What should I open next?

[Arctic Wolf]

Okay I've introduced myself, and provided a little information on how I view certain Rums. Now I want your help. You see I have many different bottles of rum. They are as follows:
El Dorado Rums - 3,4,12,15 & 21
Old Port Deluxe (From Bangalore India)
Renegade Rums - Barbados 2000,Jamaica 2000, & Guyana 1995, and Panama 1997
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Venezuelan Rum
Flor De Cana 7, 12 and 18
Pusser's Royal Navy Rum 15yr
Angostura 1824 (12yr)
Appleton Estate 12yr and Legacy
Gosling's Black Seal
Lambs Navy 151 proof
Voodoo Spiced Rum
Ron Zacapa 23 Anos
Zaya (The new Trinidad version)
Murray McDavid 10 yr Nicaragua
Cruzan Estate Single Barrel
Santa Theresa 1796
Ron Barcelo Anejo
and
Captain Morgan Private Stock

If I include my Juan Santos coffee infused Colombian I have 29 rums.

Currently I have 3 open bottles. The Zacapa 23, the Ron Barcelo Anejo and the Cruzan Estate Single Barrel.
My policy is to never have more than 5 bottles open at one time so I have room to open two bottles sometime in the next week or two. Now if you have read my last thread here
http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2656
then you know what I had open over the past year. Based upon all of this, what should I open next?
Just for information purposes know that I usually indulge in rum two to three times a week but I restrict my drinks to 2 ounces per day maximum.

You may be influenced in your choice in knowing that I will provide extensive reviews of all new bottles after I have had time to get to know them.

I'll check the feedback over the weekend and make my decision.

[curoswiss]

Okay I've introduced myself, and provided a little information on how I view certain Rums. Now I want your help. You see I many different bottles of rum. They are as follows:
El Dorado Rums - 3,4,12,15 & 21
Old Port Deluxe (From Bangalore India)
Renegade Rums - Barbados 2000,Jamaica 2000, & Guyana 1995, and Panama 1997
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Venezuelan Rum
Flor De Cana 7, 12 and 18
Pusser's Royal Navy Rum 15yr
Angostura 1824 (12yr)
Appleton Estate 12yr and Legacy
Gosling's Black Seal
Lambs Navy 151 proof
Voodoo Spiced Rum
Ron Zacapa 23 Anos
Zaya (The new Trinidad version)
Murray McDavid 10 yr Nicaragua
Cruzan Estate Single Barrel
Santa Theresa 1796
Ron Barcelo Anejo
and
Captain Morgan Private Stock

If I include my Juan Santos coffee infused Colombian I have 29 rums.

Currently I have 3 open bottles. The Zacapa 23, the Ron Barcelo Anejo and the Cruzan Estate Single Barrel.
My policy is to never have more than 5 bottles open at one time so I have room to open two bottles sometime in the next week or two. Now if you have read my last thread here
http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2656
then you know what I had open over the past year. Based upon all of this, what should I open next?
Just for information purposes know that I usually indulge in rum two to three times a week but I restrict my drinks to 2 ounces per day maximum.

You may be influenced in your choice in knowing that I will provide extensive reviews of all new bottles after I have had time to get to know them.

I'll check the feedback over the weekend and make my decision.

I'd love to see a photo of your collection. The size and scope are quite amazing... cheers.gif

[Count Silvio]

I'm interested to hear what you think about the Diplomatico RE and the Renegade Guyana. The Diplo is a favorite of many among these parts.

Where did you manage to get all the Renegade rums?

[RonJames]

ya know, it seems like you mostly have spanish open at the moment (im including cruzan because of the column still) and so I think something english or french is in order. Since you're gonna open 2 bottles, and it sounds like you don't like heavy or vanilla hear are my picks. Renegade Barbados and Renegade Panama. One is a central america which you are sure to like, the other is a caribbean brit with a little lighter tone and not as much vanilla. Problem with others for you...
Guyana+Jamaica are heavy
Trini's usually have a ton of Vanilla
And you seem to have central american taste. Hope this helpsdrool.gif

[Arctic Wolf]

To Curoswiss:

I'll work on the picture thing if I can figure out how to upload it.

To Count Silvio:

I travel extensively, but particularly in Calgary and Edmonton Alberta where Bruichladdich has a strong presence. I even met the Bruichladdich rep at CSN Liquor store in Calgary last week (Nice slender chap named Andrew I think or maybe it was Chris) who let me try their new X4 spirit which is a quadruple distilled scotch type drink. (not a true scotch whisky as it is not aged). All the Renegade Rums have been available in those two cities.

