Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum

[Joe Riley]

This isn't on the Cruzan website (yet..) but I happened to read a Beam Global press release about this product. It reads in part, "The newest addition to the Cruzan portfolio is spiced rum, Cruzan 9, a unique blend of nine all-natural spices, based on the stronger-tasting rums of centuries ago, and handcrafted by the Nelthropp family".

My distributor doesn't have it yet, and I can't reach anyone from Beam Global today who can tell me anything about it, but the photo in the press release looks good; it's sort-of like the Cruzan aged dark bottle, but with a big "9" above the label.

Can't wait to see this one. If it's true to it's heritage, I'm certain that I'm going to like it. :)

[Sylbaris]

Joe: I had the opportunity to attend the Beam sponsored launch of this new rum about a month ago in lower Manhattan. If you need more info, I can hook you up with the Beam team based in Chicago. Never a fan of spiced rum especially Captain Morgan, after 3 or 4 expertly prepared cocktails by the mixologists at Pain Killer, I soon became an aficionnado.

[jjwest]

They are not on my sipper list, but spiced rums like Sailor Jerry's, Seven Tiki, and Krakken are all fine additions to my mixables. I find that a good spiced rum can amplify the flavors I really enjoy in drinks like the Navy Grog, the Ancient Mariner and Rum Barrel.

I look forward to sampling the Cruzan entry. Keep digging Joe!

[Joe Riley]

Joe: I had the opportunity to attend the Beam sponsored launch of this new rum about a month ago in lower Manhattan. If you need more info, I can hook you up with the Beam team based in Chicago. Never a fan of spiced rum especially Captain Morgan, after 3 or 4 expertly prepared cocktails by the mixologists at Pain Killer, I soon became an aficionnado.
Thank you kindly tp; Beam Global has a D.C. office, but the guy that I needed to speak to wasn't in yesterday (he actually lives about a mile or so from my store) I'll just drop him an email.

Yeah, Captain Morgan is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's a decent enough "starter" rum, or entry-level rum, for someone to get their feet wet in the rum world, but at the same time, it's only 70-proof and not really representative of what better rums are like. I've made a lot of converts from Captain Morgan to Sailor Jerry (92-pf), and my customers can't believe what a MUCH better rum the Sailor Jerry's is.

I could be completely wrong, but I see a lot more interest these days in spiced rum than in flavored rums (i.e., coconut, pineapple, orange, etc..) With the strong debut of The Kraken, and Brinley Gold "Shipwreck" Spiced Rum, and a few others (even Heaven Hill's "Blackheart"), this looks like the category for growth opportunity in rum. Either that, or everyone just wants a piece of Captain Morgan's market.

[young0076]

I like me some spiced rums, and I am looking forward to getting ahold of this one.

[RumBarPhilly]

I believe the launch date for Cruzan No. 9 is July 24th, though this could just be the launch date in Pennsylvania. I'm excited to get it in, its been years since Ive tried the Clipper. I know No. 9 is a 4 year old aged rum. (or was it 3?)

Cant wait!

[Edward Hamilton]

I could be completely wrong, but I see a lot more interest these days in spiced rum than in flavored rums (i.e., coconut, pineapple, orange, etc..) With the strong debut of The Kraken, and Brinley Gold "Shipwreck" Spiced Rum, and a few others (even Heaven Hill's "Blackheart"), this looks like the category for growth opportunity in rum. Either that, or everyone just wants a piece of Captain Morgan's market.

I think a lot of companies thought Captain Morgan owned the spiced rum market and were afraid to compete. Then Sailor Jerry made some waves, then changed their blend and now the seas are awash with spiced rums, some are better than others. My latest blog is about Spiced Rum (http://www.ministryofrum.com/blog/?p=67).

[Edward Hamilton]

I believe the launch date for Cruzan No. 9 is July 24th, though this could just be the launch date in Pennsylvania. I'm excited to get it in, its been years since Ive tried the Clipper. I know No. 9 is a 4 year old aged rum. (or was it 3?)

