Hamilton Guyana 151

I'll admit, I was afraid of this one when I first picked up a bottle for the sole purpose of making zombies. I had all those awful memories, as most of us do, of Bacardi 151 mixed into drinks with names like The Gorilla Fart and such.

But time passes, and we forget how we almost died of alcohol poisoning, and we are convinced by a blog post that it's time for a different kind of 151. And boy, is this ever different.

If you've never had a demerara rum, it's like going from only drinking American pale ales to getting a hefty pour of stout. The demerara character makes it taste like burnt caramel with almost a rich chocolate undertone. And while it's hot at 151 proof, it's not much hotter than an unfiltered bourbon like Booker's. While you're probably not going to be drinking it on its own very often, you certainly could. For something as strong as Everclear, it goes down surprisingly easy.

The best way to experience it is to make a classic demerara dry float as described in the Smuggler's Cove recipe book (there are probably other other sources as well). Leave the Hamilton 151 on the side in a tumbler and try a few sips without it. Then, pour about a quarter of the 151 into the drink and see how it changes the flavor. Finally, dump the rest into the drink, and experience it at its fullest.

While I use this exclusively as a float or a mixer in classic tiki drinks, I must admit I always save a few drops in the jigger to drink straight at the end. It's that good.

If you want to try it without cutting it, take tiny sips or you will numb your palate too much to taste it. I love the 86 proof Hamilton but cut to around 100 proof this stuff is fantastic. Also great to ratchet up the intensity of your Tiki drinks.

I've never had the original Lemonhart 151, which is legendary. I have a bottle of the newer version, but have not opened it. I don't know how it could get any better than this.

Insanely strong nose. You can smell and sip it neat, but a few drops of water help. Deep, rich caramel. I prefer it to the current Lemon Hart 151. It's also the same stock as Hamilton Guyana 86, just not diluted. So theoretically one bottle can do double-duty!

8-

Extremely similar to Lemon Heart if not a little more refined. I have read that all Guyana rum is processed at the same distillery.
Can’t go wrong here for mixing or even sipping with a water-back.

nose - brown sugar
taste – dark and rich, hot cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses, smoky, burnt oak, tremendous burn

Tasted side by side with Plantation OFTD, I liked the Hamilton neat better than Planation since Hamilton was pure Demerara, was more rich, like the brown sugar taste. This is not for sipping.

Even more dramatic than the 86 proof. Everything is amplified, with new qualities brought to the table like a pronounced smokey and toasted character.

People complain about sipping a 151 straight as if its a defect with the rum - its supposed to be hot, overwhelming, and concentrated - that's the point of a rum that's over 75% abv. However, this is one of the few overproofs that I can actually manage to sip and enjoy neat, maybe with a little water. Expect tongue-coating richness like with the 86 proof, and an even more dramatic spicy cinnamon/caramel finish that never seems to lose its intensity. This is exceptional rum, made intentionally as a mixer for tiki and fruit drinks, like the zombie. For $25, there's no reason to avoid having it on the shelf.

This is a bully on the palate! It has a nice big nose of rich molasses, burnt sugar and of course alcohol. The aroma is rich and full.
This one packs some heat! Sampled neat it's hot and numbing. Molasses and alcohol. After resting for about 10 minutes I dropped in an ice cube and swirled it a bit. A small sip reveals molasses and big alcohol. Some caramel, tobacco and smoky hints. Not one for sipping unless you have an iron palate that's for sure.
Used in cocktails needing an overproof this rum can definitely pick up the kick! The flavors come through so it's great for those wanting a Demerara character. Great price and a wonderful mixer but too much for me straight up. I give this a solid 7 for use in cocktails.

This is the second 151 I've tried, not what I was expecting. It's a 151 so yes, it's going to burn, it will numb the tongue.. but it carries such a powerful toffee and caramel flavor, the flavor is very potent, more so than the regular 40% offerings.

You can pour this over a stack of ice and take small neat sips. I've also tried this with ginger ale and lime. 1 finger of Rum and about 6oz ale with ice, the flavor of the rum will still power to the front. It does not get left behind.

I think this strong toffee flavor can make it a great rum for desert drinks as it will bring an excessive amount of flavor and alcohol, but not so much liquid that will thinn the drink. If you decided to do something like a vanilla milk shake.

Be careful tho.. 151 is no joke, 1 mixed had my mind floating quite a bit.

Got it for Zombies, but its a surprisingly complex and flavorful overproof rum. It may not be a sipper, but it's quality through and through.

We were used to grocery store 151s, but this changed the game. Fittingly, a good rum that's bottled at a high strength is still a good rum! This is great floated on drinks, or mixed in to a jet/test/space/whatever pilot, and so forth. We keep this one constantly stocked.