Mom! I want Chairman's Reserve Saint Lucia rum! Mom: We have Chairman's Reserve Saint Lucia rum at home. Chairman's Reserve Saint Lucia rum at home: I was highly recommended Chairman's Reserve by a friend of mine, and, if unable to find it, he recommended me Bounty. These are two of his favorite rums of all time. I could find not a single Chairman's Reserve product in any liquor store near me, but one store had one bottle of Bounty nestled at the back of the bottom shelf. The glorious, Saint Lucia's own, Bounty Strong 151 rum! What a find! Only $23 too, I guess they were trying to just get rid of this thing. I think. I have nothing to compare the price to, since nowhere else sells any Bounty products. It is by far the strongest rum that I have ever bought, second being Wray & Nephew OP, which was, at the time, by far the strongest rum that I had ever bought. Review Smell The smell is very spicy, like a spiced rum. I get vanilla, cloves, and anise notes. Taste Tasting it neat is a real experience. It feels like cotton candy melting in my mouth. Then, I realize that that's just my taste buds frying, as my whole mouth goes numb. I watered it down to half strength to give myself a better chance of tasting it, and it really has interesting spiced rum characteristics. It's very bold, with pineapple and toffee notes as well. It's not super spice-forward, nor funky, as overall it still has the profile of a column still rum, but I might say it most closely relates to a Bajan rum in terms of palate, as it's not just "vanilla and oak" as is the case with a lot of Spanish-style rums, but is also not incredibly fruity like Guyanese and Jamaican rums. I tried it in a daiquiri, but I only used half the amount to not overwhelm myself, and the flavor of the rum doesn't really come through. In fact, the proportions are just off. I added more water to it, and I feel like I am just making a grog at this point. It makes an alright grog, though. Nothing really stands out. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 6.5/10 on 1/3/26) I found it hard to rate this, as 151 proof rum is no joke, and I felt like I was trying to make it work like a normal rum, which is not using it the way it's intended to be used. Sure, I could make a zombie, but for a review, that would completely hide the rum. I was told that 151 rums are great for making liqueurs and syrups for my home tiki bar, so I will definitely be using it for that, but aside from that use case from a chemistry perspective, the flavors are interesting enough for me to warrant giving it a 6.5, but I just feel like I haven't yet unlocked the full potential of this rum. My score is very tentative, and feel free to give me some advice on how I can best make use of this product. January 3, 2026 Update: I gave it another taste, and yeah, nothing too spectacular. Just a very high proof rum with a bit of good rum flavor, but nothing to write home about.

Yeah sure, we've all been to crazy room parties. Music blasting. One corner of the room overflowing in liquor, almost all of it bad. Hotel staff knocking on the door for another noise complaint. A furry snorting coke off a clown's boner. But what if there were a more upscale party? Let's say, a meeting among Wall Street professionals on the rooftop of Nasdaq at Times Square, with fancy catering and an open bar? Well, I can tell you that you will get two things at that bar: 1. A bunch of fancy liquors, but the only rums that they offer are Bacardi Superior and Mount Gay Eclipse. 2. About 10 bartenders, and not one of them knows what a daiquiri is. No, seriously. I was ordering daiquiris all night, and every time, the bartender would say that they don't have the ingredients to make one, and I would say that it's 2 parts rum, 1 part lime, 1 part simple, they'd go "ohh yeah I can do that". Well, I decided to ask for a glass of Eclipse neat, and a daiquiri with Eclipse, and scooted off to a quiet corner to do a quick review. Review Smell The nose is very neutral, I am mostly just getting ethanol fumes. Maybe if I really reach, there's a slight sense of watermelon? Taste Slightly harsh, slightly bitter, with a mild flavor of pear and almonds. But, again, I am reaching. It reminds me of a young Spanish-style rum, because it's very light on flavor, and it's not very fruity or interesting. I also get a mild tinge of young oak flavor, kind of like you would get from bourbon, but overall it's very mild, boozy, and slightly "rummy". In a daiquiri, it disappears. I get lime, sweetness, and booze, but nothing else being added by the rum. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 4.5/10 on 7/30/26) (Edited from 5/10 on 1/3/26) I gave it the exact same score I gave Bacardi Superior, 5/10, because I might as well have gotten that. That's not to say it's bad— I actually think that Bacardi Superior is underrated. But it's just a boring rum, with a few interesting aspects, but also a slight bitterness and a bit of harsh burn that cancels the compliments out. While I would still rather drink rum than any other liquor here, I wouldn't buy Eclipse for myself. It does nothing that Havana Club 3 doesn't do slightly better in the same price bracket. January 3, 2026 Update: Not much more to add, I am just amending the score down to a 4.5 to reflect my new scoring system. July 30, 2026 Update: I can see my point from the past, where it's not that much better than Bacardi, but Bacardi has a slight rubbing alcohol note to it, and Mount Gay Eclipse just doesn't have the note. It's still rather harsh and has a very basic young rum taste just like Bacardi, but it is a noticeable bit better, and maybe I just didn't like Bajan rums as much as I do now, so I am bumping it up to 5.25/10.

