Blending rums – any successes?


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DE
DelectaBlee 🇺🇸 | 59 ratings Author Posted 14 Dec '14

After a few months of membership here, this is my first post. With my exploration of rum, I have a few rums that are "sub-prime" but I've discovered that blending two or more can produce some good results (and some not so good). Do any of you have your own creation(s) you'd like to contribute? Here are two of my favorites: (1) Appleton Special (their basic gold rum) and Mount Gay Eclipse Silver, mixed in equal parts. This produces a "light Jamaican" rum that reminds me of a cheap version of 10 Cane. It works well in one of my creations, the Grapefruit Daiquiri which has become my wife's favorite rum drink. (2) Myers's White rum and Bacardi Gold, mixed in equal parts. This makes a good rum and tonic with a lime wedge. Related to this, I have a growing collection of spiced rums so I'll be experimenting with those in coming months. Ben
Andy avatar image
Andy (PREMIUM) 🇺🇸 | 142 ratings Replied 19 Dec '14

Great idea Ben! One of my favorite light rums is Diplomatico Blanco - I wonder what it would taste like when mixed with something really dark like Pampero Aniversario...
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DelectaBlee 🇺🇸 | 59 ratings Author Replied 27 Dec '14

Thanks for replying, Andy. I've not tried either of the rums you mentioned so I can't offer specifics, but I can tell yout this: I got the idea for blending rums from Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide (revised, published ca. 1975). In many of his recipies for Tiki drinks, two or more rums are listed. I try to imagine complimentary flavors that will lighten a heavier rum or make a lighter rum more flavorful. I've only tried this with rums that I thought could use some improvement. The two blends I mentioned were successes and are now kept in marked bottles in my home rum cabinet. Please let me know how your mixing goes.
CH
Charles M 🇬🇧 | 149 ratings Replied 30 Dec '14

I recently did this with two rums I wasn't mad on. One was Mezan's 1999 Panama, which the last bottle I had (the 1995 vintage) had been bottled at 40% - the 1999 as at 42%. I know it's not a big difference, but it was just a bit harsh. I like drinking straight up so I decided to blend with a bit of Ron Barcelo Imperial, which while not that bad at all, was bottled at 38%. 42% + 38% = 40% which to me is perfect. Gave the Panamanian a touch of sweetness that was (surprisingly) lacking, while taking the edge of alcohol off.
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netswitch 🇧🇪 | 12 ratings Replied 3 Jan '15

I have two interesting mixes : -Dillon White 50° equally mixed with Dzama Vanilla 40° and Sugar cane. This is a strong one but the sugar cane and vanilla taste is superb. -Plantation anniversary edition with Diplomatico Exclusivo Reserva, you get the coconut fro the plantation and the vanilla and sweetness from the Diplomatico, this is quite an interesting blend that we did with a fellow rhum enthousiast last month.
CH
Charles M 🇬🇧 | 149 ratings Replied 4 Jan '15

I really dislike Zacappa 23 and I seem to have a litre bottle of it. Going to do some experimentation with adding some cognac to it (on the back of the M&S rum that Plantation bottle for them) to see if it can cut through the sweetness that I find far too much.
Florin avatar image
Florin 🇷🇴 | 78 ratings Replied 29 Oct '20

1 although I was surprised by the complexity of DRE, I couldn't digest that exaggerated sweetness so I drink it mixed with 2 parts dictador claro 100 and one part diplomatico plus 2 3 (literally) drops of lime, i ll try zacapa in this recipe 2 i like mount gay eclipse with a cocoa bean)