Taster

“I generally prefer sweeter, spanish style rums. Not a big fan of the french style agricoles (with some exceptions).

My ratings are based on straight tasting: no ice, no water, no mixing.”

Brand

Review

Rating

Plantation XO 20th Anniversary

My favorite 9,8 Just had this one again after a long period of other rums - and it’s still my favorite. Yes, it’s very sweet, but it’s also very tasty and aromatic.

10

Opthimus 25-Year Malt Whiskey Finish

Very nice 👌 (34 g/l) 8,8-9 Nose: voluminous scent of caramel and some orange. And some hints of smoke. Palate: smooth, warm, voluminous body. Very well balanced, almost no burn

9

Ron Centenario 20-Year

Outstanding Solera from Costa Rica Nose: intense, complex, oak, caramel, dried fruits Palate: just wow! Very well balanced, sweet, voluminous, long lasting, authentic. Hard to beat, a

9

Ron Centenario 25-Year

Mature brother Nose: less caramel than the 20-year old, but more groovy oak wood. Subtle, mature. Palate: slightly oily, very smooth and rounded, very long lasting

9

Ron Malteco 15-Year

Another great Rum from Guatemala! Just as the well known Zacapa (also from Guatemala), the Malteco is not made from molasse, but from sugar cane sirup. This production method is a gua

9

Opthimus 18-Year

Close to the 15-Year old 8,7 Nose: Rich and fruity, wood, some smoke, orange and caramel. Nice. Palate: smooth, a bit smoky maybe, not much burn, sweet and spicy. Authentic and p

8

Ron Botran Solera 1893

Pleasant to enjoy straight Nose: Very oaky, intense and complex. Palate: smooth and well balanced, but maybe a bit thin, somewhat smoky, not too sweet. In contrary to other re

8

Ron Malteco 10-Year

Classy, but maybe a bit shy Nose: oak, with pretty much character for a 10-year old. Palate: smooth, warm, slightly woody taste. Not very aromatic, but hey, it's ok for his age.

8

Opthimus 15-Year

Nice and well balanced (29 g/l) Nose: caramel, oak, well balanced Palate: smooth, well balanced, some sweetness, also some slight sharpness, slightly smoky, but the taste is not v

8

Costa Rica Rum Company S.A. Ron Jaguar Edicion Turrialba - Cordillera Ron Extra Añejo

10 Year Costa Rican Same rum as Ron Jaguar Cordillera Cask Strength, but not bottled at cask strength. 👍🏼 Nose: nice, pleasant scent of vanilla and maybe sherry Palate:

8

Dictador XO Insolent

Delicate Part of Rum Calendar 2016: very nice scent of caramel, well balanced, delicate, but a bit thin and a short aftertaste.

8

Ron Centenario 30-Year

Almost too gentle? Was part of Rum Calendar 2016: Smooth, mild, well balanced, sweet, but not so much character - and probably overprized.

8

Old Man Spirits Rum Project One

German blend This german blend tastes surprisingly natural and authentic. Fruity (coco and orange), aromatic and spicy. The best rum with coconut flavor I've tast

8

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

Sweet, silky, smooth Nose: a bit shy Pleasant, pretty sweet, scent of caramel and vanilla, maybe a tiny bit smoky, pretty oily. Not very complex. After taste is not last

8

Ron Zacapa Edicion Negra

Overprized greetings from the barrel 8 Nose: nice scent of oak and some smoke. More intense than the Zacapa XO Palate: very woody and a bit smoky, some chocolate too. Aromatic, some intere

8

Ron Zacapa XO

Heavily overprized (30 g/l) 7,5 Nose: woody, nougat, chocolate, but rather shy Palate: thinner than expected, slightly oily, not very aromatic and not very voluminous taste, but an

7

Angostura 1919 Deluxe Aged Blend

Pleasant spirit 7,5 Nose: spicy, fruity, pleasant Palate: warm, some slight sharpness, rather a fine and thin spirit, some scent of wood maybe, not voluminous, not long

7

Westerhall Estate No 10

Grenada Rum Nose: pleasant caramel and oak, with some hints of banana and vanilla maybe, but not very intense: you can smell it well in a sniffer, but not very we