I tried Plantation Barbados rum (5 year) a few reviews ago, and people were saying how it's a Barbados rum in name only. It's sweetened and aged in France, and everyone says to get The Real McCoy, as it is a classic of the Bajan genre. So, right next to Pusser's in that same FW&GS, I saw a The Real McCoy 5 year, and I bought it. As a side note, but very much related, is the fact that I haven't found a whiskey that I like. Just like we say that there's a rum for everyone, I imagine that there's a whiskey for me if I just try them all. But, so far, they all have a certain whiskey taste to them and a tannic oaky profile that I just don't enjoy in a spirit. Anyway, please read to the end of the review. Review Smell It honestly just smells like bourbon. My uncle buys a lot of bourbon and Irish whiskey, and though I can try to list out the notes individually, like oak, something slightly herbal... overall, I would describe the complete bouquet composition as bourbon. Taste The immediate sense that I get is dry, harsh, and bitter. If someone told me that I am drinking a whiskey, I would believe them. I was ready to basically write the bottle off, and bring it to a friend's place for a party, and leave it there. I gave it the regular test in a daiquiri, and it was not ideal. It mostly shielded the harsh taste with the sweet and sour, but it was still rather bitter. I tried it in a coke, and... it gives the coke a woody, complex flavor, and I can actually appreciate the character of it. But, I had to go way heavier on the coke than I normally do, about 4:1, so I was basically watering the rum down until I could barely taste it. I'll give credit where credit is due, a lot of times, when a rum is as bitter as this rum, it comes from an unpleasant industrial flavor, but this rum had none of that. It was quite bitter, but this rum had nothing industrial about it, it was all woody, dry, and smooth. Verdict 4/10 I was really looking forward to this rum, based on how hyped Bajan rum is, but now, I am not looking forward to posting this review. Surely, I missed something. Maybe I just don't get it. Maybe my palate hasn't matured yet. Maybe I should keep my uneducated opinion to myself until I do. I give the rum a 4/10, because, while I can understand why others might think that this rum is excellent, it just doesn't vibe with me. But, this review didn't sit right with me. 3 weeks passed. I wrote it, sat on it, and wrote up other reviews of rums that I tried later, while still holding onto this review. Then, I had an epiphany. There was actually one time that I did enjoy a whiskey. My uncle bought a glass smoker for making smoked Old Fashioneds, and let me try one. I was going to turn it away, but the smoke looked super cool, so I accepted it... and it was actually good. This whiskey that I would normally not find enjoyable neat, was actually enjoyable with some angostura bitters, sugar, and letting the ice melt a bit. So, there was nothing to do, but do this review again— however, taking a different approach. I redid the review entirely, from scratch, about 3 weeks after doing the first one, and hopefully it's a relatively fresh review. Review Smell Before, I said it smelled like bourbon... now I'd say it smells like woodshop. Like, freshly sawed oak. Not much of a difference, really. Taste I changed things up a bit. Last time, I said it was very dry and bitter, and so this time, I added 1 part simple syrup to 24 parts rum. I counted that it's about equivalent to 40g/L of dosage. And, you know what? It's way more palatable. The dryness and bitterness disappears in favor of a vanilla oaky taste akin to Angostura 7 and Havana Club 7. It's not fruity at all, but it tastes full-bodied and complex. Next, I made an Old Fashioned with this rum. It was actually very enjoyable. Some of the subtler notes started to shine through. I sensed some nice molasses and maybe a spice flavor like cinnamon, but overall it was still relatively subtle compared to the overall Spanish column still profile of this rum, but it really worked well with the increased sweetness and the addition of aromatic bitters. