The first taste from a new bottle is usually the best


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Paul B avatar image
Paul B 🇺🇸 | 471 ratings Author Posted 5 Jan '23

My first taste for any new rum is always the best, and then in more than 90 percent of cases, my tastes for any new rums go rapidly downhill.  I would say that less than 10 percent of trying new rums does my love of this rum increase. What are your thoughts on this?

Les 80 avatar image
Les 80 🇬🇧 | 70 ratings Replied 5 Jan '23

think it depends how many rums u had 

am up to 50 not a lot  so I always get excited by trying new rums 

KU
kudzey 🇵🇱 | 38 ratings Replied 5 Jan '23

I'd say my feelings are consistent with a single bottle. Only when coming back to a rum after long time, like years, I find out that with experience my preferences changed and I like it less.

Paul, do you feel like the aromas and taste of rum changes, like you have other notes, or is it just the way you feel about the rum?

Paul B avatar image
Paul B 🇺🇸 | 471 ratings Author Replied 5 Jan '23

kudzey:

The aromas and tastes of each new rum do not change within a bottle. What changes is my own perception of how good it is. Quite often, the more I sip on a new rum, the lower my rating and ranking goes. In EXTREMELY rare cases, I wound up liking a new rum better than the first sip. I have no explanation for this phenomena other than the "love at first sight" delusion.

KE
Kevin 🇺🇸 | 78 ratings Replied 6 Jan '23

Paul, I just brought back with me, from Panama, 3 bottles of Havana 7yr old. This particular rum changes like the wind so at least this one does change in the bottle. In Panama we let it sit after 1st opening it and moving on to other rums. When we 1st tried it it just couldn't stand up to the Maestro so we shelved it. It did have tabacco & leather notes but the alcohol was front and center. After 3 weeks and low stock we hit it again and "WOW" it was a different rum. It had noticable notes of dark chocolate that the Maestro has but even more so and that up front alcohol hit was completely gone. So, I held out as long as I could with the three I got through customs and the same changes were noticed in every bottle. Glad we gave this one a second chance. I wonder what would happen with the Maestro if we could keep it that long. Lol.

Les 80 avatar image
Les 80 🇬🇧 | 70 ratings Replied 7 Jan '23

I wasn't a fan off the 7 thought it was ok with coke but wife getting me a al bottle off maestro for my birthday in few weeks looking forward to it 

KU
kudzey 🇵🇱 | 38 ratings Replied 7 Jan '23

KE
Kevin 🇺🇸 | 78 ratings Replied 8 Jan '23

Les 80, let that puppy sit for at least 2 weeks with no more than 3/4 empty. You will be as totally surprised as I am. The Maestro is top notch so be careful, it empties quite quickly. Lol!

DB avatar image
DB 🇺🇸 | 70 ratings Replied 6 Feb '23

I think this really just depends on the individual bottle. I find this to be the case with both Scotch and rum - some are best the first time around, and some are better when I go abck to them, after they've sat for a bit. Could be psychological, but I do think in some case, minor changes do occur that lead to improvements. Just an opinion...

KE
Kevin 🇺🇸 | 78 ratings Replied 11 Feb '23

DB avatar image
DB 🇺🇸 | 70 ratings Replied 11 Feb '23

Some of it of course is about how the components of the spirit react to environmental changes, especially newly introduced oxygen. Some (may) react for the better, others not so much. Also a matter of "flavor opinion" since palates are all different among individuals.

Another part of it, is simply getting to used to it and warming up to the flavors.

And I'll mention again the psychological aspect - for example, where a person really WANTS to like something, perhaps because they paid a lot for it, or whatever - a type of comfirmation bias.

UL
Ulli.haus 🇦🇹 | 18 ratings Replied 23 Apr '23

For me, it's the total opposite - I've had several rum bottles where I did not like the first sip. Then, after some months where I poured glasses to friends only, I discovered how good the had become.