, but not by much, was the Cruzan for having the best coconut taste and the higheest alcohol content, though it had the most burn.


All in all this comparison will probably mean that I will do my best to stay away from flavored rums.

If you wish to read it in full... http://scottesrum.com/2007/07/22/3-coconut-rums/

[angelsword]

Engulfed in a momentary lapse of reason, I reviewed 3 All in all this comparison will probably mean that I will do my best to stay away from flavored rums. http://scottesrum.com/2007/07/22/3-coconut-rums/

Don't give up on ALL flavored rums! As a contrast to the super sweet coconut rums you just tasted there is a bottle of Temptryst Toasted Coconut Rum on its way to you.

[Scottes]

I have faith that you have made it correctly, and I'm most definitely looking forward to it!

[angelsword]

I have faith that you have made it correctly, and I'm most definitely looking forward to it!

I look forward to an honest critique. Even though we only scored a bronze in the competition I still believe that this is a vastly superior product.

[Scottes]

I sampled the Angostura 1824 and 1919 tonight.

In a nutshell, the 1824 is full of flavors, all of them bold and grabbing your attention one at a time. The complexity is very nice, but the lack of balance is not. Overall, it's not very balanced, and is less smooth than expected for a 12-year-old.

The 1919 is rich, creamy, and has nice balanced flavors - just not enough of a flavor as it's a little bland. Fine and smooth, it's quite sippable, but perhaps it's not distinct enough to be sipped too often.

Both are good, but both miss the mark by a little bit.

http://scottesrum.com/2007/07/29/angostura-1919-1824/

[Scottes]

Last night I sampled 3 cachaзas - Beleza Pura, Fazenda Mae De Ouro, and Leblon.

The Beleza is a little sweet and has some bold fruity tastes, perhaps too bold, and a long slow burn that isn't conducive to sipping. It would take the right cocktail to make this worthwhile.

The Fazenda was much milder in taste, more refined and subtler, but still a little sweet and somewhat fruity. It's very sippable, and it makes me yearn for their 5-year-old which should be available soon. For sipping, this is easily the winner.

The Leblon was somewhat less tasty than both of the above, with a burn similar to the Beleza. Not worthwhile, IMHO.

http://scottesrum.com/2007/07/30/3-cachacas/