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 5.5/10 on 7/29/26) (Edited from 6/10 on 1/3/26) I am really glad that I redid the review. Not that a 6/10 is fantastic, but I went from wanting to take this rum to a party and leaving it there, to actually thinking that maybe I can do something with it. In fact, I am sure that there is more that I can unlock with this rum, and I now more than ever feel like it is my inexperience and all-around noobishness with cocktails that's holding me back from enjoying this rum. I'll try to see if anything changes in the future, if I have any other epiphanies, and I look forward to my own eventual re-review of this rum. January 3, 2026 Update: I just tried it again. It's just alright. I don't dislike it, but I wouldn't reach for it. I get that the pot portion isn't exactly there to dominate, but to add subtle complexity in the background, but it just kind of tastes like Angostura 7 to me. Lots of barrel with little character. July 29, 2026 Update: I think that, in the past, I really didn't get the "Bajan" character, and thought that the charred barrel taste reminded me too much of Whiskey. I don't really agree with my past self. I still think that it's just alright, but I do think that I slightly underrated it. It has good rummy flavors of vanilla and spice, and I quite like it, though it's still relatively bland.

I still look upon that trip to Astor Wines like Sisyphus looked at the top of the hill. Every time work ends and it's just a few subway stops to get to it... I am just so not in the mood to go anywhere other than home. However, it being summer, I have taken a few trips out into Pennsylvania, and every grocery store has a Fine Wine & Good Spirits attached to it. So, I popped in, and they had Pusser's British Navy Rum. I'd never heard of it, but it was from Guyana (I've been meaning to try a rum from Guyana at some point) and it was (and actually still is) on sale for $23, so I figured that I gotta give it a shot! Review Smell It has an absolutely incredible bouquet, somewhat resembling the overripe banana of jamaican funk, but also with bold notes of vanilla, molasses, cinnamon, and raisins, and smells very sweet, like a prune syrup. Taste It is extremely tasty. It tastes like I am drinking a sweet raisin liquer. It's fruity and funky— not exactly like the typical Jamaican funk, as Pusser's reminds me more of dried fruits, but it's equally enjoyable. The taste lingers for a while and comes back on the exhale, similar to a good Jamaican pot still. In a daiquiri, it is very interesting. It's sweet and sour, and the deep, rich, raisiny funk adds a great complexity to the drink. Mixed with coke, I just feel like this isn't the place for it. As good as it is straight and in a cocktail, in coke, something just tastes off. This wasn't part of the experiment, but in the evening, I made myself a Mai Tai, and I realized that I had only enough Appleton for one drink. I made one and shared it with my family, and it was such a hit that everyone started asking me for Mai Tais. I was making Mai Tais all evening— using 3 parts Pusser's and 1 part W&N OP, and I actually liked it even better. The complexity that it adds to cocktails is incredible. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 8/10 on 1/3/26) I was super impressed by the complexity and feeling of sweetness that I got from this rum, and how well it carried cocktails. Not to mention, for its price, it's competing among the cheapest rums from Appleton and Planteray. If Planteray 3 Stars is the workhorse one white rum that can do it all, this is the dark rum equivalent. I am not sure if I would sip on it in particular, since it kind of gives me digestif vibes, but if I ever make myself a tiki bar, this will definitely always be in it. 8/10. January 3, 2026 Update: Not much more to add, I am just amending the score down to a 6.5 to reflect my new scoring system. I tried it again when tasting gunpowder proof, and yeah, I think 6.5/10 is fair.