7

A. H. Riise Non Plus Ultra Very Rare

Expensive, sweet (82 g/l) orange 7.8 Nose: some sharpness, some sweet orange, some oak. Palate: voluminous, smooth, lots of very sweet orange, almost a bit too sweet and sticky, some sha

7

El Dorado Special Reserve 15-Year

Okay Tastes slightly smoky, hints of tobacco and barrique. Tasted this one as part of a rum tasting event, would need a few sips more for a more detailed

7

Ron Santa Cruz Seleccion

Seleccion Tenerife Nose: pleasant, caramel, maybe a bit shy Palate: pretty smooth, but a bit dry maybe, somewhat woody, a bit thin, slightly sharp, but still well balan

7

Ron Malteco 20-Year

Expected more... Nose: subtle, spicy, woody, pleasant Palate: hmm, not so spectacular, a bit woody (but somehow moldy), and a bit dry maybe. Not very aromatic, but st

7

Kraken Black Spiced

Strong? Naaah, not really. Nose: Some oak and caramel, but not very intense. Palate: Sweet, mildly, some chocolate, vanilla and caramel. Fun drink, not very complex or elabora

7

Companero Panama

New rum for chocolate lovers (Release in January 2018) Nose: pleasant chocolate and maybe some coconut Palate: also chocolate, but combined with an unneccessary sharpness. Could

7

1423 Ron Magec, Ron Añejo XO Pedro Ximenez

Spanish hints of sherry Nose: oak and caramel, slightly spicy, pleasant, just as rum should be to me Palate: sweet but also spicy, sherry, ok body and good aftertaste

7

Ron Zacapa 23 Solera

Maybe overrated This one used to be among my favorites when I started in rum tasting, and before I discovered Malteco, also from Guatemala. Zacapa is more popular,

7

Plantation Barbados 5-Year

Subtle, almost shy This young rum is very subtle in nose and palate. Not very aromatic, but smooth and pleasant. But I miss the character of more aged rums.

7

XO XO

Warm and long lasting Nose: Oak, slightly sharp Palate: Warm, wide and long lasting scents of caramel and toffee. Slightly spicy, but still sweet. Well balanced.

7

Don Q Anejo

Tasty but skinny Pretty tasty, a bit clean maybe, slightly sharp, but not too much. Nice scent in the nose, but i miss some more body.

7

Pampero Aniversario Reserva Exclusiva

Room for improvement This rum starts with a pretty sharp and harsh alcohol smell, but there are some hints of caramel and oak in between. Also the taste is pretty sharp,

7

Presidente 19-Year

Interesting alternative Good taste, a little sharp and maybe a little too oily. Some hints of tobacco. I wonder why my rum guide does not feature this one...

7

Captain Morgan Private Stock

Not bad for such a young rum Nose: Vanilla, caramel, pleasant, maybe a bit artificial. Palate: sweet oak, aromatic but not very complex. Pretty smooth.

7

Summum 12-Year

Agricole with hints of cedar Fine one for an agricole, not too agressive. Some hints of cedar, fruits and eucaliptus 6-7

7

Bumbu Original

Banana syrup from Barbados Special taste: does not taste like rum, does not even taste like an alcoholic drink! But if you like banana syrup, this one is a good one. Nose: lot

6

Pampero Especial

A bit underrated? 4th edit: Although the bottle looked different, I tasted a rum with this name. Nose: some toffee and lots of caramel, but also a bit artificial and

6

Ron Santa Cruz Plata

Crystal clear rum from Tenerife (only 37,5% VOL) This rum is very clear, even clearer than Wicked Dolphin Silver or Havana Club 3 Años. Nose: some sharpness with a hint of vanilla. Palate: pretty n

6

Wild Tiger India Spiced

Another Wild Tiger from India Nose: sweet, caramel, orange peel Palate: smooth, mild, but - just as the Wild Tiger Special Reserve - not lasting very long. Since it's a spiced o

6

Atlantico Platino

Very young, crystal clear Nose: not much; some sugar cane and vanilla maybe. Palate: smooth, warm, some sweetness - and very poor taste, which is not surprising for an only 18

6

Costa Rica Rum Company S.A. Ron Jaguar Edicion Cordillera Cask Strength

65% Costa Rica Nose: spicy, and some caramel after about 30 minutes. Palate: warm, strong, and a pleasant, veeery long lasting taste of caramel and some wood. Pro

