Continuing on with the Dominican Republic. Let's talk about Doble Reserva. It's another rum that is first aged in ex-bourbon barrels, then aged in ex-sherry casks. Review Smell Vanilla and oak, but with a strong alcohol smell. Taste Taste of vanilla, oak, slightly sweet, but burns quite a bit. Not really long on the palate, and surprisingly disappointing. After leaving it out for a few hours to let it breathe, maybe it burns a bit less, but I am not sure that I could call this a sipper. Extra Viejo is just a bit more woody and floral, and just overall more interesting. In a daiquiri, I at least like it more than Extra Viejo because it's not as woody, but that's where the upsides end. Havana Club 7 beats it in a daiquiri and neat, but probably not by a lot. Doble Reserva does have a nice body, and when I made a rum fashioned with it, it still didn't beat Havana Club 7 in flavor, but the mouthfeel was nice. Verdict {rating}/10 Extra Viejo wasn't excellent, but it had a nice woody, floral taste. 1888 wasn't excellent, but it had a nice woody, winey taste. This rum is like if you took either of those, but just muted the flavor. By all means, it's not bad, and it's priced on par with Extra Viejo, which feels about right. I'm just not sure that there's anything particularly special about this rum.

Continuing on with the Dominican Republic. So, we already talked about my favorite, Extra Viejo, but what about the most premium rum from Brugal's core lineup? This is the rum that, I was told by my tour guide (on a boat trip, nothing to do with rum) is the 1 choice for Dominicans. How will it fare against Extra Viejo? How will it compare to another ultra premium rum also aged in both ex-bourbon and sherry casks, Ron Zacapa 23? Review Smell Vanilla and oak, but with a strong alcohol smell. Taste Very smooth and easy sipping. Doesn't really burn at all. Has a touch of sweetness and a touch of sour. Ok body, but not super complex, and has a slight floral note, much like Extra Viejo, which I have previously associated with Cuban rums. In a lot of ways, there's a lot of similar flavors with Extra Viejo, and I would say it's just as woody, but also has an additional wine note. And, compared to Zacapa, it is likewise very similar. But aside from the wine notes, Zacapa just has such a deep, rich honey note to it, that 1888 just doesn't quite match. It's close, but it leans more woody. In a daiquiri, much like Extra Viejo, I don't really like it because it's too woody. Again, Havana Club 7 just beats it out. I made an old fashioned, again with demerara sugar and Bittermen tiki bitters, and this time, actually, Brugal 1888 is noticably deeper and richer than Extra Viejo and Havana Club 7. I didn't notice this before, but it has a richness and depth more approaching Zacapa 23 than what the other two had. Verdict {rating}/10 This is the favorite of the Dominicans, and it just became my second favorite out of the Three B's. I was originally going to rate it a 6/10, making it just shy of my favorite, but then I decided to make an old fashioned as I am writing the review, and I think it stood out there enough to convince me to make it a tie. It's quite good. Extra Viejo was good but nothing special, and I think that the extra aging in wine barrels definitely puts a twist on it, and it's interesting, but the wine finish just doesn't do as much for me as the actual depth of flavor from the aging. All of this, of course, ignores the price. In the US, it costs twice as much as Extra Viejo, and you're somehow even worse off in the Dominican Republic trying to buy it. For my money, I would still go with Extra Viejo, or, situationally, Havana Club 7. (I was originally going to say that these two are my favorite Dominican rums overall, but spoiler alert! I have a whole load from Oliver & Oliver that I haven't had the chance to crack open yet!)