The forbidden fruit. I remember the first time I tried Havana Club. We were in Florida, and I was at Walmart picking out rum, and I had heard of this rum, though I was under the impression that it was unobtainium. But this one was bottled in Puerto Rico... sneaky sneaky! I figured that the Cubans just shipped their barrels to Puerto Rico, bottled it there, and sold it as "Puerto Rican rum". Nope. My god, it's gross. So, we recently had a trip to the Dominican Republic. This was before I did proper rum reviews, or even knew what to look for in a rum, so all I can really say is that I enjoyed Brugal Extra Viejo quite a bit, but I couldn't give you any more details. That'll have to be a review for a different day. However, at the airport on the way back home, I saw the real Havana Club in duty free, and decided to grab a bottle of the 7 year (as it was the most aged and most expensive, therefore objectively the best). Then, as I was checking out, I decided to grab the other two (3 and Añejo Reserva) just for good measure. I understand that Añejo Blanco, Añejo Especial, and 15 year (and maybe some others) also exist, but these were not options at the airport. Review Smell Notes of vanilla, caramel, molasses, and oak, but much less alcohol smell and more of a caramel molasses smell. Taste This rum reminds me of Angostura 7, with how bold the oak flavor is, but also with some caramel and molasses notes. The bitterness level is somewhere between 3 year and reserva. In a daiquiri, it makes an oaky and molassesy, slightly bitter daiquiri. It's not bad, but it's not what I would look for in a daiquiri. In a mojito, there's actually something quite bold about it, as if the mint shines more in this one. I tried to make every drink exactly the same and add the same amount of each ingredient, so I don't know if this mojito just got more mint or more powerful mint by accident, or if this rum is just particularly good at making mojitos, but I just had 3 shots, 3 mojitos, and 3 daiquiris in the past hour (all half-sized, but still...), and I kind of don't feel like redoing this experiment, so I'll let the results stand. This rum makes a killer mojito, and ties for my favorite along with the fruity notes of 3 year. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 6.5/10 on 1/20/26) I believe that a lot of the appeal of these rums is the verboten nature of their acquisition, but judging them objectively, they're good rums, but not something that can't be beat by other Spanish-style column still rums. My 2nd favorite, 7 year, reminded me a lot of Angostura 7. It's very vanilla, caramel, and oak forward, like other aged column still rums (though I would say that Angostura 7 is a bit more oak forward while Havana Club 7 year is a bit more molasses forward), and while I don't prefer it as much as 3 year, it's interesting, and makes a mean mojito. I give it a 6.5/10. January 20, 2026 Update: These have kinda not stood the test of time. I do put a bit more respect on the name of aged rums now. Havana Club 7 is a vibe. I thought it was a very oak forward rum. Now I've had some better ones, and it just sort of has a weak body and it tastes oakier than I feel like it should. Also, in comparison to a really deep and rich barrel-driven rum like a Doorly's 14 or Chairman's Reserve, it just tastes anemic and sour. Overall it's still above average though. I'll give it a 6/10.

The forbidden fruit. I remember the first time I tried Havana Club. We were in Florida, and I was at Walmart picking out rum, and I had heard of this rum, though I was under the impression that it was unobtainium. But this one was bottled in Puerto Rico... sneaky sneaky! I figured that the Cubans just shipped their barrels to Puerto Rico, bottled it there, and sold it as "Puerto Rican rum". Nope. My god, it's gross. So, we recently had a trip to the Dominican Republic. This was before I did proper rum reviews, or even knew what to look for in a rum, so all I can really say is that I enjoyed Brugal Extra Viejo quite a bit, but I couldn't give you any more details. That'll have to be a review for a different day. However, at the airport on the way back home, I saw the real Havana Club in duty free, and decided to grab a bottle of the 7 year (as it was the most aged and most expensive, therefore objectively the best). Then, as I was checking out, I decided to grab the other two (3 and Añejo Reserva) just for good measure. I understand that Añejo Blanco, Añejo Especial, and 15 year (and maybe some others) also exist, but these were not options at the airport. Review Smell Notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak, but also a much stronger smell of alcohol. Taste The flavor is rather oaky and bitter, with notes of caramel. It's actually bitter to the point of being unpleasant. There's an interesting almost cherry-like aftertaste, however. In a daiquiri, it makes a very bitter daiquiri. If you like a bitter drink, this may be for you, but I didn't even finish mine. In a mojito, it's more bitter than the other two, but actually, since they're watered down much more than a daiquiri or drinking it straight, this level of bitterness is more managable, and even somewhat interesting. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 5/10 on 1/20/26) I believe that a lot of the appeal of these rums is the verboten nature of their acquisition, but judging them objectively, they're good rums, but not something that can't be beat by other Spanish-style column still rums. Añejo Reserva was a disappointment. I don't know why there's this trend— I noticed the same with Appleton, where Signature was my favorite, 12 year my 2nd favorite, and 8 year just kind of the most disappointing. Likewise, Reserva, being approximately 5 years aged, is my least favorite of the bunch. It has redeeming qualities, but for the most part, it was too bitter and alcohol-forward to enjoy. 5/10. January 20, 2026 Update: These have kinda not stood the test of time. Anejo just gets worse. It just tastes so bitter and sad that the bad almost cancels out the good. Between trying to figure it out or just go with the tried and true Bacardi... it's a tossup for me. So I give it a 4.5/10.