Cant wait!

Like you Adam, I've heard a couple of different ages, or maybe it was my hearing.

[The Sheriff]

I have not been a fan of spiced rums in the past but since trying and liking The Kraken I'm looking forward to giving No. 9 a try!

[Edge]

I'm also looking forward to Cruzan 9. I may have to take a drive to the local liquor store and have them order me a bottle.

[Edward Hamilton]

You probably won't find it in your local stores yet, I'm told it hasn't been released nationwide yet. It was released in NY last month and I'm looking forward to finding a bottle in New Orleans this week. Stay tuned.

[The Sheriff]

Hi Ed, anything to report on the Cruzan 9 yet? It hasn't arrived in Oregon yet but I'm told it's on its way!

[Arctic Wolf]

According to the BeamGlobal Ambassador in my area, Cruzan 9 is supposed to be released in Alberta this fall. I suspect this coincides with the more general North American release. I will definitely be giving it when a try when I get my bottle.

[Edge]

Still no Cruzan 9 in my neck of the woods... drooling2.gif

[Hank Koestner]

I was at Joseph's a week ago, and the rep was there and I sampled this rum. I think you will all find that this is an excellent spiced rum, on the drier side, with spices and a touch of vanilla that come through nicely. It is more along the lines of Foursquare than the heavier, sweeter rums like Kraken and Sailor's. It should be on the shelves soon.

[Michael]

... It is more along the lines of Foursquare than the heavier, sweeter rums like Kraken and Sailor's. It should be on the shelves soon.

Thanks Hank, that is good news indeed. cheers.gif

[young0076]

Just picked my bottle of Cruzan 9 here in Wilmington, NC. Can't wait for my desert tonight......will let you know how it is.

[young0076]

Ok this is some good stuff here. Has a bit of a whiskey taste at first, then the berry flavor kicks in. Goes down really smooth.

Bartender.......a round for all my MOR friends............cheers.gif

[young0076]

Update.....

Seems that the more the ice melts this stuff really comes alive........very smooth

[Patapouf]

Update.....

Seems that the more the ice melts this stuff really comes alive........very smooth

Thanks for sharing your thoughts young. I hope this hits my area soon considering we have all of their other products.

I'm suprised to hear it has a berry flavour to it. Sounds great!

[wetland10]

I just had a taste a minute ago. This is a nice rum. It seems to have been made for sipping, at least what the bottle says. There is more of a vanilla scent than taste, but definitely spice. I will be drinking this. However, I did not find it to be as smooth, initially, as Brinley's Shipwreck. More taste tests to see how that goes.

Wayne

[young0076]

Wait for the ice to melt and the magic starts to happen with this stuff........

[RonJames]

thanks for the update young, i was wondering about this stuff recently.

[cycloneX]

I Just picked up a bottle of the 9. It was on sale for $9.99... and marked as "NEW PRODUCT" at the local liquor store. Boy did I fall right into the marketing...lol.
I figured what the hell. I havent tried it yet... ive got a wicked sinus infection goin on....but maybe this would burn it out of me!!
Im very curious about the NINE spices....arent juniper berries used to make gin???

[Jamie76]

Yes, juniper berries are generally used as an ingredient to make gin. Since the flavor is rather strong, I'm assuming it's not one of the leading flavors.

[Sylbaris]

I recently had the privilege of preparing about 300 Mojitos for an event at my favorite cigar bar Hatuey. My base spirit was Don Q Cristal which is near perfect for this cocktail. I started ratcheting up the flavor with a whisper of Clement Creole Shrubb when that was exhausted I opened up the Cruzan 9 which became an amazing compliment to this summer time partymaker. Try it I think you will find it works quite nicely.

[RonJames]

Surprise surprise! I just scored a bottle of this at a liquor store in nowhere Vermont! Proof that you need to check out every liquor store that you pass. It was only 12.90usd! For that price it could be the everyday spiced rum. Heavy vanilla scent with strong initial pepper taste when served on the rocks, then mellows down to strong vanilla. Great rum

[Ben]

Hi RonJames,

Where exactly is Nowhere, Vermont? I couldn't find it on Google Mapslaughing.gif

Seriously, I would need more info, I'm going down there in September.