To RonJames:

The Panama is an excellent suggestion as you can see I gave it a 96.5 rating in my previous thread. However I did just finish a bottle last week so maybe something else..or maybe not hmmm.

As for my Central American taste I do have a Zacapa open at the moment....

To everyone else:
Keep the suggestions flying

[Ellis34]

Your Zaya will be along the lines of the Zacapa 23 yr old. I like them both. Try the Santa Theresa. It is a good sipping rum. Just wish I were there when you get into them. :)

[rumdog007]

The Murray McDavid Nicaragua is the safe bet for what you say about the FDC7. The rum was sourced from Compaснa Licorera de Nicaragua (FDC) and, then, "enhanced" in white wine barrels. The result is decidedly FDC with polish and refinement. This is the way to go if one is looking to play it safe and have a dram which you will embrace.

Of course, if you are looking to mix it up...

Based on the 94.5 which you gave the Zacapa 23, I would hit that Diplomatico. glass.gif

[rumdog007]

To Curoswiss:

I'll work on the picture thing if I can figure out how to upload it.



To post pictures:

Use the icon in the toolbar that looks like a postcard with mountains.

But, first you must have uploaded the pics to a service. Flickr is best, because it's easy.

You will be copying the address of the photo from its location at Flickr (or, any other...) and pasting just like you did so to post a link within your post.

[leisure master]

Just curious, but how did you come by your only 5 open bottle rule?

You're a stronger person than I am. If I had 5 bottles open and I wanted a dark 'n stormy and had a Goslings on the shelf, it would be opened right quick! gzzg

I would open the Lambs and the Old Port Deluxe, but that's really because I have never tried them. :D

On a more serious note, I have been enjoying Santa Teresa lately. I had a bottle that sat for a while before I opened it and I forgot how much I liked it.

I agree with the Count that the Diplimatico and the Renegade Guyana are both excellent. I have not been able to find any of the Renegades since trying them at the MoR rumfest last year.

Curious also on what you think of the Captain Morgan Private Stock. I find that most rum drinkers find it to be a bit too sweet and vanilla. I think it's a great sipper for people just discovering rum though.

I am not a big fan of the Murray McDavid, so that has been sitting on my shelf for a while. It's OK, but I like so many other things better. Actually, that brings up another question - what do you do when you open a bottle and don't particularly like it with your open bottle restriction? Do you suffer through it like a bad book or do you give it away or something else?

[Michael]

...
Actually, that brings up another question - what do you do when you open a bottle and don't particularly like it with your open bottle restriction? Do you suffer through it like a bad book or do you give it away or something else?

There are times when giving the bottle away might be the best alternative, but several of the rums we didn't care for have made excellent cocktails. A recent example would be the Vizcaya to which I haven't yet been able to warm. Paired with Robert Burr's Barefoot Juice, it was, however, quite tasty. glass.gif

[Arctic Wolf]

Okay lots to reply to from overnight. I'll start with Leisure Master.

You asked for my thought on Captain Morgan. The thoughts I have on all bottles I have drank from as well as my personal rating system methodolgy are found in this thread:

http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2656

As for what I do when I encounter bottles I do not like... the answers in part are in that thread but in a nutshell I suffer until the bottle is gone. I try various cocktails, I have given bottles away (I feel bad giving something I do not like to someone else). I mix and blend a lot as well. For example, In order to make a FDC 4 yr palatable I mixed it 50 50 with FDC 7. (I must have had a bad bottle of FDC 4) In order to make a bottle of Mount Gay XO less bitter I did the same. FDC 7 is so good and so robust that it seems to be able to improve anything.

AS for the 5 bottle rule, you must understand that Rum is not my only love. I also have a collection of Malt whiskies which has grown to 54 bottles, and a Canadian Whiskey Collection of 35 bottles. With 5 bottles open at a time for each spirit I have plenty of choice.

And rightly or wrongly, I believe taste does indeed degenerate over time once a bottle is open which also keeps me from opening too much. I keep everything out of the light and even go to the extreme of tipping every bottle every fourth month to keep the corks wet. Only once have I been forced to abandon a bottle as a bad investment. This was a bottle of Amontillado which was so bad it could not be redeemed. It ended up in the sewer. Fortunately I have not encountered a rum that bad.

As for posting a picture of everything I guess I'll have to investigate this flikr thing. It may not be possible as I am restricted though my employer from downloading all software which has not been specifically approved even on my home network. They are insane about security. It may be easier for me just to email the pics to someone who is not similarly restricted.