The forbidden fruit. I remember the first time I tried Havana Club. We were in Florida, and I was at Walmart picking out rum, and I had heard of this rum, though I was under the impression that it was unobtainium. But this one was bottled in Puerto Rico... sneaky sneaky! I figured that the Cubans just shipped their barrels to Puerto Rico, bottled it there, and sold it as "Puerto Rican rum". Nope. My god, it's gross. So, we recently had a trip to the Dominican Republic. This was before I did proper rum reviews, or even knew what to look for in a rum, so all I can really say is that I enjoyed Brugal Extra Viejo quite a bit, but I couldn't give you any more details. That'll have to be a review for a different day. However, at the airport on the way back home, I saw the real Havana Club in duty free, and decided to grab a bottle of the 7 year (as it was the most aged and most expensive, therefore objectively the best). Then, as I was checking out, I decided to grab the other two (3 and Añejo Reserva) just for good measure. I understand that Añejo Blanco, Añejo Especial, and 15 year (and maybe some others) also exist, but these were not options at the airport. Review Smell This one has vanilla notes, and a mild fruityness, like an apricot or pineapple, perhaps citrus. The fruity notes aren't very forward— you have to kind of dig for them. Taste It tastes like your typical Spanish-style column still rum, with some mild vanilla and oak flavor, a tiny bit of bitterness, and also a mild funk. Not like a Jamaican funk, but there's definitely some fruity apricot notes going on, though it's also quite mild. In a daiquiri, it's good. The rum complements the drink well, and I still sense some of the funk on the exhale. Of course, I can't do a cuban rum review without a mojito. This rum makes a decent mojito— I can't really sense the rum much, but the overall drink is solid. The mint, sweetness, and boozy tastes all come together. After trying the other two mojitos and going back to this one, the fruity flavors in comparison are much more noticable, and I'd tie it with 7 year for my favorite mojito. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 6/10 on 1/20/26) I believe that a lot of the appeal of these rums is the verboten nature of their acquisition, but judging them objectively, they're good rums, but not something that can't be beat by other Spanish-style column still rums. Continuing my bias for younger rums, I rate the 3 year the highest, because it's just a great light rum. It's not very bitter, it's pleasant to sip, and it makes good cocktails, and I love the mild fruity funk that it has, and I just wish that it had more of it. That being said, and I know that it's sacrilege, but I bet that no Cuban rum makes a better mojito than Planteray 3 stars. 3 year is on par with other great rums that just don't quite have the oomph that really make them outstanding. Though, for $22 per liter, it's very good value and I would definitely recommend it for those not currently in the US. 7/10. January 20, 2026 Update: These have kinda not stood the test of time. Havana Club 3 is just alright. I do like the fruity taste, but it's just so mild. There's better stuff out there. Maybe not in terms of Spanish-style whites, but... I mean, if you wanted a fruity white rum, I'd go Jamaican, and if you didn't want it fruity, Diplo Planas is also very nice. It's still not bad, but I'll take it down to 6/10.