[RonJames]

sorry for late reply Ben, it was in rutland in a supermarket on route 7, (right next to a staples and joan fabrics), maybe it was a stop n shop? Southern part of route 7 by the mall.

[dendrophobe]

Has anyone compared this rum to the old Clipper? If I recall that particular rum wasn't sold much outside of the Virgin Islands, but I have a few bottles at the back of my cabinet... Whenever I get my hands on some 9, I"ll have to break open one of them and sip them side-by-side...

[wetland10]

I haven't compared it to that, but I have compared it to several that I have on hand. It definitely is not a "vanilla spiced" rum. It's an acquired taste as far as I feel right now. My favorite spiced rum right now is Brinley Shipwreck. I think The Lash is pretty good too for what it is.

Wayne

[Churchill103]

Just picked up a bottle ....will try it this weekend

[RonJames]

I've never had the clipper, but alas, this is one nice spice rum. Over the rocks and enjoy.

[Edge]

Cruzan 9 is finally in Houston at Spec's downtown. Got it on sale for $9.99 or so, and we tested it at a party with friends. It was a hands-down success, and everyone loved it. It can be a sipper or a mixer, and people who typically don't like spiced rums really liked this one and were going back for seconds (and thirds).

Now I have to head back down this week to buy a few more bottles to be ready for our Halloween Party this year.

Cruzan 9 is a winner. I hope word gets around quickly; I'd like to see this in more stores closer to home.

[jrl915]

How would you compare Cruzan 9 to Kraken?

[rumdog007]

The quality of the base rum must be a pretty good one. It goes down smooth, full of flavor. My only complaint is that it is, yet, another spiced rum with a more than generous vanilla essence. I'm not completely turned off by vanilla. It's just that it gets a little old with so many vanilla-type spiced rums already available. It is at the top of the scale when compared to most of them.

Now, the Kraken comparison... It tastes nothing like Kraken, 2 very different animals. The Kraken and Foursquare are closer cousins. I really like the cherry flavor of The Kraken. cheers.gif

[Mistahunter]

I think Foursquare is the best spiced rum out there...

[rumdog007]

I think Foursquare is the best spiced rum out there...

Me, too! drool.gif


I bunkered quite a few 1.75L's of it when it was dirt cheap, on sale, at HiTime in Costa Mesa.

[Edward Hamilton]

Though it is a different profile from Foursquare, the new El Dorado Spiced Rum deserves a taste, or two.

[RonJames]

Since we're talking about spiced rums...Cruzan has been marketing STRONGLY against the Capt. here in NE. Kind of think it has to do with the new distillery being built for the capt. in st. croix but then again inviting diageo to your island and then trashing their product before they get there doesn't sound too smart.

Finally was able to track down Brinley's Shipwreck spiced rum. Wow. It has vanilla but strong butterscotch taste/smell that reminds me of Ragged Mountain rum or Appleton Estate Reserve. The best spiced rum I've had on the rocks.

[young0076]

The Cruzan 9 doesn't even come close to the Kraken.....we are talkking 2 different worlds......I really do like the Cruzan 9....easy to sip and easy to mix. The Kraken was good....but after having a few tastes of it.....I seemed to have gone away from it totally.....seemed more like a fad compared to the Kilo Kai to me. I am a love of the spiced rums....and cruzan is on the top 5 list......

I want to try me some of the El Dorado spiced rum in a bad way. I have tired their 5 and 12 year so I am anxious to try their spiced as well.

I do recommend if you find it.....the Spiced Jack No 94......that was some very tasty stuff....stonger than sailor jerry, but much smoother.
http://www.spicedjack94.com/no94.php

Also I had a bottle of the Blackheart Spiced Rum....not bad....a definate mixer.
http://blackheartrum.com/

[Jamie76]

I need to pick some of this up. I see our Total Wine finally has it.