Now as for what I'll open after the weekend the arguments are beginning to sway me towards Diplomatico. But we have a long way to go.

[Count Silvio]

Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/) is a personal gallery that requires registration.
There are other services like imageshack (http://imageshack.us/) that do not require registration, where you can upload your images.

[Arctic Wolf]

Imageshack looks like it will do the trick. I'll charge my camera and upload soon. cheers.gif

[Arctic Wolf]

Okay here is the image on imageshack

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/6120/rumshelf.jpg

(I hope this works) ;)


I took the bottles out of their sleeves for the pic and rearranged this a bit.

[rumdog007]

Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/) is a personal gallery that requires registration.
There are other services like imageshack (http://imageshack.us/) that do not require registration, where you can upload your images.

Thanks, Count! I just used it and the interface is simple, too.

[Count Silvio]

Okay here is the image on imageshack

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/6120/rumshelf.jpg

(I hope this works) ;)


I took the bottles out of their sleeves for the pic and rearranged this a bit.

Are you a shopkeeper? That is a really nice collection. I see you're quite a bit into whiskies too. No dust on the bottles either! Send me one shelf please :D.

[Fishinrum]

My God !! If that came into my posession, after I stopped dancing around, I would open the Santa Theresa or the El Dorado 15. Throw out the voodoo possibly ? I do still salivate at your fortune.

[curoswiss]

Okay here is the image on imageshack

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/6120/rumshelf.jpg

(I hope this works) ;)


I took the bottles out of their sleeves for the pic and rearranged this a bit.

Nice.......

[Arctic Wolf]

Here is another pic of something you might find interesting:

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9571/homecask.jpg

This is my collection of spirits I have aced in my own 1 litre oak barrel.

The Rum in the pic was originally a Bicardi White rum which I left in the cask for six weeks. Prior to the rum the cask held Lime Juice for one week. Prior to that the cask had never been used.

All of the bottles in the pic have come from the same cask. (I started to flush the cask with hot water between each use after the tequila was done.)

[Arrrgh!]

Blah blah blah,,,,,,,,,,,start drinking. What the he!! are you saving it for. Open the bottle and enjoy now. They will always make more.g()fy

[rumdog007]

Here is another pic of something you might find interesting:

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9571/homecask.jpg

This is my collection of spirits I have aced in my own 1 litre oak barrel.

The Rum in the pic was originally a Bicardi White rum which I left in the cask for six weeks. Prior to the rum the cask held Lime Juice for one week. Prior to that the cask had never been used.

All of the bottles in the pic have come from the same cask. (I started to flush the cask with hot water between each use after the tequila was done.)

Arctic Wolf, I am so genuinely impressed with your efforts! To think that I have limited my focus to the store shelves...!

You are at another level. I have experimented with a few infusions and Allspice Dram, but what I see in your photo has inspired me to delve further.

you rock.gif

[JMac]

Holy sweet mother....what a collection....are you really in the Arctic???? Last time I was in the Artic...I was stuck on polar bear duty at Churchill Detachment for Halloween as junior man.cheers.gif

As to your original question...I would start on a rum that is opposed to the Latin ones you have open now....maybe an agricole?

Since you have the Renegade line...what is your opinion of them...the BCLDB stores have the Renegade Don Jose...I'm dying to try it but at $108/bottle...it would an expensive mistake.

[Arctic Wolf]

Don Jose is the same as Panama which I like very very much.
I gave a review of the 1997 Don Jose in my first thread.

But 108 a bottle is ridiculous. Those Liquor depot stores are spreading like a plague but a lot of consumers don't realize that they are charging everyone 20 to 30 percent more per bottle to pay for their expansion.

I paid $74.99 for my bottles. Look around for a good independent in your area and avoid those Liquor depot markups.

In fact here is a blurb found on:

http://www.liquorstoresgp.ca/

checking out the site one finds this link:

http://www.liquorstoresgp.ca/Press_Releases/289_896.pdf


now reading their own pdf I quote from their own financial income analysis statement:

As a result of retail price increases in Liquor Barn stores to levels consistent with Liquor Depot stores (“sales price
harmonization”), blended gross margin was up substantially

unquote


The long and the short of it is that they have increases their gross margins by about 25 % at the retail level.


So like I said try to find an independent.

[Vanpatt]

Here is another pic of something you might find interesting:

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9571/homecask.jpg

This is my collection of spirits I have aced in my own 1 litre oak barrel.