So, for the past few reviews, I've done a disclaimer up front that I know that Planteray doses their rums with sugars, and that might make me rate them more favorably because more added sugar = more tasty. But actually, as I was doing research into this rum, it (spoiler alert) is my favorite Planteray rum so far, yet, it is also the least sweetened. I guess added sugar wasn't the huge boost that I thought it would be for my palate. > Note: Blend of rums from WIRD in Barbados (unaged), TDL in Trinidad (aged 2-3 years) and Long Pond in Jamaica (mostly unaged, a bit aged 10 years) Review Smell Immediately you're hit with the classic smell of Jamaican funk. I went into more detail with the Appleton and Wray & Nephew reviews, but now I feel like all Jamaican funk pretty much smells the same, because it pretty much smells exactly like them. Please let me know if there are any Jamaican rums that have the funk, but it's a different funk from the ones that I've tried so far. Taste It has quite a strong taste of Jamaican funk. It's very nice, it's stronger in the pineapple and overripe banana goodness than Appleton Estate Signature. I would say it tastes like watered down Wray & Nephew OP. It's totally sippable, in my opinion— there is no bitterness or medicinal taste, and the hotness of the alcohol is very moderate. The taste lingers on the palate and continues on the exhale. In a daiquiri, it's strong, sweet, sour, and funky. It just makes a great daiquiri. In coke, the sweet and funky taste shine through, and it's pleasant. It's hard to pick whether the Barbados 5 year or this one are my new favorite to mix with coke, as they're both very good. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 7/10 on 6/11/26) (Edited from 8/10 on 12/18/25) This is called 3 stars because the 3 rums from the 3 different countries are the stars, but if we're being real, the Jamaica unaged is the rockstar singer out front, and Trinidad and Barbados play bass. Like Original Dark, I think they add a drop of 10 year just to be able to say that they did. I was actually surprised that the rum from Planteray that I liked the most also had the least amount of added sugar. I would put it in the same category as Appleton Estate Signature (my favorite rum up until this point, rated 7.5/10). And, here's the thing— if I could only drink 1 rum for the rest of my life, right now, I would pick this rum, because as a "one rum to rule them all", its flavor and versatility rock. However, when I am making myself a tiki drink that calls for a blended lightly aged rum, I do 3 parts Appleton Estate Signature and 1 part Wray & Nephew, and I don't think that this rum alone beats that combo. I would give that combo a 9/10, it's just become my go-to. Planteray 3 star still gives it a run for its money, so I absolutely am comfortable giving it 8/10, barely edging out Appleton Estate Signature as my favorite. June 11, 2026 Update: I still like this rum quite a bit, and it has stood the test of time as a cheap, tasty, and versatile white rum. Downgrading only a little due to new rating system. December 18, 2025 Update: Honestly, this rum has been coming off as rather bland lately, especially with how flavorful rum can get. Now I think it's tied with San Zanj and Breezeway Blend at 6.5/10.

