English Harbor 5 year

[jankdc]

I was driving in the boonies today and stopped off at a liquor store. They had this along with Cruzan single barrel, which I haven't seen in Ohio. Just wondering if I should pick some up? I still need to get some Prichards, and I'm heading out of town in the beginning of April and will be getting some Smith and Cross, Flor De Cana, and possibly Sea Wynde. The English Harbor is $27 and the Cruzan is $21. The big question with the English Harbor: Is it sweetened?

Thanks!

[da'rum]

English Harbour does have a small amount of colouring but AFAIK it is not sweetened as such. It is a good rum and if you haven't before tried it it#s definitely worth your dollars. $27 is the top end of what you should be paying for it (I pay 18€# $24.50 usd) so the extra $3 is probably tax.

Give it a try

[da'rum]

http://www.tastings.com/scout_spirits.lasso?id=198703

[NCyankee]

The Cruzan SB is not a bad rum, the wood seems a little out of balance, but for $21 it is a marginal buy IMO. However, since Cruzan is owned by one of the companies currently trying to put the Caribbean rum producers out of business, I personally wouldn't even consider buying it.

I was driving in the boonies today and stopped off at a liquor store. They had this along with Cruzan single barrel, which I haven't seen in Ohio. Just wondering if I should pick some up? I still need to get some Prichards, and I'm heading out of town in the beginning of April and will be getting some Smith and Cross, Flor De Cana, and possibly Sea Wynde. The English Harbor is $27 and the Cruzan is $21. The big question with the English Harbor: Is it sweetened?

Thanks!

[JaRiMi]

There's been many detrimental effects to rum flavour, caused by rum's dependency on US markets on the rum.

Most rum producers bow down to US tastes, and the Americans want things ever sweeter...the "aspartame generation" likes their alcohol dark and sweet - sickeningly sweet, if you ask me. Rum has become in many cases extremely sugary sweet, in response to this.

English Harbour XO was a good example of this: Their XO was a notably dry, and complex rum in the past. When I purchased already many years ago the last XO bottles I could find in the German market, the rum was but a shadow of its former glory. It was sweetened, and far simpler in taste.

In this sense, I very much doubt that the 5yo would NOT be sweetened...

[NCyankee]

There's been many detrimental effects to rum flavour, caused by rum's dependency on US markets on the rum.

Most rum producers bow down to US tastes, and the Americans want things ever sweeter...the "aspartame generation" likes their alcohol dark and sweet - sickeningly sweet, if you ask me. Rum has become in many cases extremely sugary sweet, in response to this.

I would say the worst example I have run into of this is Ron Fortuna 8 yr. It has flavors that make me think it could have been a good rum, but the added sweetness has turned it into an out-of-balance sweet bomb closer to a liqueur than a real aged rum. (I have yet to try Diplomatico exclusiva.)


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Capn's Log: We actually reviewed Fortuna and it was, to be kind, ugggleeee. Review is here:
http://rumproject.com/rumforum//viewtop ... ht=fortuna