The Rum in the pic was originally a Bicardi White rum which I left in the cask for six weeks. Prior to the rum the cask held Lime Juice for one week. Prior to that the cask had never been used.

All of the bottles in the pic have come from the same cask. (I started to flush the cask with hot water between each use after the tequila was done.)

Very interesting; I'm curious how you started down this path of modifying spirits? Any good books or online articles that you could suggest on the topic? Where did you get the barrel?

As to what should you open next, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the Pusser's 15 yr. I have the blue label and am thinking of picking up the 15 yr on a trip to the US next month.

[Jason]

Wow. Simply wow.

I'm going to throw my $0.02 and say open the Old Port. I saw your reply to my post so I'm curious as to what you you'd think about it after a better tasting.

[Saxman]

Id love to try the Masters Legacy by Appleton, If I remember correctly it has blended rums aged up to 30 yrs, and the color looks great, mmmm Iam getting thirsty.

[JMac]

Arctic Wolf: thanks for that information. The $108 a bottle I was referring to though was at a local lCDB Signature store....I don't know what a bottle would retail for at a Liquor Barn/Depot.

Saxman: I have a bottle and I like it but I don't find it as big and full as the Estate Extra. I have to say I like the Extra more.

[Arctic Wolf]

Hi VanPatt

I started modifying spirits last may when my wife gave me a "Whiskey Works" set last May. These come with a Cask Strength bottle of Malt whiskey, (Mostly Scottish whiskey). And simple directions. I had just tasted some "Rum Cask" Scotch and quite liked it. So I bought a Litre of Bicardi white and decided to age it. I went to several message boards for ideas and finally settled on the Lime infusion. Rather than adding Lime to the rum I decided to ace the cask with lime as it seemed a more novel approach.

I found out where the whiskey works barrels ultimately came from. (Thousand Barrel Oak compay) and ordered more barrels without the Scotch. I have four in total and currently have two in use. The first one has become a Port Cask. Between each aging I put 500ml of Graham.s Port in the cask for two weeks. The Port comes out tasting quite nice, and then I ace scotch whisky in the port encrusted barrel. I use Macallan Cask Strength Scotch as my base whiskey and blend normal strenght whisky with this. This gives me a 100 proof spirit for aging/acing.

I find the spirit must sit in the cask about 6 to 12 weeks to gain significant flavour enhancement.

My Second Cask was just started two months ago. It is a bourbon cask aced with Woodford Reserve. My plan with this cask is to age Scotch in the old style method of straight Bourbon Casks. My two extra Casks are planned to be for Canadian Whiskey enhancement, and for Rum Enhancement. These casks are still on the drawing board so to speak but I think I will use my Lambs 151 proof as the base rum spirit, and Canadian Club 100 proof as the base Canadian whiskey spirit.

Because my friends know of my penchant for collecting fine spirits I am always on the receiving end of gift bottles from all over. Whenever a bottle doesn't suit me I set it aside for blending and enhancement. It just lots of fun but I will be honest and say that I have really no firm experience except the trial and error method I am using.

[rumdog007]

I found out where the whiskey works barrels ultimately came from. (Thousand Barrel Oak compay) and ...


http://www.1000oaksbarrel.com/

[Rum Runner]

http://www.1000oaksbarrel.com/

Sorry for going off topic here. Since Rumdog 007 brought up the barrel site link I thought I'd add this. I bought a 5 liter barrel from them in December '08. Their service was quick and the barrel is nice quality. They are made in Mexico I believe.

I have been ageing Ron Canita Alambique Curao white rum from here in it.

I drew off a 750ml bottle from the cask yesterday and brought it over to an Easter dinner party of 18 friends. The bottle had no label and I said..."Just try it and see what you think"...In no time the bottle was drained...They were mixing it...sniffing it...Drinking it straight..You name it. They loved it. I was peppered with questions about what the heck I had done. By the time the evening wore down we all decided to hold a formal rum tasting during the summer. I had no idea the stir this little experiment would produce.

The next little barrel I'm buying comes from this site (http://www.brewhaus.com/Oak-Kegs-C101.aspx).

I'm going for their 8 liter premium barrel from a cooperage in Spain.

[Arctic Wolf]

I looked over those barrels a while back and was very suspicious of the light varnish applied. They claim the premium barrels are suitable for aging but the varnish however light will interfere with the taste.

So I am really curious how they look when you get one. (The thousand oak barrels are unvarnished raw American white oak. ) As far as I know they may be assembled in Mexico but the Oak is American.

