Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda Black RUM

I'm trying to clean out some RUM remnants now that I've accumulated 60+ RUMs. Today's offering is Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda RUM (80 proof).

I must admit that I liked this RUM more than I thought I would on first approach. Having already tasted, and not enjoyed, Cruzan's Black Strap RUM I was affraid that this extremely dark RUM would taste equally as bad.

I found myself surprisingly mistaken. Black Seal is a dark RUM with a slight orange/red hew. It carries a unique smokey/sweet molasas fragrance with sound legs.

My "on ice" taste test showed semi-spicey, butter scotch/carmel candy sweetness. I thoroughly enjoyed the smokey, molasas linger and instantly gave it atleast 8 of 10.

My "Coke Zero" taste test unfortunetly did not go quite as well. The sweetness of the coke overloaded the instilled sweetness and washed away nearly all of this RUMs unique appeal. All that remained was an overly sweet, somewhat spicy drink which I no longer wanted to finish (all though I did; waste not, want not).

On final vote I would say this is an 8.5 of 10. I especially like the numerous "Dark n Stormy" drinks I pulled from this bottle prior to this test. I want to also shout out to my bestest friend Dee Sanders for lovingly bringing this bottle back from Bermuda to me. It almost makes up for the bottle of Blackbeard's Gold RUM for me that she left in the Cayman Islands. Love ya' Dee.

Margaritaville RUM "Ready To Drink" Classic Mojito

I apologize for the lousy picture quality. I snapped this on my last day of drinking this mix and was hoping to find a better photo online (no such luck).

Just a quick review of the first RUM product from Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Spirits line. The "Classic Mojito" is part of a larger "Ready To Drink" product line which includes a number of flavored margarita pre-mixed beverages. Margaritaville Spirits has promised a full line of Margaritaville RUMs including Dark, Silver, Coconut, and Spiced RUM. The website has bottle photos and an announced street date of "Summer 2009".

First I must admit that I typically HATE this type of pre-mixed spirit. They typically are too sweet and carry a heavy syrup taste. Well, that description applies to thie product too.

To it's defense, the Mojito mix isn't quite as bad as the Margaritaville "Ready To Drink" margarita drinks. This drink carries a heavily sweetened lime/mint taste and it has a overt syrupy thickness.

Drinking it straight is nearly impossible. I found that I could improve it's drinkability by cutting it with club soda and splashing in some fresh lime juice. It does have a fairly nice nose of mint and lime but the strong, sugary-sweet smell is a major drawback. It's light, lime green color also reminds me of their afore mentioned pre-mixed lime margaritas.

Pre-mixed lime & mint flavor can never replace freshly muddled lime/mint. In the end, this beverage is simply not worth the time or the money. The mix is only 30 proof and once you add the extra club soda/lime juice waters this gets watered down to nothing worth drinking. I give it a 3 of 10.

Happy 50th Anniversary Hawaii

On August 21, 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signed an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union.

Happy 50th Anniversary Hawaii! I hope to visit you one day soon.

Imbibe!!

Learned about this book from The Colbert Report. David Wondrich's "Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar". Looks like a good read.

"This book will leave you shaken and, I hope, stirred. Wondrich, one of the top spirits writers in the country, delves into the rich and fascinating history of mixology in America."
--USA Today

MOJITOS!!!!!!!!

Mixed up a number of tasty Mojitos tonight with friends over to swim, eat and drink. Two problems though:

1. My limes were aged so their juice was slightly bitter. No problems though I simply tossed in some extra mint and some sweet lime juice and vola', no more lime problems.

2. No soda water. AARRGGHH! I had to use plain tap water. The first few drinks weren't the best but after 2-3 I didn't even notice.

The funnest part of tonight's mojitos...using my Bob Chinn's Crabhouse Mai Tai Tiki Mug.

Fish House Punch

Now this looks like a tasty creation. Apparently it was a favorite of George Washington. Way to rock the RUM, George. Wow, this one takes an ENTIRE BOTTLE of RUM. Now that's some fun drinking. If I have a chance, I might stir some of this up over the July 4th weekend!

I didn't discover this recipe on my own. The Forbidden Island Tiki Bar in Alameda, CA sent out their weekly email and mentioned this one.

Fish House Punch Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (6 to 8 lemons), strained
1 (750-ml) bottle Jamaican amber RUM
12 oz Cognac (1 1/2 cups)
2 oz Peach Brandy (1/4 cup)
Garnish: lemon slices

Tommy Bahama White Sand

I don't like to sip many white/silver/clear rums but the Tommy Bahama White Sands RUM is pretty good. It's sweet, smells a bit like suntan lotion and generally reminds you of its name (ie. the beach). It has a slight burn on entry and a sweet but light coconut flavor with a hint of charcoal left on the palate. While I wouldn't drink it straight very often it makes for a fine mixing RUM in either a Mojito, a Cuba Libre or a full mixed drink like a Zombie.