Continuing on with the Dominican Republic. I am probably just going to go through all of my Dominican rums in a row, because why not? I tried them all side by side, then took them home, and also tried them side by side with Havana Club (7 for the older ones, 3 for the younger ones) because while in DR, I felt like Brugal rums were very similar to Cuban rums. Review Smell Extremely oaky. Bold vanilla, oak, a bit of alcohol burn, and a little bit of caramel sweetness. I feel like Havana Club 7 is very similar to this profile. Taste For a rum that's not that old, it is surprisingly smooth. Very bold oak and vanilla, a mild alcohol burn, and notes of caramel and butterscotch. It's not particularly rich and the body is just ok. After adding in a few ice cubes and letting it open up, I do get a bit of the floral notes that I associate with Cuban rums, but it's pretty faint. These floral notes are more noticable afterwards, since the palate goes a bit long. I would say that Havana Club 7 has a stronger vanilla and coconut flavor, but it also has a bit of a sour note and it's noticably harsher. But honestly, these rums are quite similar and can likely be swapped for each other in cocktails that call for them. It's lighter (arguably blander), but smoother and less biting than Havana Club 7. I tried it side by side with Zacapa 23, and again, I think it's closer than you'd expect. Zacapa has a deep, delicious richness to it, and I think that the wine finish is tasteful and the sweetness level is tolerable, I don't really think it adds that much versus just the richness of the rum itself. Brugal Extra Viejo is not nearly as deep and rich, but it's crisp and bold, and while I prefer Zacapa, Brugal is tailing it. In a daiquiri, I honestly don't really like it. Really woody. Havana Club 7, while not my favorite daiquiri rum, beats it thanks to its overall less woody flavor, and the sour notes disappear. On the other hand, in an Old Fashioned (I used demerara syrup and Bitterman's tiki bitters), Brugal is incredible, while Havana Club is alright, but I strongly prefer Brugal. Verdict {rating}/10 It's a tough call. Brugal Extra Viejo has a bit less flavor than Havana Club 7, but the flavor that it does have is lighter and nicer. I think I very slightly prefer Extra Viejo overall. Though, both Havana Club 7 and Brugal Extra Viejo fall short of Ron Santiago de Cuba 8. This is pretty much my favorite Brugal. Not that I think that it's fantastic, but I think that it's the pinnacle of the Dominican terroir. Column distilled rum that is very light and aged until it is very oaky, and it's just subtle and easy drinking and mixing. It has the taste that some other Dominican rums have, before, in my opinion, they are blunted or tarnished with unnecessary sherry wine finishes and added sugar. While I don't think that Dominican rum beats Cuban rum categorically, this is the rum to give Cuba a run for its money, and it's very competent. And I must make my bias known again, that I really enjoy funky Jamaican rums. Even Appleton Signature, the most basic of lightly aged blended Jamaican rums, is a 6.5/10, and I do happily sip it, and I do still slightly prefer it to Extra Viejo. But if you have a fondness for Cuban rums, and perhaps you live in the US where it's hard to obtain them, this is a very handy substitute. Not to mention the value! Yeah in DR it's barely over $10, but even in the US, I see it in stores for the low $20s.