As for going off topic I don't mind. The weekend is almost over and I think I know what I am going to open.

[Rum Runner]

I looked over those barrels a while back and was very suspicious of the light varnish applied. They claim the premium barrels are suitable for aging but the varnish however light will interfere with the taste.

So I am really curious how they look when you get one. (The thousand oak barrels are unvarnished raw American white oak. ) As far as I know they may be assembled in Mexico but the Oak is American.

As for going off topic I don't mind. The weekend is almost over and I think I know what I am going to open.

I'm not sure that a light varnish over the top of the barrel will affect the flavor too much. When one is talking barrels the surface area of barrel to spirit in a (relatively) small barrel is likely to be not affected greatly by how the outside of the the barrel is finished. Just my 2 cents.

Your experiments are to be admired.

We look forward to more,
Cheers!

[Michael]

What a great site! I'ved got to get at least a 2L to try out aging a bit of suitable white rum. cheers.gif

Please excuse my ignorance, but which of the premium barrel are you going for Rum Runner? What is the difference in application and/or effect between the fully charred and toasted barrels. Aren't most barrels for rum aging fully charred?

How is the barrel prepared before introducing the spirit? Do you, or other forum members, have any recommendations for a good white rum choice for a first attempt at aging?

[Rum Runner]

What a great site! I'ved got to get at least a 2L to try out aging a bit of suitable white rum. cheers.gif

Please excuse my ignorance, but which of the premium barrel are you going for Rum Runner? What is the difference in application and/or effect between the fully charred and toasted barrels. Aren't most barrels for rum aging fully charred?

How is the barrel prepared before introducing the spirit? Do you, or other forum members, have any recommendations for a good white rum choice for a first attempt at aging?

Michael Your enthusiasm is welcomed! I have been using a 5 liter barrel from 1 Thousand Oaks as cited above. They have a light char to them.It took about 5 days to season mine with water before it was tight.

Pour in whatever white rum you like is my suggestion

My next barrel from the aforementioned site will be a toasted not Fully charred one. In my experience a Fully charred barrel lends too much of the charcoal to the flavor.

[Arctic Wolf]

And the Winners are....


Well the first was easy, so many of you wanted me to Open my Diplomatico that I readily agree. What a spectacular bouquet. I'm not sure how this will wear on me but my initial sampling five minutes ago was very promising. Just have to see how it holds up after a few weeks of imbibing.


The Second bottle I opened was not so easy to pick. In the end I went with the rum from Bangalore India. Amrut's Old Port Deluxe. I just wanted something completely off the map and I remembered my sample in the Liquor Store (Lacombe Spirits in ST. Albert, Alberta) left me the impression of something quite exotic.


So in about a month or so I will let everyone have my take on each of these rums.

Oh yeah Rum Runner,

I did not mean to imply that the varnish was definitely a bad idea. I just explained my thought process with respect to which oak barrels I chose.

I have been trying to think of a way to decrease the evaporation rate in my barrels. I lose 33 % of the liquid in a 16 week span. Striping light varnish over my barrel is an option. I have also considered putting my barrel in a plastic bag for part of the aging process to encourage more chemical reaction with the oak and less evaporation with the air. If you have any ideas along that line I'd like to hear them. (Maybe we should start a new thread. Others seem to be interested as well.)

[Vanpatt]

Thanks for all of the information on aging your own spirits Arctic Wolf. It sounds like a wonderful hobby and I'm very interested in picking up a barrel or two to give this a try. I have so many questions right now I think I'll do some serious reading on the subject. I really like the idea of starting the barrel off first with a port or sherry and then finishing a rum in this cask. I'm bottling my own port later this week at a UBrew place so I'll have plenty of port on hand to do this.

Good call on the Diplomatico, I just grabbed a glass of the Reserva right now while I was reading through this thread. I have an unopened bottle of the Exclusiva but I'm going to sit on that for a special occasion as it's hard to get here.

[Kittani]

I would try the appleton myself, though the last bottle I had of that distiller had been opened and sat for many a years, it was still drinkable.