6

Bristol Classic Reserve of Mauritius 5-Year

Smoky agricole Taste: Wood, Sherry, Smoke I'm not a fan of agricole rums, but this one is among the best agricoles i've tasted. Sharp, but not as sharp as other agr

6

Tanduay 1854

Subtle Philippino Nose and palate: orange and some hints of oak. Similar to Don Papa Rum (from Philippines as well). The Tanduay is less sweet than Don Papa, which is p

6

Companero Elixir Orange

Very Orange! Very sweet, almost sticky as sirup. Tastes very orange in nose and palate. Some hints of coco are included as well. Maybe a bit artificial.

6

Matusalem Gran Reserva 15-Year

Average Nose: This one has a very nice scent of caramel and oak. One extra point for that. Nice bottle too. Palate: The taste is less sweet than a zacapa o

6

Don Papa Small Batch

Fancy orange This is not a typical rum. It tastes very fruity (orange) and pretty sweet. Maybe a bit artificial? But a really great artwork on the bottle!

6

Berry's Jamaican 12-Year

Average Jamaican Spirit Nose: raisin (although the label says banana. I‘ve tasted banana rums, this one is certainly not one of them.) Palate: a bit harsh, but not sharp, pr

5

Artemi 7-Year

Basic canarian This rum from the canary islands is ok, but pretty common Nose: not so special, maybe some hints of oak Palate: pretty smooth, but not very tasty, a

5

Wicked Dolphin Silver Reserve

Good for cocktails This rum from a young florida based company (est. 2012) has a scent of vanilla. It is well balanced and has no after burn. Looking forward to taste mo

5

Ron Millonario Reserva Especial 15

Maybe too sharp for me Part of Rum Calendar 2016. Barrique, sweet but also sharp at the same time. 5.5

5

Mombacho XO Cuvee Prestige

Pretty tasteless This one was part of the Rum Calendar 2016: it was pretty tasteless.

5

Ron Esclavo 12-Year

Nice scent but poor body Nose: sweet and pleasant toffee, well balanced Palate: spicy, but poor body. Did expect more after the aromatic scent in the nose.

5

Tres Hombres Porto Bayan 2005 Rum ED 20 12-Year

Not so special edition Since this is a special edition, one would expect an extraordinary taste, but in fact, this rum tastes very average to me: It shure has a nice scent o

5

Wild Tiger Special Reserve

Young Rum from India Nose: Fruity with some sharpness Palate: Slightly spicy, but poor overall taste, poor body and pretty short aftertaste (probably due to the age of

5

Ron Esclavo XO

Too sharp in the nose Nose: pretty sharp, reminds on vinegar Palate: ok, hints of oak and toffee

5

Wicked Dolphin Coconut

Very sweet from Florida Strong coconut taste, almost like a syrup. Not very classy, not very rum-like.

5

Clarkes Court Old Grog

Bananaaaa from Grenada This is quite a special one with a pretty distinct scent of banana in the nose. Positive: tastes less artificial than Bumbu (also banana). Not very co

5

Maass Maass Tyrol

Austrian agricole Somewhat between whisky and grappa, not typical rum.

4

Arehucas Golden

Not much character (diluted?) Nose: a bit fruity and sweet but also a smell of alcohol. Rather shy. Palate: thin, (diluted?) alcoholic, no volume, no body, not much taste.

4

Havana Club 3-Year

Can be used for Mojitos Palate: almost tasteless, just like water, boring. Young and industrial. Not to compare with elaborated rums.

4

Rum-Bar Gold

Well... Nose: Banana. Palate: pretty dry, almost harsh, some hints of beer (?) and maybe some hints of oak. At least it gives a warm feeling 😉 one extra poin

4

Companero Gran Reserva

Aromatic scent Funny, aromatic, fruity scent in the nose. Some hints of tequila(?) Pretty sharp and short on the palate.

4

Domaine de Severin XO

Spicy Agricole Tastes spicy, wooden and a bit smoky. And it's too sharp for me.