I had a very good time in the Dominican Republic. Tho I did not get to visit the distillery at Barceló, my hotel had a wide variety of Brugal for me to try, as well as some bottles at Duty Free which were surprisingly significantly cheaper than the US. I also had a lot of mamajuana. While there were some commercial brands, by and large, the mamajuana all around was homemade stuff. It didn't seem fully homemade as you can buy the spices and herbs in a pack, but then it seemed like they added their own rum, wine, and honey. Rum and mamajuana are products intimately tied with the Dominican Republic, and Brugal Leyenda seems like an attempt at intersecting the two. Aged, woody, and sweet, it doesn't say that it's a rum anywhere on the bottle. In fact, unlike some more deceptive brands, they do a pretty good job of explaining rum to laymen(https://www.brugal-rum.com/en/rum-faqs). Leyenda is a blend of 80% double-aged rum and 20% Oloroso sherry from Jerez, Spain. I'll be comparing it to Ron Zacapa 23, as that is another flagship Spanish-style rum that seems to go a bit heavy on the sherry. Review Smell Pretty strong smell of wine, perhaps an apple brandy. Also a strong smell of sweetness and oak. However, Zacapa smells lighter, sweeter, and more vanilla. It has a touch of red wine scent, while Leyenda is heavy with it, and actually reminds me of sweet aged balsamic vinegar that I had in Italy. Taste Leyenda is very sweet. Woody oak, vanilla, sweet, and smooth. I'd compare it to a Port wine, except extra fortified. In my original notes I wrote that this was definitely aged in wine casks, because at the time, I didn't yet know that it was 20% wine. But I would not say it's undrinkably sweet. It's more like a desert Port wine. It's not super complex, but it's fun, sweet, has a nice body, it's fruity from the red wine, and overall the oaky rummy profile of the rum feels very similar to other Brugal expressions. This tastes like Doble Reserva with a splash of wine. Zacapa, on the other hand, is just on another level. It tastes much more like rum, with oak, vanilla, coconut, but far less woody and far less wine, and has a deeper, richer rum flavor with honey notes. I'd say the amount of wine taste in Zacapa is more like a tasteful note, while in Leyenda, it's more like this is a heavily fortified wine. I'd say Leyenda is more bold in every way. More sweetness, more wine taste, more wood taste, and if you love mamajuana, I bet that you would like this as well. But, I am not going to lie, this isn't a bad drink, but it's not something that I really prefer to drink, except maybe in some very specific mood. Verdict {rating}/10 I think I might have to bump up Zacapa 23 from 6/10 to 6.5/10, it's actually better than I remember. Brugal Leyenda, on the other hand, I would say is worth a shot, but it's not something that I think I would reach for. It's very nice for what it is, but it's basically more of a Port than a rum, and don't get me wrong, I have had some great Ports, it's just not exactly even in the same competition as, say, Zacapa 23, or Cuban rums. 5.5/10 Also, I did some research later, and in my initial research, I just figured that Oloroso sherry was sweet, but it's not. It's a dry red wine. So if rum is naturally dry, and this wine is dry, and they claim no additives, then why is it so sweet? Like, it's sweeter than Zacapa, and I look at Zacapa and think "ok guys, were those PX wine casks really empty when you added the rum?"

I am going on a bit of a bender right now on Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala rum. Not in terms of drinking, but in terms of researching. For example, you might know that Zacapa's claims of it being unsweetened and it not containing glycerine are untrue, and Zacapa's claims of the rum being 23 years old are untrue, but did you know that their claim of it being solera aged is also untrue? Well, sorta. It's a blending procedure that is "inspired by the Solera method". ILG is most famous for Ron Zacapa Centenario, but they also have some other brands as well, basically made in a very seimilar procedure, such as Ron Botran and El Pasador de Oro. Like Zacapa and Botran, El Pasador de Oro XO is a blend of rums, aged between 6 and 15 years (though on average closer to 6), but with a key difference — taking a page out of the playbook of the most highly regarded distillery in Barbados, the liquid gold is then shipped to France to be finished in cognac casks. Also sorry for doing these lame one-offs still, but I really just needed to fill in reviews up to 92, as I want 100 to be something special, and my next review is going to be an 8 parter (that's a big hint). Review Smell Light on the nose. Vanilla, oak, sweet. Smells very similar to other ILG rums. Taste Very sweet. I would say that sweetness is the dominant note. Not very complex at all, in fact, I would say that it is very smooth and uncomplicated. Sweetness, oak, vanilla, that mild rummy coconut flavor. Ok body, not particularly interesting. Finish is actually not as short as I would have thought; it does have a bit of length. I was not able to try it side by side with anything from the Zacapa lineup, but I've had Zacapa 23 enough and this is pretty much identical as far as my memory goes. Maybe slightly harsher than I remember? But it's by no means a harsh rum. Verdict {rating}/10 I have had Zacapa Edición Negra, and I have had Zacapa XO. I have not reviewed them yet because I didn't get the chance to try them side by side with Zacapa 23, and just on the standalone taste, they taste basically exactly like how I remember Zacapa 23, so for now, I want to hold off on reviewing them until I get a chance to actually try them side by side, to tease out the tiny difference. However, this appears to be pretty much a direct competitor to Zacapa XO, as Zacapa XO is a blend of rums aged 6 to 23 years (but overwhelmingly closer to 6 years on average), and Pasador de Oro is a blend of rums aged 6 to 15 years (but overwhelmingly closer to 6 years on average), and, as far as my tastes and memories go, it's basically identical to Zacapa XO. The big benefit is the price point. At $50, it's priced equal to Zacapa 23, and about 2x to 2.5x cheaper than Zacapa XO. If you're in the market for a rum like Zacapa XO, this basically fills in the exact same role but at a much better price.

