Hamilton Guyana 151

Chocolate hits the nape straight away and that demera delight ... Typical notes of demera on the nose ... Heaven scents of butterscotch...

Taste is that typical oak smokiness that is divine wow such a delight to drink.. I only had a small dram so didn't cocktail this but man the UK needs to import this ...

This dark and mysterious elixir releases a rich brown sugar and molasses rich nose that immediately smacks of treacle and brown butter. On the palate is the hallmark rapid evaporation and sharp burn of 151 that gives way to an utterly scrumptious caramel corn and gingery molasses cookie profile. I've yet to taste a better dark blended overproof.

There aren't many 151 proof rums that are actually delicious, but this one is. You could try it in this order: first, sip some straight up. Yes, it's really fiery, but the unmistakable Demerara smokiness and burnt butter flavors shine. Next, drop in an ice cube and wait a minute. Better, right? Hints of tobacco, oak and butterscotch. And finally, add it to your Tiki cocktails whenever the recipes call for overproof rum. Indispensable.

Toot toot beep beep your night is going to be fun if you use this beautiful rum- or you might just go to sleep! :)

I would’ve guessed this was at least 20 proof points lower than what it is. A lot of the same flavors as the 86, with tobacco, cherry, and some vanilla dominating. Makes a great (although dangerously easy) sipper, but the flavors come even more alive with a little ice or water added.

Having tried the Plantation OFTD and being very impressed, but I wanted to try this one. The demerara, caramel, vanilla, spice, and a hefty dose of oak. Not super nuanced, but this is phenomenally easy to drink for a liquor that's 75.5% alcohol.

In the glass: cola. On the nose: careful wafting reveals fruit forward, some coffee, burnt sugar. On the palate: sweet but a bit strong for standalone tasting. With some water, chocolate, coffee, caramel with some dark fruit. Medium finish with a little bitterness. Really stands up in cocktails.

Got it for Zombies, but its a surprisingly complex and flavorful overproof rum. It may not be a sipper, but it's quality through and through.

nose - brown sugar
taste – dark and rich, hot cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses, smoky, burnt oak, tremendous burn

Tasted side by side with Plantation OFTD, I liked the Hamilton neat better than Planation since Hamilton was pure Demerara, was more rich, like the brown sugar taste. This is not for sipping.

I'll admit, I was afraid of this one when I first picked up a bottle for the sole purpose of making zombies. I had all those awful memories, as most of us do, of Bacardi 151 mixed into drinks with names like The Gorilla Fart and such.

But time passes, and we forget how we almost died of alcohol poisoning, and we are convinced by a blog post that it's time for a different kind of 151. And boy, is this ever different.

If you've never had a demerara rum, it's like going from only drinking American pale ales to getting a hefty pour of stout. The demerara character makes it taste like burnt caramel with almost a rich chocolate undertone. And while it's hot at 151 proof, it's not much hotter than an unfiltered bourbon like Booker's. While you're probably not going to be drinking it on its own very often, you certainly could. For something as strong as Everclear, it goes down surprisingly easy.

The best way to experience it is to make a classic demerara dry float as described in the Smuggler's Cove recipe book (there are probably other other sources as well). Leave the Hamilton 151 on the side in a tumbler and try a few sips without it. Then, pour about a quarter of the 151 into the drink and see how it changes the flavor. Finally, dump the rest into the drink, and experience it at its fullest.

While I use this exclusively as a float or a mixer in classic tiki drinks, I must admit I always save a few drops in the jigger to drink straight at the end. It's that good.