4

Artemi Honey

Sticky artificial Liquor (20%) Smells and tastes very artificial. Not really a rum. (Label says both Rum and Liquor) Although I like sweet rums, this one is too sticky for me. By th

3

Caroni 12-Year

Smoky Part of Rum Calendar 2016: Is very smoky and harsh

3

Ron Panama Ron 1914 Edicion Gatun

Window cleaner? Nose: smells like pure ethanol, very disappointing (gets slightly better after 30 min) Palate: warm and pretty smooth, some body too, but surprisin

3

By The Dutch Batavia Arrack 8-Year

Shiver me timbers! Avast! Stinks like the rotten planks of an old buccaneer! Very smoky and woody, maybe also a bit spicy. Nah, this ain't cultivated...

3

Don Pancho Origenes 18-Year Reserva Especial

Very sharp Cannot agree with all those superb ratings: this rum is very sharp in nose and palate, long afterburn too. Strong smell of alcohol. Did I get the wron

3

Don Q Cristal

No quality product 3,5 Nose: some medicine Palate: harsh, spicy, some menthol (!) Not much more to say here. I‘ve had much better crystal rums (Santa Cruz from Tenerife, f

3

Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold

Rum? Not really... Nose: intense sugar and caramel, very sweet, smells just like Carambar. Palate: well... , pretty artificial. Does not really taste like rum.

2

Malecon 12-Year

Nah, too sharp Not my rum: too smoky, too strong taste of alcohol and too sharp.

2

Savanna 5-Year

🤢 Part of Rum Calendar 2016: I did not like this one at all. After reading Rene's comment, I learned that this rum has to breathe for a pretty long time

1

Plantation Guadeloupe 1998 Single Cask

Not my thing Was part of Rum Calendar 2016, did not like it at all.......

1

Ron Aldea Cana Pura

Strange European Nose: a mix of Lychee (?!) and Olives. Disgusting. Palate: a strange, sharp taste. Does not taste like rum at all, rather like grappa.

1

Plantation St. Lucia 2001

Fishy Did not like this one at all. Very oily, tastes fishy to me.

1

Wishlist

Brand

Review

Rating

Ron Zacapa Edicion Negra

Overprized greetings from the barrel 8 Nose: nice scent of oak and some smoke. More intense than the Zacapa XO Palate: very woody and a bit smoky, some chocolate too. Aromatic, some intere

8

Malecon Seleccion Esplendida 1979

Opthimus 21-Year

Arehucas Añejo Reserva Especial 18-Year

RL Seale 10-Year

Pampero Anjeo Especial

Ron Cartavio XO

Ron Millonario XO

Opthimus 25-Year

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

Sweet, silky, smooth Nose: a bit shy Pleasant, pretty sweet, scent of caramel and vanilla, maybe a tiny bit smoky, pretty oily. Not very complex. After taste is not last

8

Brugal 1888

Dictador 20-Year

Zaya Gran Reserva 12-Year

Wishlist of already tasted rums

Brand

Review

Rating

Ron Malteco 15-Year

Another great Rum from Guatemala! Just as the well known Zacapa (also from Guatemala), the Malteco is not made from molasse, but from sugar cane sirup. This production method is a gua

9

Ron Zacapa Etiqueta Negra

Dictador XO Insolent

Delicate Part of Rum Calendar 2016: very nice scent of caramel, well balanced, delicate, but a bit thin and a short aftertaste.

8

Costa Rica Rum Company S.A. Ron Jaguar Edicion Turrialba - Cordillera Ron Extra Añejo

10 Year Costa Rican Same rum as Ron Jaguar Cordillera Cask Strength, but not bottled at cask strength. 👍🏼 Nose: nice, pleasant scent of vanilla and maybe sherry Palate:

8

Kraken Black Spiced

Strong? Naaah, not really. Nose: Some oak and caramel, but not very intense. Palate: Sweet, mildly, some chocolate, vanilla and caramel. Fun drink, not very complex or elabora

7

Plantation XO 20th Anniversary

My favorite 9,8 Just had this one again after a long period of other rums - and it’s still my favorite. Yes, it’s very sweet, but it’s also very tasty and aromatic.

10

Old Man Spirits Rum Project One

German blend This german blend tastes surprisingly natural and authentic. Fruity (coco and orange), aromatic and spicy. The best rum with coconut flavor I've tast

8

El Dorado 21-Year

Angostura 1824

Other

Brand

Review

Rating

Rivers Royal Granadian White