www.CostaRicaTicas.com

If there's one thing you CRT guys are experts on besides pu*sy it has to be drinking.
My friend likes rum, I was thinking about bringing a bottle back but know nothing about the stuff. They make rum in CR I know, what's the primo brand you rum connoisseurs prefer?
I think Texcdn said he drinks a Nicaraguan rum, is it any better?

Gracias rummies.

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Paco not a rum drinker, so no first hand knowledge, have been told the Nicaragua rum Flora de Cana 12 year old is top notch. Hopefully some with more knowledge will let you know.

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I drink the local stuff called Ron Centinario. It's not that great, though it is Costa Rican and it beats guarro.

Flor de Cana 12 or 18 yr old is in duty free. Also a best value is a Colombian rum here called "Medellin"...quality at Colombian prices. These are great sipping rums versus the kinds you put with coke or other mixes...must drink in a snifter to not make the Rum Gods mad at you...

Tman's right. Go with the flor de Cana from the Duty Free shop in the departure area of the airport. Four bottles for the price of three for twelve year old rum. picked up several last trip in November and have been giving them as holiday gifts. Total price was about $36USD. The Twenty year old rum is a bit more, depends how close a friend and how much you want to spend.

Usually will pick up about ten pounds of coffee and a few bottles of rum each trip as gifts for special friends.

Papa Nut

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My favorite is "Havana Club". It is a Cuban rum. Sip it over the rocks. It is real smooth.

After reading the responses to the initial post, I have to step in here and
offer my opinions. I've been drinking rum for about 35 years, and have sampled most of the best rums made in the world.

Lurker stated that Ron Centenario from CR was 'not that great'. He could not be further from the truth. Centenario from CR is one of the top seven or eight rums in the world. Most people in the US (and elsewhere) think
Bacardi is a great rum. On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest, Bacardi (Bacardi '8', their best rum) ranks about a six, while Centenario from CR ranks about a seven. There's not a rum made in the world that is smoother than
Centenario from CR.

Tman and Fishtaster recommended rums from Colombia and Cuba.
In my opinion, neither country makes a great rum. Just like the Cuban cigars, the rums from Cuba are way overrated. Forget Colombia...they don't make a really good rum.

Flor de Cana (from Nicaragua) was mentioned. The more aged (18/20) rums from them are very good, probably rated somewhere in the middle to lower of the top ten list.

Keep in mind that I'm only considering the 'golden' rums. The 'light' rums are not even worth mentioning, and the very dark rums are only for a certain niche. Most rums from Barbados, for example, are very dark rums, and unless you really like sipping molasses, probably not for you.

Guatemala makes some very fine rums, some ranking perhaps in the 6 thru 12 range.

Venezuela makes a couple of fine rums, including Diplomatico, a very smooth rum similar to Ron Centenario from CR.

Pyrat makes a couple of excellent rums, although they are over-priced.
Their approach seems to be to use an amalgam of different rums
to produce a single rum. The result is excellent rums, perhaps ranked
in the 4 to 6 slots.

My personal favorite rum is the 15-year-old El Dorado (Special Reserve) made by Demerara in Guyana. It has the perfect balance of 'color',
taste, and smoothness. My pick for the number one rum in the world. I think they used to sell it at the Duty Free at Juan Santamaria airport in San Jose. It costs about $30 a bottle.

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Tman, with all due respect,...f*ck that! I've never considered (or drank)
rum a 'sipping drink'. If I want to sip liquor, I'll buy cognac or scotch. F*ck the Rum Gods! I always drink rum mixed with Diet Coke. I can
still fully appreciate the subtle differences in the various rums when mixed with Diet Coke. I usually fill a tall glass with ice cubes and a couple of lime slices, then fill it with about half rum and half Diet Coke. Works for me!

_________________
"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

d

Gringotim,
I agree with you. One would be hard pressed to find a finer rum, for the buck, than Ron Centenario. A truly excellent beverage! A friend turned me on to Cruzan, I think it is made in Jamaica or Barbadoes, and it also ranks right up there with R.C.

Since this is a good discussion without any getting volatile regarding opinions, I have to make a comment or two. First off IMHO I find the ability to distinquish flavors of rum or any liquor almost impossible when adding mixers, especially a coke or any soda. GT if you can do it more power to you as the only difference I will find is cheap stuff mixed gives me a headache the next day vs good stuff being a bit easier the day after.

Adding juice, club soda, tonics, sodas to rums, or god forbid ruin good vodka with such makes it impossible to distinquish the suttle characters and nuiances each blend brings to the table.

There are many fine rums out there but to credit TMANs point drinking it over ice or in a snifter is the only true way for rum or vodka to be appreciated.

Now Havanna club is more like a cognac then a rum. It's illegal and can't be found in the US or if it is its a copy as like cuban cigars its just not allowed. It has a brandy type aroma and flavor and is certainly something to be drank in a snifter or with just some ice.

I've got some Ron Anejo Dominican Special reserve rum that also drinks like a cognac.

Just a few points for arguments sake. As the admin says agree to disagree.

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Granted, the average person would be hard pressed to distinquish one
rum from another when drank with a mixer, but I can very easily
detect and appreciate the subtle differences/nuances in the rums. That's due to experience and the fact that I do use the Diet Coke rather 'sparingly'.

_________________
"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Paco,
I picked up a nice gift pack of 4 or 5 small bottles of rum from different countries (CR, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico and maybe Nicaragua) at the airport when leaving San Jose. It even included a glass. Made a nice gift for my father-in-law in Colombia.

Now as to taste, I have to agree with CapoD2TCapo and Tman. Mixing any rum with anything else will change the intended flavor although I do like to mix in a little cranberry or pink lemonade just for fun. Diet cola would not be a first choice as a mixer.

On my first visit to the Dominican Republic I was accosted by guys in red blazers and ties offering me cups of two competing local rums (Brugal and Barcelo) . This was in the Santo Domingo airport both were served on the rocks.

I downed a couple cups before even getting through immigration. When I entered baggage claim there was a merengue band playing. I thought,
"Now this is the way to greet people to your country!"
By the time I hooked up with my driver I was already half loaded and ready to party.

I found this link on Caribbean Rums:
http://store.yahoo.com/randalls/spirits ... -gold.html

I also have purchased (at the airport) the 'mini' collection you mention. That indeed would make an excellent gift.

_________________
"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Thanks for all the great info,
Will definitely hit the duty-free shop...

_________________

Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY