Bayou Satsuma

Sugar: estimated at 80 gpl.
This is not rum, and the label is honest about that as it does state that it's an orange rum liqueur. The rum part is smooth enough and it has a very nice aroma of oranges, but drinking this will put you into a sugar coma. I tried it on the rocks, with club soda, and in a Hurricane, but it failed. I suppose that with some effort you could come up with a decent orange flavored rum drink. There is some potential but with so many good rums on the market I think it's a waste of rum time.

Everything I've had from Bayou has been fantastic and this is no different. This rum has a sweet satsuma flavor with minimal bite, I enjoyed it most just on the rocks as a nice sipping rum in the heat of the summer. I tried a variety of sodas and mixers but none of them really caught my fancy. It was interesting mixed with regular Mountain Dew, might also work in Mountain Dew Live Wire. I would have liked to have found a really good mixer. This is one of those rums that's great to break out at a rum tasting, great to have on hand.

This is actually labeled Bayou Satsuma Rum Liqueur and comes in at 30% ABV rather than the normal 40% or higher ABV for rum. Also it's not for everyone considering it's quite sweet with the Satsuma flavor. With that said I like it. To me it's as if someone used a good, smooth rum in a 16oz bottle of Diet Sunkist orange soda (or Diet Orange Nehi, or Diet Orange Crush...you get the picture). That's not necessarily a bad thing but unique enough where many just won't care for it. It isn't all that bad straight either once you get used to its sweetness and citrus flavor. This would be an interesting rum in various mixed drinks...maybe a "Satsuma Hurricane"?

This is a very good orange rum. It has a fantastic nose and a nice taste. My biggest complaint is that it is weak at 30%abv, and for that reason I definitely prefer the Clement Creole Shrubb (40%) and the Santa Teresa Orange Rhum (40%) which are similar, but better. Still a very good orange rum, ESPECIALLY if you find 40% too strong for you.

Finally a rum my wife will drink. Great straight on rocks. But I love it with Coke Zero.

Rich gold. Bolus of sunny D orange nasa aroma. Massive syrup orange cough syrup. Sweet. But not curaçao sweet. Good.

Tasted 1/19/20 at Laka Lono
Orange in color.
The Triaminic cough syrup flavor hits later.
There is sooooo much orange flavor and aroma here.
Update, found my notes from April 11, 2021 - also from Laka Lono
Orange flavor, but not as complex as some other shrubs. This one scored an 8, same as the previous tasting.

As others have noted and the bottle does state for Gator Bite it is an orange liquor made with rum. I was able to taste this and Bayou's Select offering at the same time at a friend's house. We had this over ice. From some, I dare say many, this would be way too sweet. Perhaps even as a liquor, but I don't mind the sweet stuff and for me it was just fine.

I dinged the rating down to a 4 due to it not being a rum per say, but if you like sweet stuff you'll likely enjoy this offering also.

Bayou Satsuma is an interestingly fun product, full of satsuma essence. It's fresh and fragrant on the nose, zesty, rich, and warm or the palate, and has a smooth and somewhat delicate finish. I've personally found success drinking over ice during the summer, mixing it with soda (odd, I know), and even making some fun and fresh summer mojito variations. It's a definite addition to any rum fanatics bar, and worth a try if you can track down a bottle.

I want to like this rum liqueur & feel like it has its place...but I haven't found it yet. This is likely dynamite in a cocktail recipe I've not yet discovered. Until that happens, though, my impressions are that this is pretty cough syrup-y on the nose and palate.