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Michael Huff

Veteran | United States
78 Ratings | 20 Likes | 1 Followers

“Rum lover in "Baghdad by the bay".
Amateur cocktail slinger, tiki revival enthusiast, and pursuer of all things delicious.”

Brand

Review

Rating

Dictador XO Insolent

Truly delicious. I'm personally very torn between a 9 and a 10 for this one. It's one of the best I've tried in my life. Its color is deep and it's flavors of honey, t

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Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend

Liquid gold. I'll fill out this review more soon. I'll second Tom by saying this is the best rum I've tried. The first few sips are layered but gentle. What really

Diplomatico Ambassador Selection

A journey in a glass. Tastes of dates, honey, chocolate, and sherry. The sharpness of the bourbon can be found in the aftertaste, although it's not unwelcome with how sweet

Ron Millonario XO

Bananas on a night in france Stopped by La Cale Sèche in Toulouse the other night and picked up a shot. It was exquisite rum. Very smooth and had a distinct note of bananas. Very

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Foursquare Criterion

A fantastic choice indeed. I tasted this at the San Francisco Rum festival. Since this was tasted very close to the others in its family, I can say it was quite close the the 20

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Foursquare Zinfandel Cask Blend 11-Year

Not sure what else can be said about this one. I noticed that this rum comes off a little harsh from the bottle. But let this sit in the glass for a bit and the esters burn off. It becomes a beauti

Black Tot Royal Navy

This is important. I can't give it a 10 just for historical import, but it's a deeply complex specimen. Like spices and black tar and deep pungent fruit that's been rott

Diplomatico 2002 Single Vintage

A gorgeous rum. And not just the bottle. I'll have to come back and edit this review, but for now I can say it's quite quite good. I might prefer it to the ambassador

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Plantation Royal Blend

Only one cask! This rum was so layered with spice the nose came off as almost savory. The taste spoke true to it's blend of Trinidad/Guyana/Barbados. It had a li

Plantation XO 20th Anniversary

Holy moly. If you can, do. 9.0 This is a standout choice. Almost an archetype of what Caribbean spiced rum should be. Mouth:bananas, toasted coconuts, molasses. Nose: war

Pusser's British Navy 15-Year

My first *great* sipping rum. Mouth: Dried fruit, dates, tobacco, and a little caramel. A little spicy but not harsh. The warmth lingers for awhile and allows the caramel notes to

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Rum Fire Velvet Overproof

That burn though. This is a very pungent brew. But unlike some funky rums, I don't detect a rankness to this one. I remember tasting this at the California Rum Festiv

The Scarlet Ibis Gold

very good for the price point. The 49%abv makes this pretty bitey, but the flavor is still very good. It's a little dryer than most, but still has some sugar, honey, and vanilla to

Kirk and Sweeney 23-Year

An 8 when compared to the 9 of the eighteen year. Almost identical to the 18 year in taste but less sweet.

Dictador 20-Year

Sweet, but not too sweet. The closest thing I could describe this as is the kirk and sweeny 18 year. Very smooth. Caramel on the nose, toffee a little cream soda . Oaky tail

Bitter Truth Golden Falernum

Hard to rate, as it's not a rum. This isn't a rum, but it's very tasty and much better than John Taylor's Velvet Falernum. You can *actually* taste the ginger and spices that went int

El Dorado 21-Year

Sweet and delicious. A very fine choice. It's comparable to Ron Centenario in its sweetness, but I think that el dorado is a little sweeter. However I think since it emb

Smith and Cross Navy Strength

Jamaican funk, in a great way. 7.5 I believe it's a damn fine choice, but it might be a bit funky for most people. All the top ratings are true, you're going get a very funky dri

House Spirits Limited Edition

Clean an tasty. If you see a bottle, buy this on the spot. It's rare and delicious. Honestly tastes more of sugar cane than most rums have business doing, which is fa

Plantation Jamaica 2001

A little funky, and a lot of quality. This rum, while touting it's Jamaican origin, is much more sophisticated than anything I've tasted from Appleton. You'll get a good note of molasses

Zafra Master Reserve 21

A fine choice for everyone. I've been working on a rum collection for a bit. There have been some high and lows in the quality of the adventures, but this one is easily one of th

Plantation 3 Stars Artisanal

How is this $20?! This white rum surpasses *many* a $20-$50 dark rum, but has an asking price of $20. This is an insane deal. The rum itself is smooth, with a fruit

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Much brighter than Amburana and with a honey-like tail. I can't say that this is a better or worse cachaça than the Amburana. Thus, it is still very tasty. It's still a foreign taste to the rum palate. The

Ron Centenario 30-Year

A smooth rum. High quality, but a little sweet for my taste. A smooth rum. High quality, but a little sweet for my taste.