I got some of this rum a while ago, but it was a real thinker. There's just a lot going on here, and I wanted to try this rum several times spaced over several days to think things over. Review Smell My first thought was that it smells kind of like something from Worthy Park. A bit of banana but also a bit of industrial smell. Kind of like a mix of fruit, acetone, and glue. It then transitions to a bold smell of oak and vanilla from the 15 years of tropical aging, but it's impressive that this rum is so bold that even after 15 years, the oaked age isn't the predominant smell. Taste It's very bold. Mostly acetone and glue, but also some bananas and wild berries. The finish is quite long, and has notes of maraschino cherries, licorice, black current, and that fake strawberry flavored cough syrup. Great body, melts nicely on my tongue, and very bold and complex. That said, I think that it's best enjoyed with a bit of water or an ice cube and allowed to open up a bit. Verdict {rating}/10 This one's been kind of complicated, because on one hand, I want to love this rum for all of its complex and good flavors, but much like with Worthy Park, the industrial and weird glue flavors just bring it down for me. Still, I very much enjoy this rum with an ice cube, though, for the price, I'd rather get a nice aged Jamaican instead. It's a step up from Forgotten Casks for sure, but I think that I enjoyed Foursquare ECS 2008 slightly more, just because it didn't have the off flavors. So, overall, I leave it at a respectable 7.5/10

I have tried so many rums in the Dominican Republic! I am very sad to say that, due to our tour company being very bad and unhelpful and screwing us over so many times, instead of visiting Barceló, I got rebooked to go to some tourist trap gift shop where you get to try super sugary Oliver & Oliver rums. Yaaayy.... Fortunately I will get to briefly go to the Dominican Republic again later this year, and I'll make sure that I go to Barceló. For now, I plan on making a big post on Brugal, though I also want to finally review my Hampden 8 marks as well, so I'll have to find the time to compile all of my notes. For now, I'll have to give you another stinker from the backlog. Review Smell Harsh spirit and anise. There's not really anything else of note. Taste Neutral, a good bit of anise flavor, and dry since it's sin azucar, but you can basically achieve this same taste by soaking anise in vodka. Verdict {rating}/10 There's nothing exciting about this. But if you like it, you like it. For a lot of people, this is all that they can regularly afford, and so, it is what it is. There's definitely a vibe to it. I was talking to our tour guide for one of the days in the Dominican Republic, and he offered us rum and coke on the boat. It was quite bad rum— Ron Cabaret Dorado. Very harsh and sickly sweet. I told him it's the second worst rum that I've had from the Dominican Republic. But, he responded that this rum and aguardiente are his two regular drinks of choice. The nicer Brugal and Barceló are for special occasions. So, I don't feel bad for reviewing it, even if it was obvious that it was never going to score high. Aguardiente is the rum of the people.

