Travellers 1 Barrel

This was not great rum, but I will say it is authentic. If you happen to be on a cruise that stops in Belize, you simply have to boost the local economy by taking a city or jungle tour that just happens to stop at The Travellers Distillery. You can’t argue with free samples and you get to experience a taste of the country. I like to think this is as close to the original “moonshine” of rum as it gets, the kind of stuff real pirates of the Caribbean would have longed for. Hey when in Rome!

Definitely has sweetener added. Likely coloring as well. It’s a little rich for my preference but it’s not bad. Vanilla, oak, and tobacco on the pallet with a nice marshmallow finish.

Coffee note reminding me of Dictador, thankfully it is not overdone and disturbing.

A popular rum in Belize. I'd drink it happily if it was all that was available, but not one I'd buy off the shelf. The label design makes it a good gift option if you are bringing a bottle back for the boss!

I live only a 90-minute non-stop flight from Belize City, yet I finally found this Belizean rum all the way up in Juneau Alaska last week. Even though it is not highly rated on this site, I still paid $27 plus tax for it in Alaska.

As usual, I first try any new rum neat. I was on the fence between rating it as a 6 or a 7. It only had flavors of vanilla and caramel. It had a bit of a burn, but not quite being repulsive as some have stated. Since I had no mixers in my mini-fridge at my motel, I improvised and used ice made from the Juneau Ice Fields via tap water in my room. Pour this rum over pure ice, swish it around a bit, and then strain it a little at a time into a shot glass, and you get one wonderful cold rum drink. Belizean Rum with glacier melt water!! Who could have ever guessed how two worlds combine?

I liked that drink a bit too much, which leads to my next point for my rating being no ill after effects. I have been known to dock good tasting rums a point or two for having ill after effects. But in this case, a 6 rating was boosted up to a 7 because of no ill after effects when mixed with glacier melt water. Mixing with ginger ale on the next night not only took away from the flavor, but added some mild ill after effects. Ah-Ha!!! That's it! When sugar is added to a rum either before being bottled or after the fact in mixed drinks, that is when ill after effects occur. This rum does not really taste sweet, but I can almost guarantee that there is no added sugar.

Gobs of caramel on the nose and a whisper of vanilla. One of the better offerings from Travellers. Good for R&C or Petit Punch. Cheap when bought in Belize (~$15 US for a 1L bottle)

I expected to like this rum more than I did, as it was described to me as a sweet gold rum, which sounded good, as most gold rums aren't sweet enough for me. But this kind of let me down.

Smells and tastes of toffee and sweet caramel. Very artificial, without much rum flavor. Too young to taste any barrel aging. Has a slight alcohol burn. Not really my kind of rum.

Tried the Travellers 1 Barrel rum at the Travellers Distrillery in Belize City and this is not a neat sipper. I can't believe how some folks like this taste. 1 Barrel is years away from being even slightly enjoyable. It has a very strong alcohol smell and taste and the burn is just awful. Mix it with Coke and move on.

Gold colored rum very sweet with a strong caramel flavor. Can be consumed neat or as a mixer. Whennin Belize drink as the Belizeans drink!