I always mention how, at room parties, I take what I can get, and what I can get is usually cheap generic rum. Well, one of my friends surprised me in Pittsburgh, when he had several bottles of Planteray in his kitchen. All I know about rum comes from my participation in this sub over the past 2 months or so, and so all I know about Planteray is that it's controversial due to their practices of adding sugar to rum. However, I also know that they stay within the 20g/L limit that some countries enforce by law, and I also know that a lot of other rums have also been dosing with sugar up to or even beyond the legal limit, and they just don't disclose it the way that Planteray does. I understand the controversy, and I will also disclose that I suspect that it may have an effect on my rating, as I enjoy a sweeter product. It enhances the fruity characteristics, and I have found over the course of my reviews that I favor a sweeter, younger, fruitier rum over a dryer, older, more oaked rum, despite the latter being more expensive and generally considered a smoother, better "sipping" rum. That being said, no one said that reviews are completely unbiased. Review Smell It has a smell of vanilla and caramel, with a mild jamaican funk. Taste On the front, it has a hot bite, followed by the sweet and fruity taste of pineapple and overripe bananas that is unmistakably Jamaican, but it kind of has a short finish, ending with a bitter note. It’s mildly funky, maybe a bit of a caramelly aged note— I don’t hate it, but it's nothing to write home about. It somewhat reminds me of Appleton 8, as that one is also mildly funky and has aged notes, but is brought down by the hotness of the alcohol (though Appleton 8 didn’t have a bit of bitterness to it). Mixed with coke- the fruity Jamaican goodness is noticable. It’s nice, but I would definitely pick the 5 year Barbados that I just had over this one. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 6/10 on 1/2/26) Overall I’d give it a 6. The flavor is there, and it has something to it, but it's pretty mild. I was surprised when looking it up that they got such a cheap product with 10-15 year pot still rum, but I guess it makes up a pretty small percent of the final product because it's really watered down with rather boring column still Barbados rum. The 5 year Barbados version has so much more flavor despite not even having any Jamaican pot still mixed in! In the end, the bitterness on the finish, and strong hit of hot alcohol, and overall mildness of the good flavors mean that Appleton Estate Signature (which is just a few dollars more) is a significant upgrade. January 2, 2026 Update: I just had this at a New Year's party... holy crap it's so sour. Why is it so sour?? Like, yes, it is fruity and has a bit of jamaican in there. I don't even care that it's a bit hot. That's normal. This rum would taste actually pretty good, like a 3 stars with more body, if it wasn't so sour. This was a brand new bottle. The guy opened it just for me and gave me the first pour. It wasn't sitting out for a while or anything. But why is it so annoyingly sour? Literally that brings it down from a 6 or 6.5 to a 5. I'd prefer it to Bacardi white in my cup, but not by that much.

I always mention how, at room parties, I take what I can get, and what I can get is usually cheap generic rum. Well, one of my friends surprised me in Pittsburgh, when he had several bottles of Planteray in his kitchen. All I know about rum comes from my participation in this sub over the past 2 months or so, and so all I know about Planteray is that it's controversial due to their practices of adding sugar to rum. However, I also know that they stay within the 20g/L limit that some countries enforce by law, and I also know that a lot of other rums have also been dosing with sugar up to or even beyond the legal limit, and they just don't disclose it the way that Planteray does. I understand the controversy, and I will also disclose that I suspect that it may have an effect on my rating, as I enjoy a sweeter product. It enhances the fruity characteristics, and I have found over the course of my reviews that I favor a sweeter, younger, fruitier rum over a dryer, older, more oaked rum, despite the latter being more expensive and generally considered a smoother, better "sipping" rum. That being said, no one said that reviews are completely unbiased. Review Smell It has a mild and pleasant smell of vanilla and oak with maybe a hint of caramel and molasses. When I close my eyes and smell it, it really feels like I am smelling a rum cake. Taste It's sweet and fruity. I wouldn't say fruity like Jamaican funk, but more like vanilla with an apricot aftertaste. Overall the rum is mellow and pleasant, and I feel like it's quite sippable. There's an oak taste to it, but it's not strong nor bitter (I know that a bit of sweetness tends to compensate for bitterness). With coke, it's dangerous! It's tasty and I can barely feel the booze even though it's 2:1, and the flavor of the rum really shines. This might take over from the spiced rums as my ideal "rum and coke" rum. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 7/10 on 12/18/25) This rum is solid. It's not the most flavorful or interesting rum I've ever had, but it's got something going for it, and the fact that it's not too oaky, not bitter, not very harsh on the alcohol taste... it's just an excellent mixer rum. I give it a 7/10. It might be a good rum to recommend to my friends who drink Kraken, as a higher quality alternative. December 18, 2025 Update: Not much more to add, I am just amending the score down to a 5.5 to reflect my new scoring system.