I have tried so many rums in the Dominican Republic! I am very sad to say that, due to our tour company being very bad and unhelpful and screwing us over so many times, instead of visiting Barceló, I got rebooked to go to some tourist trap gift shop where you get to try super sugary Oliver & Oliver rums. Yaaayy.... Fortunately I will get to briefly go to the Dominican Republic again later this year, and I'll make sure that I go to Barceló. For now, I plan on making a big post on Brugal, though I also want to finally review my Hampden 8 marks as well, so I'll have to find the time to compile all of my notes. For now, I'll have to give you another stinker from the backlog. Review Smell Harsh spirit and anise. There's not really anything else of note. Taste Neutral, a good bit of anise flavor, and somewhat sweet as it has sugar added, but you can basically achieve this same taste by soaking anise in vodka. Verdict {rating}/10 There's nothing exciting about this. But if you like it, you like it. For a lot of people, this is all that they can regularly afford, and so, it is what it is. There's definitely a vibe to it. I was talking to our tour guide for one of the days in the Dominican Republic, and he offered us rum and coke on the boat. It was quite bad rum— Ron Cabaret Dorado. Very harsh and sickly sweet. I told him it's the second worst rum that I've had from the Dominican Republic. But, he responded that this rum and aguardiente are his two regular drinks of choice. The nicer Brugal and Barceló are for special occasions. So, I don't feel bad for reviewing it, even if it was obvious that it was never going to score high. Aguardiente is the rum of the people.

This one is a weird one because a brazilian actually brought it to a convention I was at in Florida, and I have never seen this brand before, and it seems to not be sold in the US. Review Smell It smells pretty grassy, like HSE or Leblon. Also a pretty prominent alcohol burn. There's a slight scent of vanilla and oak, but it's predominantly grassy and hot smelling. Taste First off, it has quite a strong initial burn. I had been drinking a lot of rums on that day, so my palate was already acclimated to spirits, and it still felt like it burned quite a bit. But aside from that, it's quite fun. A bit grassy, but also a bit fruity, a bit like a clairin, so sort of pineapple notes and some vanilla from the oak, but for the most part, the Leblon-like grassy taste and alcohol dominate the palate. Verdict {rating}/10 It's a bit disappointing because there's some really interesting flavors here, almost kind of funky, but the spirit just burns too much to be a sipper, and it's generally just grassy and almost savory tasting despite the light fruity notes. It's a mixed bag. For the price in Brazil, I can't really argue — I bet it makes a decent caiparinha. I was not able to test that as I had not yet started carrying a bottle of lime juice and simple syrup with me everywhere yet, but I decided that I don't think I'll run into this bottle again anytime soon if ever.

So, right now, I am vacationing in the Dominican Republic. Beautiful beaches, beautiful birds, and I am very excited to tour the Barceló rum distillery very soon. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and notes so that I can report back what I learned. Also I plan on doing a big mega post about Brugal and Barceló, because to be honest, not to spoil anything, if this even is a surprise to anyone, but their various expressions are not very different from one another or all that exciting. I've also been trying various mamajuanas, including a homemade one that the staff of my hotel make every morning. So I figured that today, it would be appropriate to make a post about a rum that I picked up while I was in Little Dominican Republic in Washington Heights, NYC. Review Smell Absolutely nothing. No alcohol burn, no aromas, nothing. Completely absent on the nose. Taste Very interesting taste. Just imaging smelling a box of fresh packing peanuts. That's sort of what the taste is like. Slightly sweet, very plasticky. Not terrible, but also, I wouldn't even clock this as a rum. I'd think it was some kind of craft vodka. In a daiquiri, it's again like a vodka daiquiri. All the burn of Bacardi but none of the flavor. Completely forgettable. Verdict {rating}/10 Just don't buy it. It's not pleasant to sip, and as a mixer, it's not even as good as Bacardi. I guess it's supposed to be ultra cheap well rum. It tastes like styrofoam and packing peanuts. At least they didn't try to "fix" it and make a Caribaya. 3/10.