As to the barrel, I would LOVE to get my hands on a jack daniels or southern comfort barrel and attempt to age a blend in one of those. From what I understand you can find barrels they use for test blends and thier smaller stock runs in sizes ranging from a few gallons to a full sized 50 gallon monster. I'd hate to try to fill one of those, but if you found a blend that worked it may be fiscally advantageous to invest in a large barrel and the blending stock. Just a thought.. you rock.gif

[Vanpatt]

Just ordered a 5 litre barrel from the 1000 Oaks Barrel Co. I'm going to age some port in it first as I have a batch that is due and then am thinking of enhancing some rum in this afterwards. I think I'll go with a rum that is at least moderately aged because I'll just have it the barrel a short time to bring in the port flavours. Does anyone have any suggestions of rums I could try? I was thinking maybe the FDC 5 YR or perhaps the Bacardi 8.

For those of you who have done this before, can I age multiple batches of rum after the port batch or do I need to clean it out and start over after one rum batch?

[Arctic Wolf]

Good Question

Here is my take which may or may not be good advise.

First on the Port you are using. I personally do not know of many Port cask rums so you are really in undiscovered country there. I really think the robust taste profile of fdc or bicardi 8yr make them unsuitable for acing in port. You want the port to influence the taste profile. The Port may add some fruitiness to the rum so if you want to really taste the port you should go with a light rum with a low aging. I try to use clear or light spirits.

Secondly you should be aware that these small casks really evaporate alcohol fast. So you want to grab an overproof rum with a alcohol content of 50 % or higher. This way you will still have a suitable alcohol content when you are done.

As for reusing the cask over and over, I think a bit of trial and error is in order. I flush my cask with hot water after each use, and leave the water in for a week to clean it. Then I refill it with port again. I leave the port in for two weeks and then leave my spirit in for 8 to 12 weeks. I have noticed that I must leave each successive batch in a little longer than the last.

I plan to rechar my barrel with a propane torch after it has been in use for one year. Your barrel will be five times larger than mine with presumably a thicker oak wall. This will slow the evaporation and impart oak for a longer time period. This means I think that you will need to leave the rum in longer than I to get the benefit. You should achieve a fuller flavour for your efforts though.


I hope that helps.

[Vanpatt]

Thanks for the feedback. I have so many questions but I think we're off the topic of your original thread so I'm going to create a new one about modifying spirits shortly to discuss and reference your response.

[Liber Group]

Okay I've introduced myself, and provided a little information on how I view certain Rums. Now I want your help. You see I have many different bottles of rum. They are as follows:
El Dorado Rums - 3,4,12,15 & 21
Old Port Deluxe (From Bangalore India)
Renegade Rums - Barbados 2000,Jamaica 2000, & Guyana 1995, and Panama 1997
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Venezuelan Rum
Flor De Cana 7, 12 and 18
Pusser's Royal Navy Rum 15yr
Angostura 1824 (12yr)
Appleton Estate 12yr and Legacy
Gosling's Black Seal
Lambs Navy 151 proof
Voodoo Spiced Rum
Ron Zacapa 23 Anos
Zaya (The new Trinidad version)
Murray McDavid 10 yr Nicaragua
Cruzan Estate Single Barrel
Santa Theresa 1796
Ron Barcelo Anejo
and
Captain Morgan Private Stock

If I include my Juan Santos coffee infused Colombian I have 29 rums.

Currently I have 3 open bottles. The Zacapa 23, the Ron Barcelo Anejo and the Cruzan Estate Single Barrel.
My policy is to never have more than 5 bottles open at one time so I have room to open two bottles sometime in the next week or two. Now if you have read my last thread here
http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2656
then you know what I had open over the past year. Based upon all of this, what should I open next?
Just for information purposes know that I usually indulge in rum two to three times a week but I restrict my drinks to 2 ounces per day maximum.

You may be influenced in your choice in knowing that I will provide extensive reviews of all new bottles after I have had time to get to know them.

I'll check the feedback over the weekend and make my decision.

I am the importer and distributor of Jaun Santos and am very curious as to where you purchased our products.

Let me know.
Thanks,
Nicole

[Arctic Wolf]

Hi Nicole

Am I going to get anybody in trouble if I answer your question? ;)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

All kidding aside I think I might have met your rep at the store where I purchased the Rum. I was traveling through Edmonton on business and stopped at my favourite Rum store in the area, (Lacombe Spirits in St. Albert) where the proprietor Karim had a bottle of your nice Juan Santos behind the counter for me to sample. Your Rep had left him a bottle for that purpose. After one sip I knew I wanted to buy at least one. I can't remember the rep's name but she was their allowing customers to do some wine sampling. When she learned I was a rum and whiskey collector she went to her van and pulled out some Bernheim Wheat whiskey and some Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon for me to try.

Of course I could be mistaken about her being the rep for your Rum as it may have been a coincidence that the Rum arrived on the same day as she did.