Gosling's Family Reserve Old

What happens when black rum gets old It's really pretty good. Not the brice I'd like for how it tastes, but they have to have at least one high end product. Very very dark color, stro

Kirk and Sweeney 18-Year

Butterscotch in, cream-soda out. Butterscotch in the nose, cream-soda on the palate when you breath out. Very sweet, as rums go, but still very smooth.

Foursquare 9-Year Port Cask Finish

8.5, but 8 to elevate normalize. Still, if you see it, buy it. The port comes through in both the mouth and nose. Adding a touch of refinement the the usual bombastic and colorful palate of rum. Smooth, spicy,

Plantation Pineapple Stiggin's Fancy

7.5 depending on your flavor preference. First off, the work that went into this rum, from research to production is astounding. It is exactly what it sounds like, a rum that has naturall

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La Favorite millésime 2009 (fevrier 2009 / septembre 2017)

Neat bottle I found the tail a lot more pleasing than the actual taste of this rum. The tail stayed with you for a minute and was a little like a dry cherry lambi

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La Occidental Guayabita del Pinar

Very sweet, with a unique top note It's very much not like any rum I've had before. It's so sweet that I'd almost call it a liqueur. a little harsh, but there's a strong fruit top-note

Havana Club Anejo Reserva

Tasty. It was cleaner than I thought it would be although Its best life would be in a mixed drink.

Pusser's British Navy

A mixer, but drink it straight once. A good rum to add spice to your cocktails, but nothing I would sip on its own.

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Two James Spirits Doctor Bird Jamaica

SO. MUCH. FUNK. A weak seven. I would say this rum needs to be used as a mixer. Only recommendable as a sipper if you truly love rum. It's very very funky but a littl

Pampero Aniversario

A decent selection best described as... much much like diplomatico reserva exclusiva, but not quite as sweet. Overall, still a good rummy flavor.

Holey Dollar Gold Coin

Excellent value. Actually pretty damn good. A bit of pineapples and lightly funky

Lost Spirits Navy Rum Polynesian 66

Not sure what happened here. A little eerie tasting. It's got aged notes but it feels like something is missing. Still, nice spice full on where mouth. I agree that if you let thi

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Cedar Ridge Dark

From IOWA!?! I'm also from Iowa, so I have a soft spot in my heard for this rum. It has a very smooth mouth. More liquidy than most rums I've tasted. Has an almost

Better than Meyers, darker than appleton. A dark Jamaican rum that is fantastic as a mixer. A great addition to any tiki bar.

English Harbour 5-Year

Pretty good for the price point. Worthy of mixing. This most reminded me of a much less syrupy version of Gosling's Family Reserve Old.

Papas Pilar Blonde

A fairly decent light rum. A step above most light rums, this one won't leave you disappointed.

Mount Gilboa Triple Distilled

A decent light rum. Not exceptional, but a good introduction to a light unaged rum.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

Overly sweet, but still tasty Very sweet, like most Diplomatico rums. However having just tried the ambassador and the single vintage, I can taste where this one lacks. It's

Plantation Trinidad 1999

Good, but nothing too distinguishing. Underwhelming rum for it's genre. Not comparable to Plantation's 2001 Bahama or Jamacia. Still, this was far from a bad rum. It was pretty good actua

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Hamilton 86 Demerara

Pretty delicious, but fiery. Dark and syrupy flavor without having a syrupy mouthfeel. Pretty sweet, but nothing I wouldn't expect from a Demerara. Certainly try a 2oz pour if you

Delicious and clean. Delicious and clean, with just enough spice to keep it interesting. Not too much burn. A really really good Cachaça

Pricey but ever so gentle. This rum is very sweet. However it's smoothness is exceptional. Not quite worth the price point but overall a very good rum.

Barbancourt 5 Star Reserve Especiale 8-Year

6.5, in all honesty. Of all my rums, this one has the most unique taste. I love its crispness and the herbaceousness it brings. I like to mix it with fever tree ginger bee

Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15-Year

Dark and stormier A very interesting bottle to try. The floral and crisp notes of the 8 year have aged and become slightly more syrupy. This also comes with a more robu

Ron Zacapa 23 Solera

Solid go-to Chocolate, molasses, maybe a little walnut. Clean but not exceptionally smooth. A nose that screams "this is rum" with its dark and sweet qualities.

