Ron Abuelo is a product of Panama, and the company’s rum production can be traced back to Panama’s first sugar mill, which opened in 1908. Ron Abuelo offers a line of rums, including the Anejo, 7 Años, 12 Años and the recently-released Centuria. Ron Abuelo Anejo is the entry-level rum in the Ron Abuelo lineup, and though it doesn’t carry an age statement, three to four years is a safe assumption. It starts out a bit alcoholic on the nose, but let it settle in the glass for a few minutes, and much of that heat dissipates. Dive in again to find...

July 19th is National Daiquiri Day. We’ve never needed a reason to drink, but hey, we’ll drink to that! National Daiquiri Day celebrates the Cuban-born cocktail that was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway and remains a key component to tropical vacations. Over the years, the original daiquiri – a simple combination of rum, lime and sugar – became marred by fruity syrups, sweet and sour and blenders. In honor of the holiday, mix up a traditional daiquiri to reconnect with the classic drink. The Daiquiri 2 ounces light rum (Havana Club, if you can find it) 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice 1 ounce simple syrup Shake...

Plantation’s 20th Anniversary Extra Old Rum is the jewel of the Plantation Rum lineup. It’s a blend of Barbados rums from some of the company’s earliest reserves, which are then matured in used Cognac casks for another 12 to 18 months before bottling. The double aging results in a rum that’s incredibly flavorful. Signature rum aromas like vanilla and molasses mingle with dried fruit notes imparted by the Cognac barrels. Flavors range from vanilla and sugarcane to candied orange, cinnamon, banana and cocoa. The Plantation 20th Anniversary XO is very round and full on the palate, almost chewy, and it...

Flor de Cana Grand Reserve is a 7-year old rum out of Nicaragua. Flor de Cana produces a range of rums, from an entry level 4-year expression to its 18-year Centenario Gold. Each rum is produced with molasses from sugar cane grown on a single estate, which provides consistency throughout the distillation process. Flor de Cana Grand Reserve Rum has a reddish gold hue obtained from its seven years spent aging in American white oak barrels. It has aromas of molasses, fruit and some oaky char, and the taste is of sweet molasses, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. The flavors move...

Haiti’s Rhum Barbancourt makes a range of rums including the 3 Star, which is aged for four year in oak. This rum is distilled from pressed sugar cane juice, rather than the sugar cane byproduct, molasses, which is the base of most rums. Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star has a shimmering, pale gold appearance and aromas of brown sugar and vanilla. The nose is somewhat muted by a heavy alcohol presence, not unsurprising for a relatively young rum. Take a sip though, and the alcohol gives way to rich flavors of butter cream, molasses and burnt sugar. The rum is a little rough...

English Harbour Rum hails from Antigua. It is distilled in copper stills and then aged in small oak barrels – in this rum’s case, for five years, though English Harbour also makes a three-year rum and an Extra Old. English Harbour 5-Year Rum has a light, golden brown appearance and aromas of burnt sugar hiding behind lots of alcohol. Let it sit, and the alcohol subsides a bit, uncovering notes of molasses and vanilla. Take a sip and taste sweet molasses, more vanilla and fruit – banana? – plus some faint chocolate notes. It’s got some heat to it, and after...

Brugal Rum was founded by Don Andres Brugal in the Dominican Republic in 1888. The Brugal Añejo Rum is a blend of rums aged between two and five years in American white oak casks. The deep amber-colored spirit is very woody on the nose, with touches of vanilla and chocolate hiding behind the oak. There’s some alcoholic heat that quickly fades. Take a sip and taste earthy flavors of wood and leather, plus some caramel, brown sugar and dried fruit. It has a very full, grippy mouthfeel full of wood tannins. It finishes moderately long with notes of oak, spice and some...

Ron Jeremy (yes – that Ron Jeremy, the porn star) has introduced a self-titled rum. Ron de Jeremy Rum is distilled in Panama and aged seven years. It’s billed as an “adult rum” with a “long, smooth taste.” Innuendos aside, let’s take it for a spin. The rum circumnavigates total gimmick status by enlisting master distiller Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernandez to create the spirit. He’s a respected veteran behind such rums as Havana Club and Zafra. The Ron de Jeremy bottle sports a picture of the man himself. Empty the contents into a glass and find an amber-to-copper spirit with aromas of...

The Dark and Stormy cocktail is an easy-to-make, refreshing drink that combines dark rum with ginger beer and lime juice. The preferred rum in a Dark and Stormy, mostly due to heavy marketing, is Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. It makes a fine drink indeed, but play around with other dark rums to see what you prefer. When making a Dark and Stormy, the most important thing is to use actual ginger beer. Ginger ale just won’t do, as it’s not nearly spicy enough to stand up against the rum. Depending on your rum of choice, play with the ratios to...

The Daiquiri is a cocktail I often come back to when I find myself in a cocktail rut. It’s simple, well-balanced and a great representative of how different rums can create many different variations of the same drink. Many drinkers think of Daiquiris as frozen, strawberry cocktails served in giant goblets, but the traditional Daiquiri is a simple combination of white rum, lime and sugar. That makes for a tasty drink indeed, but experimenting with the rum can yield some incredible results. Lately I’ve been enjoying a lot of anejo Daiquiris, which are just Daiquiris made with aged rum. Don Q Anejo...