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Privateer keeps things simple in the best way possible. The brand disregards many practices favored by larger companies, like sweetening, flavoring, filtering, and spicing its rum, for favor of keeping honesty and purity at the forefront of its offerings. Rhum industriel: The traditional, more commonly-used method for producing and distilling rum. Made with molasses rather than sugar cane juice. The rum is a dark amber with reddish hints. To be honest its exact colour is as complex as the rum. Light can make it appear both red and golden and dark at the same time! The rum is quiet viscous almost like a lighter liqueur, rather than a rum. The rum is very sweet on the nose. Another point which is often made about this rum is how much sugar is added. This is a slight which is often aimed at a lot of the newer breed of “Premium Sipping Rums”. Like many rum arguments its not something which either interests or bothers me. I don’t know how to distil, blend or market rum I just enjoy drinking the ones I enjoy. The Zacapa initially gives a bouquet of brown sugar, it reminds me a little of a chocolate or caramel/toffee sauce for ice cream or desserts. Upon a further nosing I am also getting a feeling for the aged rums in the blend with a little oak and cocoa coming through. Once considered little more than a party drink, the spirits world is having its moment and is now home to the best rums, in all styles. Facundo’s Paraiso is arguably the brand’s best: Paraiso is Latin for “paradise” and this bottle doesn’t fall short of the title. It’s the most expensive in the brand’s rum collection and has the most depth.
The alternate method is to use the freshly fermented sugarcane juice, in a method called ‘rhum agricole’. These rums are commonly found on the French islands but are rare to find elsewhere. The sugarcane mixture is pressed to the point that all of the juice has been extracted before it’s fermented with water and yeast and then distilled. If you prefer to read about rum before opening the bottle, jump to our sections below to learn more about rum. You can find out more about the terminology you should know about rum and our selection process for drawing up the best rum brands of the year at the end of this article. 1. Ron Zacapa In the “Sistema Solera”, art and tradition encourage the blending of rums of different ages and personalities so that they may continue to mature in select barrels. This dynamic and artisanal process culminates only after the complexity of aromas and flavors confirm that unique, mature rum has been created” Ron Zacapa is cleverly marketed by Diageo as “Sistema Solera” which whilst a perfectly legitimate method of producing rum, immediately leads many to believe they are buying a rum that is 23 years old. This is something which is often frowned upon by rum connoisseur’s and reviewers. Personally, I have never bought a rum based solely on the age of the rum. I have of course bought an older expression, if for instance it is on sale and is less than the lesser aged rum but it is not something which I judge rum’s upon. There are rum’s in my cabinet which I rate very highly and I do not actually know how “aged” they are. The “Sistema Solera” method is described on the cardboard sleeve as…. In short, I used a Vinturi Spirit Aerator, and used that to pour the rum into one of the Neat Whiskey Glasses (I don't have a specific rum glass... wouldn't mind some recommendations).A household name, it’s hard to go wrong with a bottle of Diplomatico. The brand originates from Venezuela and is one of the biggest rum producers in the country.
Privateer also doesn’t rush the process of fermenting and distilling its rum. Particularly the case for its Navy Yard rum, the mixture is left to ferment for six days to really bring out the richness and complexity of the spirit. To produce rum, sugarcane is burnt, harvested, and milled for around 24 hours to keep it fresh and prevent deterioration.Havana Club’s Primer Maestro Romero, Don José Navarro, describes the brand’s Añejo Blanco as “The whitest of all aged rums, the most aged of all white rums”. The Havana Club Añejo Blanco is distilled and aged in Puerto Rico for one year. Then, the aged rums are blended together and aged for another two months. White, dark or spiced, there’s something for everyone when it comes to enjoying a good bottle of rum.
I am even beginning to think that my favorite El Dorado rums are sweetened, though it is less dominant and actually compliments the robust flavors of the Demeraran rum. The same could be said for Zaya and this one, though IMO the sweetness is considerably more forward. The Zaya and zacapa are robust enough to still be interesting, while Diplomatico Reserva and Ron Fortuna 8 yr both taste flat and boring to me. Ron Fortuna 8 yr is the worst offender yet, nauseatingly sweet and bland. Both probably were decent subtle rums before being sweetened within an inch of their lives. Upon tasting, the rum is not as sweet as I was expecting. The nosing suggested it could be as sweet as XM or El Dorado. The Zacapa is actually quite dry and oaky. I find the flavour builds if you leave the rum in your mouth for a little longer allowing it to coat the palate. You then get some of the cocoa flavour and a little bit of tropical fruit. However, I’m not getting as much of the fruitier sweeter side I have found with other rums. The rum is very smooth and has very little aftertaste or alcohol burn. It is very pleasant to sip and I can see why it is many people’s choice. XO: XO stands for “Extra Old” and refers to rum that’s been aged in barrels for at least six years. Our methodology to select and rank the best rum brands of the year In general, though, this is a very pleasant, very enjoyable rum with a very distinct presentation, gorgeous looking bottle with some extra flair of the Mayan petate band.Demerara: A term for rums that originate from Guyana. The name stems from the Demerara river, home to the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) facility, rather than the type of sugar. There are bottles of the 15 year old out there, but the marquee Ron Zacapa is easily its 23 year, an age that seems geriatric for a “starter” bottle (and like lost youth for the rest of us). Because it’s aged at such elevation, the aging process itself is a lot gentler —consistent cooler temperatures and lower atmospheric pressure ease the natural molecular exchange between spirit and barrel. We compare it to spending your 30s in a quiet spa versus in an over-sugared kindergarten classroom that just banned naptime. The rum is 23, but also 6. Havana Club uses Cuban culture to influence its rum and it’s a firm favorite for Americans and Europeans alike. It’s a staple brand that’s found in many bars across the world. Update January 3, 2020: So... after reading through the hydrometer tests, I unfortunately discovered that Ron Zacapa is a company that absolutely loads their "premium rums" with additives like sugars and coloring such. This is something that disappointments me greatly. As noted on my recent review of Zacapa's Edicion Negra, "premium" rums with additives that aren't labeled mean an automatic three points off. That means the highest I can give this now is a 7. It won't go lower because this review is still otherwise true... I do love this rum regardless. Sadly, it's a flavored rum, not a pure rum. Hence the drop in rating.)
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