Unique flavor from Brazil Avuá(av-wah) Cachaça is a darn good cachaça. This is made even better and more unique in that it has been aged in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambura

Whiskey rhum Actually, until I read the reviews mentioning whisky, it hadn't occurred to me where the harshness was coming from. However, it definitely has a whisk

Papas Pilar Dark

Maple Syrup. Yeah, like everyone else is noting, there is a maply pang to this one that I think kind of confuses me. I wouldn't call it a good sipping rum, but it'

Sailor Jerry Spiced

My go to at bars that don't have much else. This is not a good rum. It's a fine rum. It tastes like rum, it will make a rum and coke less boring. In no way should it be a high example of the spi

Perfect mixer This is not a rum to have on its own, but it's powerful enough to come through with a molasses flavor when mixed with anything. A recommendable mixer

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Humboldt Distillery Small Batch 80 proof

Lightly sweet but mostly burn. They didn't make the mistake of making it overly sweet but this isn't a great rum either. Not quite bottom barrel and has a clean enough nose. However

Lost Spirits Navy Rum 55

Not sure what happened here. A little eerie tasting. It's got aged notes but it feels like something is missing. Still, nice spice full on where mouth. Read more about the rum

Zaya Gran Reserva 12-Year

Insert witty title here. I'm consistently puzzled with good titles to give to reviews. I read another review titled "The high end of the low end" and actually lol'ed. This des

Taylor’s Velvet Falernum

A must for any cocktail maker. What else can be said that most haven't already. This isn't *really* a rum, but it needs to be in your cabinet. It's very sweet, and could be used a

Diplomatico Blanco

yes and no Interesting white rum. It has the shoe nail polish taste of a vodka but quickly comes back into a sweetness with some light grassiness. Would definite

Diplomatico Añejo

Very good for the price. This is a cheap rum. It does not taste like a cheap rum. Absolutely fantastic bang for your buck. really a 6 or 6.5 but the price elevates the rating.

Gosling's Black Seal

A classic in the field. Gosling's has been a staple in the rum scene for generations. Not one of the standouts in pure flavor, but it has come to define what a black rum shou

Not bad, but not as good as other offerings. Not bad, but not as good as other offerings. It's a higher price point too, so I'd go with any of the other bottles if you can.

Appleton Estate V/X

A good introduction to the spirit. Sweet, a little harsh, and full of spices. Appletons flavor has come to be synonymous with Jamaican spiced rum.

Sweet but it's got a burn. Found a bottle in the office that had been there for a few years, someone had brought back from india. No one would drink it. I can't blame them.

meh. Sweet and slightly butterscotchy but the nose is of cleaning product.

Can't say I recommend. Can't say I recommend. Sharp, painful, alcoholic.

Wray & Nephew White Overproof

Gasolina I'll never recommend drinking this on it's own. But, if you need to light something on fire...

Appleton Estate Signature Blend

smells like success, which is mostly hard work. 5.5 I use it in a mixer. It's not awful on it's own, in fact it's got some nice spice to it. However, not something I'd drink straight.

Kraken Black Spiced

Perfect for a rum and coke This is not something I'd drink straight. It's too burny. However, this will go well into a rum and coke.

This is meant for mixing, not straight drinking. This is meant for mixing, not straight drinking. Much like the Black Seal but with the fire of a higher proof you'd expect. Still, not as bad as bacar

St. George California

Funky sweet olives I'm... undecided. I'll not say it's bad, but it might take some time to appreciate. I would recommend mixing it. There's a sweetness lying in wait b

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Do Good Distillary 3 Mile Rum

eeeeehhhh. I think "Flawed with a glimmer of hope" describes this rum very well. It tastes too much like nail polish remover and not enough like the butterscotch

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RL Seale Old Brigand

Ew. Just ew. https://photos.app.goo.gl/QvAMVnUmWwaAnMWt1 Ew. Was on bar with a bacardi gold. Do not recommend.

Not as awful as other bacardi's Not as awful as other bacardi's. This one is almost drinkable in a pinch. Use only for mixing.

It does what it advertises. This rum is for being overproof. Use it for fire fuel or to strengthen unnecessary drinks.

Generic bottom barrel rum. Generic bottom barrel rum. Tastes of gasoline. Very bad rum.

eeeeeeh Like many a bacardi bottle, you can pass this one up.

Bacardi Superior

Don't. Just... don't. Don't. Just... don't. Airs of toilet cleaner with a hint of gasoline.

Wishlist

Brand

Review

Rating

Ron Quorhum 30-Year

Diplomatico 2000 Single Vintage

Ron Zacapa Straight from the Cask Special Edition

Dictador 12-Year

Dictador XO Perpetual

El Dorado 15-Year Special Reserve Madeira Dry Cask

Prichard's Fine