[silverfish]

Finally noticed this on store shelves. Priced at $17.00 with a
$9.00 mail-in rebate so I grabbed a bottle since I'm a sucker
for Spiced Rum anyway. Very tasty neat and decent enough
mixed with cola. I like it much more than Blackheart - as
much as I wanted to enjoy that one, it just turned me off.

[young0076]

I will knock your socks off. I am still waiting for NC to get the large bottles up here. Saw them in florida, but they haven't made it up here yet.

[Jamie76]

Finally picked myself up some of this, along with a bottle of RL Seale's 10yo.

[gordonbeall]

just mixed up a Provincial, which I posted the recipe for yesterday under Dark Rums, and also in the Rum Recipe section, with Cruzan 9... yummmmmy. Also made it with Sailor J... Cruzan was better, only because it didn't take over the drink like the Sailor did. But both were definitely fun to drink. So give it a try, you'll enjoy it for sure.

[DR. HOUSE]

Wasn't impressed with it.......

[Edge]

I like 9 quite a bit for what it is; an inexpensive yet tasty spiced rum that is good for sharing with friends.

Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0b3 using Tapatalk

[fresnel151]

Free samples of Cruzan 9 were being handed out at a local Spec's so I gave it a try with and without coke. Couldn't really develop a firm opinion with those small tastes, but nothing about it led me to purchase a bottle for further research....

[Edward Hamilton]

It's hard to form an opinion about a rum based on a small sample from a plastic cup in a liquor store, but it's better than no sample at all.

[jjwest]

I've really enjoyed occasionally finding 375 ml bottles of rums I have not tried yet. It gives you enough to do a variety of tastings from neat to mixing. Much better than a store sample or miniature.

I wish more rum companies would consider this size for retail.

[SeldomSeen]

Agreed! The 375's are a great option to give a new Rum a try. But if you've got a friend that's also into Rum, spliting a 750 is another way to try more new Rums for less, without commiting to a whole bottle. Especially if they don't come in 375's. I bought a case of 12oz. sauce bottles for just this purpose, as well as for storing Rums for extended periods to avoid oxidation.

[Koato]

I have tried the cruzan 9, It was very good and beat captain morgan by a longshot.. but it gives me a stomach ache after a drink and a half.. :(

Luckily Sailor Jerry's doesnt do that to me.. although I did like the cruzan9 a little better.

[Edward Hamilton]

That is very strange, but strange things happen when you're consuming alcohol and added flavors.

[Sylbaris]

When it comes to spiced anything it's all in the mixology! Captain why? Cruzan what? Sailor boy who? Kracken wha wha?

[jackvacton]

I'm looking forward to trying the Cruzan 9. But I haven't sampled the Kracken either. There's another spiced rum I'm curious about but have heard very little. Has anyone tried Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum? It really intrigues me with what they put into it for flavor.

[silverfish]

There's another spiced rum I'm curious about but have heard very little. Has anyone tried Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum? It really intrigues me with what they put into it for flavor.

Not to sidetrack the thread but there are a few comments about
ONCSR in this thread (http://ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=979). I'm a sucker for spiced rums and it is one
of my favorites. I agree with bluewave6 that there is no syrupy
taste to it. Well worth picking up a bottle if you enjoy spiced rums.

[The Sheriff]

I have been sipping the 9 Spice for a while now. It's OK straight or on-the-rocks. But I find it's flavor to be very Bourbon like. Kind of like it was aged in used Jim Beam barrels. While I can appreciate a well made Bourbon it's just not my "tot-o-rum". I was thinking this rum would be more mixable but the heavy wood doesn't seem to work well with the fruits I have tried it with. Maybe further experimentation is in order. Oh well just my 2 cents.

Cheers

[jackvacton]

Thanks silverfish, your link really helped. Now I'm really parched.

[El Dangeroso]

Jackvacton, I drink the Old NO Cajun Spice and love it. It is different but very nice. Makes a great Bloody.