When I did my review of Old Monk XO Amber 20, someone messaged me that they have the original XXX 7yr and can send me a sample to try side by side, so of course I said yes. So, as I don't have pics of the bottle, I have a poorly photoshopped picture of a bird opening the bottle. By the way, if you ever wondered why this rum, the XO Amber 20, and most Indian spirits in general are 42.8% ABV, you may recall that full proof strength in the British Empire was defined as 57.15%, and 42.8% ABV is actually 75 degrees proof. > Note: I can also see a list of ingredients on the label: Demineralized water, extra neutral alcohol, malt spirit, caramel color, and natural & artificial rum flavor.(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/OldMonkRum.jpg) Review Smell Intense sweetness, caramel, and brown sugar, as well as definitely the same blend of spices as in the XO Amber 20. Cinnamon, cardamom, etc. it's hard to pick them all out, it's like a pastry bouquet. Taste My initial reaction was "oh no". Quite bitter. Not very flavorful and burns a lot. It is not an easy sipper. I also can't really tell that this rum has any actual rum flavor, it just tastes like the spice mix in alcohol. Notes of burnt sugar, dark chocolate, cardamom, allspice, anise. Short finish, thin body. In a rum and cola, it's passable. I tried it side to side with XO Amber 20, and I still prefer the rum and coke with the XO Amber 20, but the gap is narrowed by the soda. Verdict {rating}/10 There is a lot of similarities in the tastes of XXX and XO Amber 20. But the big difference is that XO Amber 20 actually is light, the rum flavor is smooth, and it has notes of butterscotch and vanilla that actually make it a very nice mixer with cola, and almost a passable sipper. I genuinely don't mind it. XXX, however, is definitely best mixed with cola, as a cheap way to get drunk. In that respect, it's not bad. In fact, I would say that it's largely saved by how decent it is in cola vs how unpleasant it is neat. The spices are interesting, but the rum is pretty bland and harsh.

I've been sitting on this for a while because the flavors in this rum are just so strong and complex that I had a bit of difficulty putting it into words and giving it a rating. But, I think it's about time I finally review it. Note: This rum is a blend. 50% is 3 year LFCH, 20% is 4 year LFCH, 15% is 5 year HGML, and 15% is 2 year DOK Review Smell Very bold. Distinctly Jamaican, with strong overripe banana and pineapple. It really fills the room with the scent. Compared to Great House 2024, Xaymaca smells similar, but far lighter on the nose, and smith & cross is a lot more vanilla and caramel smelling. Taste Just one drop on my tongue and my mouth is completely coated in funk. Aside from banana and pineapple, it evolves into something smoky, buttered popcorn, and blueberry. On the back, it's a bit of floral notes and green apple. Compared to Great House, Xaymaca is just weak and tepid, like I am drinking spicy seltzer. Smith & Cross holds up, but it's way more caramel and vanilla tasting. The first time I tasted Great House 2024 was just before thanksgiving dinner, and even after a full thanksgiving dinner, I would burp and taste the funk. The flavor literally lasts for hours. I also tried just letting it breathe for 15 minutes and added an ice cube, and it really opened it up and made it less overwhelming. In a daiquiri, it's very good. The fruit and sweetness, and to be honest, just the dilution, really improve it for me. It's much more palatable this way. I am trying it back and forth with a Smith & Cross and Xaymaca daiquiri, and really Xaymaca isn't even in this competition, but it's genuinely hard to pick one between Great House and Smith & Cross. They're both so good, and Smith & Cross delivers a better caramel note while Great House has a fantastic pineapple note. Verdict {rating}/10 Can there be too much of a good thing? I feel like Great House is approaching it. If I had to either only have Great House or Smithy & Cross and had to choose, it's hard, but I think I slightly prefer Great House. This isn't taking the price into account. At $130, it's a tough sell for me when Smith & Cross exists and it's almost as good. These rums have a lot in common, but I very slightly prefer the Hampden. Not by much. I'd say half point. I heard a lot of good things about Great Houses from earlier years, maybe I will try to hunt those down.