Vizcaya Cristal

This Vizcaya rum is much sweeter than the other two. Good on rocks and great mixer.

At first sniff, this white rum doesn’t seem like a white rum!

This is smooth and delightful! Loadd with character.

Vanilla, possibly honey flavors.

I am a fan.

Good white rum for mixing lots of vanilla flavor. Taste straight is a little like turpentine.

I would like to thank fellow reviewer "james Ford" for his 10-star review to inspire me. So why the lingering doubt? I already had found enough of the perfect white rum mixers and nothing could top Plantation 3-Star Artisinal for a white sipping rum. Until now!!!!

I first did a side by side taste test against Matusalem Platino, since both are from the Dominican Republic and I have rated the Matusalem fairly high at a 6. No contest! The Vizcaya Cristal actually makes Matusalem Platino taste medicinal when compared. Instead, Vizcaya Cristal has no repulsive aroma or taste, but has an absolutely wonderful aftertaste that is different each time! Chocolate one time and vanilla another, then cinnamon. How on earth do they do it? Original Cuban Formula!

I just had to compare this side by side to my only other white rum worthy as a sipper, Plantation 3-Star Artisinal. I will rate Vizcaya Cristal as a 7 equally with the Plantation. Both are fantastic sipping white rums at the top of their class, but not quite up to the level of their darker competitors. Basically, if you want tropical fruit flavors, pick the Plantation. If you want chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and other surprises, pick this Vizcaya Cristal.

Update October 1, 2021: Two months ago, I found two bottles of these white rums for $25 each locally. I hoarded them since they are so hard to find. Well, it came time to make a daiquiri with the last six ounces left in the first bottle. It tasted awful and I at first thought that I added too much lime juice or that it had deteriorated in the bottle, which is indeed very rare for a white rum. Wrong! I then opened the second bottle to sip a very small amount neat. Same lousy taste! I must have gotten a bad batch on both bottles. Regardless, I had no choice except to lower my initial rating of 7 down to a 6. I can no longer recommend this white rum.

I usually shy away from the white rums, but saw this at a small liquor store and it was the only one I had not tried before. While a little strong over ice, when mixed with coke it certainly worked for me.

To be honest I love my dark rums and I never drink the white ones. After drinking the Vizcaya 21 years I saw some reviews about this crystal which triggered my curiousity. So I decided to try this one mainly because it is said that it's a sweet rum. It is indeed a sweet rum, but wayyyyy too much for me! It feels like filling your mouth with a tablespoon of sugar combined with 20 marshmellows at the same time. This is just not my cup of tea so I'll stick with my dark rums for sure!!