...
Sort by: Popularity | Newest | Oldest | Rating
Posted
over 1 year ago
I decided to try this very carefully and systematically. I really tried to taste deeply into it and find things it reminds me of. I taste something that reminds me of browning meat, maybe specifically pork. It's very early and especially when I take some air as i sip. Not in any way unpleasant but distinctive for sure. It has a little sour caramel thing too. Like a green caramel apple. It actually gives me a little tingle in my cheeks the way sour things might. The green apple is very nice though. After that I get a nice subtle molasses flavor and it has a very long mildly woody finish with a very nice tingle on the back of my lips. I am surprised at how much is going on here. I'm now very curious to try other Don Q offerings.
Posted
over 1 year ago
I was surprised on how nice this taste since I was expecting much. On the nose you get oak but also sweeter ones of chocolate and vanilla. The first taste you get a little bit of sweetness before giving away to oak and spice.
I think one of the best things about this rum is it seems nothing has been added so I’ll be giving this one another try in the future.
Posted
over 2 years ago
Don Q doesn’t get enough credit. The quality and value are simply unmatched when you consider the alternatives.
Posted
3 years ago
The nose is tropical fruits, after while it reveals also cocoa, oak and leather. The taste starts with fruity sweet notes, turning toward mild oak, hint of tobacco, dark chocolate, ending with a bitter sweet cocoa dot which lasts in the pleasant and long aftertaste. Overall the rum is very well crafted, with no apparent artificial components besides caramel coloring, to a certain point it reminds me of Bajan rums - which means I like it. It is smooth enough to enjoy neat and it is very reasonably priced, so it can be used as a premium mixer too.
Posted
over 3 years ago
Really, it’s what you’d expect for the price. Don q does have, in my opinion, the best white rum, but this just isn’t up to that standard.
Posted
almost 4 years ago
No w końcu udało się trafić rozsądny rum. Dobry. Polecam
Posted
almost 4 years ago
At $16 per bottle, this one is hard to beat. It’s almost a sipper in its own right, fairly dry with a little burn. It really shines as a high-end mixer, which is in line with the price. It makes a nice rum old fashioned as well :-)
Posted
4 years ago
A bit harsh on the nose and tongue this is not a sipper. Okay as a mixer but the lack of body makes it mediocre at best. Some of the harsh taste even comes out with coke. Have not tried it as a blender and probably won’t, can’t see this taste profile adding to any cocky.
Each to their own but this is not going to have a place in my bar...
Posted
over 4 years ago
This is ok to mix but it I find it a bit too bland and harsh to drink straight up. I find Havana Club Anejo to be superior both in terms of versatility and taste. Puerto Rican’s I know swear by this rum, but I think there are better options even from Puerto Rico. Maybe it just doesn’t fit my preferred flavor profiles.
Nose: 5
Palate: 5
Aftertaste: 5
Smoothness: 4
Versatility: 7
Price: 6
Total: 5.3
Posted
over 4 years ago
Not bad at all. Mild and cremy. Woody. Smooth aftertaste. Lack of intensity a bit. Okaish, nothing more.
×
Other reviewers noted the similarities between this entry level rum and their Gran Anejo. I cannot think of a rum that is this cheap and still serves as a sipper. For the money, this one wins hands down over their Gran Anejo. Very smooth! It would also make a great mixer.
Update four days later: This rum makes one of the best Cuba Libres that I have ever had in my life! Forget the blanco rums for this drink! As for the taste vs cost ratio, this one wins hands down. Sure, there are much better sipping rums, but be prepared to pay 2-3 times more than one would for this one.
On another note, I was once anti-Don Q until I gave their Gran Anejo a try and was inspired by another reviewer to try this much cheaper and more flavorful rum. This one is definitely one to keep to avoid raiding the rum cabinet filled with much more expensive ones.
On still another note, if you wind up getting stuck owning a $51 bottle of Don Q Gran Anejo that is super smooth with almost no flavors, here is what to do with it. Try a 50/50 mixture of Don Q Anejo and Don Q Gran Anejo. You can even store this magical mixture back into that pretty bottle of Don Q Gran Anejo and most of your guests would never know. The Don Q Anejo has the much needed flavor while sacrificing some smoothness due to lack of aging. Together they make a fantastic combo. Gosh, why hasn't Don Q figured this out to sell us this mixture priced between $15 and $51? Don Q, this is your hint! I also should adopt a new nickname of Senor Simple Solera.
Update March 10, 2018: I bought another brand new bottle of Don Q Anejo and tested it against four other budget sipping rums between $11 and $23. As expected, the $11 Cruzan Gold lost out right away to Cruzan Estate Diamond Dark 5 year, which then lost out to Don Q Anejo. Then this Don Q beat my old standby of Flor De Cana 7. It was then a final comparison between this Don Q Anejo and my El Dorado 8, but that is like comparing two different rums, one is very dark and one is lighter. I liked the El Dorado 8 better, but at $8 more, I would expect this to be so. Since I would have to drive 25 miles one way to pick up new bottles of either one, my budget and mood would determine my go-to budget dark sipper at that time.
Update August 18, 2020: I just checked the website for Don Q rums. It appears that this old favorite will be discontinued or renamed Don Q Reserva 7.
Update December 15, 2020: I did get a hold of the replacement today and compared side by side. The taste differences are extremely subtle, but basically they are charging extra for the fancier bottle with a real cork. This one is aged 3 to 8 years. The Reserva 7 is aged 7 years.