I am kinda sad that I missed the Astor Wines sale yesterday, because I was actually in the city, and I would have totally gone out of my way to pick up some rums. Unfortunately, living in South Brooklyn, most liquor stores around here don't have very much that's interesting. If they even have a rum section, it's mostly taken up by every different flavor variation of Bacardi and Malibu, and some space for Captain Morgan, and then, often, at least some of the other controversial classics, like Diplomatico Mantuano, Ron Zacapa 23, Bumbu, Kraken, Rumchata, etc. and very rarely do I find anything from the actual recommended list (like the one place that actually had Appleton Estate Signature). But, while looking at the big bottles, I failed to realize that behind the cashier there are often smaller bottles— mostly just the big brands like Bacardi and Captain, but one store had a 200mL bottle of Wray & Nephew! Review Smell It smells insane, like no other rum I have ever tried. It's over the top funky and fruity, with pineapple, overripe banana, and it's basically everything about the funk from Appleton Estates Signature, but cranked all the way up. Taste I don't think that this is meant to be drunk straight. It's so strong and so powerful that it tastes like I have a mouthful of burnt rubber (sort of that same medicinal taste that I got from Kirkland Signature). It's slightly bitter, and the alcohol numbs my palate instantly. Once it subsides, I am left with a very strong taste in my mouth of the classic jamaican funk of that fruity, pineapple and overripe banana flavor. For the daiquiri, I dialed it back and used half as much rum, and the rest water. It is very interesting. I really enjoy something that just makes me stop and think about all of the flavors that I am tasting all at once. I did notice that when the rum is too strong, it tastes like burnt rubber, and that flavor is still in the daiquiri, but it's mellowed out by being watered down to reveal these interesting funky flavors. Much like Appleton, on the exhale, I get the funk, but unlike Appleton, I get the funk even when drinking the daiquiri, because the funk is just so intense. It very much compliments the daiquiri, I think that if you take a more neutral or maybe an aged rum, you can do a lot to mix it and add a funky zip to a drink, but I would probably not choose to make this the only rum in the drink, and if I do, I would water it down. Maybe my perfect daiquiri right now would be 1.5oz Appleton Signature and 0.5oz W&N. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 7/10 on 12/18/25) This rum is really great, and I am really glad that I found it. I've seen a lot of posts saying that this is a good rum, but it's outshined by some of the newer Jamaican white overproofs like Hampden Estate Rum Fire. On top of that, it does have a slight rubbery medicinal taste, but it's easy to ignore in favor of the bold and delicious Jamaican funk that it provides, especially when mixed in a cocktail. It's a crazy good rum to just sprinkle into a drink to give it a bit more pop. I feel like I have to rate it 7.5, equal to my favorite rum so far— Appleton Estate Signature, not because I think that they're interchangable, but because I think that they complement each other, where Appleton Estate Signature is smooth and mixable, but the fruity flavors could stand to be a bit bolder, and Wray & Nephew is extremely bold in fruit flavor, but it needs to be smoothed and toned down by something else. December 18, 2025 Update: I mean, I still like Wray, but just looking at it objectively... it doesn't have much body to it, it's pretty simple, and it is very bold on the flavor for sure, but the off tastes are pretty noticeable. It's good, it has its niche, but I can't say that it's as good as Appleton Signature. It's a great mixer, but it's definitely just for mixing in a punch or something.

In this household, we stand for the flag, and we salute the captain! I tend to do multi-part reviews when there are multiples of basically the same rum of different ages, so I did Appleton Signature, 8, and 12 together in one review, and as soon as I take an international trip, I'll try to do a Havana Club 3, 7, and Añejo Reserva comparison. For this one, Captain Morgan original spiced and Captain Morgan 100 proof spiced are like siblings, and as for Sliced Apple— after tasting it and taking notes, I really didn't want to do a whole separate review, I wouldn't have reviewed it at all, but it made it into the photo, there's 3 Captain Morgans at the party, and 3 is just such a nice number! Review Smell It smells like an apple Jolly Rancher. Taste It tastes like an apple Jolly Rancher. Verdict {rating}/10 (Edited from 🍎/10 on 12/14/25) It tastes like an apple Jolly Rancher. Same with Jack Daniel's apple. Same with Soonhari apple. I rate it 🍎/10. It's fun, it gets you drunk, and it's great for those parties where there's way too much liquor compared to mixer (aka all of them). I reviewed Malibu because I feel like that's the clear standout in terms of popular "rums" that are just liquers, but I probably wouldn't have reviewed this one if it didn't make it into the shot of all the Captain Morgans.