www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Funny I was thinking that my last few bottles of the '23" were a little harsher Hmmm...guess I will try the XO now..never had it

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Why settle for just one woman when you can enjoy them all?

Has anyone tried the Flor de Cana Centenario '21' (from Nicaragua)? I've tried the '12' but not the '21'. The '21' is not actually aged 21 years, it is aged 15 years. It sells for $60 at the duty free store at the airport in San Jose. I plan to pick up a bottle on my next trip. I enjoyed the '12', but I would not rate it at the same level as Zacapa, Demerara or Zaya. I would rate it on the 'second' tier along with Pyrat, Ron Centenario XX (from CR), and Diplomatico and Pampero from Venezuela.

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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)

Are you serious?! Better than Zacapa?! Please let us know what the label says! I've got to check it out on the Internet. Thanks!

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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)

Oh, Lord have mercy! The "hip" crowd has discovered rum--now the snob appeal soars and probably, so do the prices. Just look at what happened to that grain-neutral spirit, vodka.

www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/dining/02rum.html
www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/dining/02wine.html

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Good point JazzboCR.

More on this "being discovered by the NYTimes and the hipster crowd (Village Voice, etc.)", an article about a bar in NYC where you can, depending on your timeframe and alcohol-tolerance, sample near about every sipping rum out there. It's telling that it's in the Fashion section rather than in, say, Sports (where I'd put it):
www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/fashion/13shake.html
The bar itself www.caracasarepabar.com/roneria.php check the video!

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

IF it is becoming a trendy thing, they will pick a silly rum... Look at Grey Goose vodka... All good yuppies have to have it.... Name! French don't make vodka, but it's good because it is more expensive. As for the rum, good ole FDC 7 year does it for me.

I tried Habana Club for the first time and liked it...rates with 12 & 18 yr old Flor...I'll buy the Guatemalan rum at the airport next time I come into San Jose.

sorry to be a jack ass but what type of mixture do you use with Rum?? I always hear RUM and COKE but I never tried RUM in my life. Is that a good mix or do you use Rum on the rocks?

I am always the Hennessy VSOP or Remy XO on the rocks or Goose and tonic guy.

Brother Kuttapan--You are far from being a jackass...An honest question, an honest answer--Rum pretty well mixes with anything. With the lower grades, yes, Coke is a mixer (I prefer a Cuba Libre--w/Coke and lime, to cut the sweetness) but also ginger ale, 7-Up, soda water and lime, whatever. When you move up the chain, you'll want as with any other liquor to get more of the booze's taste, so maybe just a splash of soda or perhaps an ice cube or two.
When you get to the premium/ super-premium level (the sipping level), if you mix it with anything but saliva, you are cheating yourself of the taste, the aroma, the whole experience. At this point you'll be able to appreciate the subtleties The Brothers were talking about here (for example, Vizcaya is a good rum but you have to appreciate it has a caramel "sweet" finish--my fave is Flor de Cana 12/17 y/o--the "sweet spot" between taste and cost).
As with any other esthetic, there is a learning curve and your palette is the ultimate arbiter. Hope this helps.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

I've found a rum available in the US that reminds me of the 20+ year old Ron Centenario but is a lot cheaper. It is called Pyrat XO Reserve. I had a $6 shot at a local bar/restaurant that has the best rum choices in town. They claim to be a Cuban place, but let's not go into that. I've been known to bring people there to do a couple of shots and I usually get some flan. In the grocery/liquor store it is about $25/bottle, which is a lot better price. It seems some folks in Anguilla have taken to buying aged rums from around the Carribbean and are blending them and aging them in French oak for 11 months and have made a delightful product. It has that light sugar cane taste with very little of the alcohol harshness, despite being 80 proof. The bottle looks a lot like Patron Tequila, and I think the same company runs both.

If I make it down this winter it will be for a long time. It is quite some time since I've been to CR, but last winter in the US was brutal.

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Moral indignation is in most cases 2% moral, 48% indignation and 50% envy.

VITTORIO DE SICA

What's the boards take on Barbancourt?

For the price, it's pretty good

US chauvinist that I am, I have been drinking Cruzan from the USVI. Captain Morgan and Sailor Jerry are also made there. Cruzan I believe punches above it's weight, price-wise (US product so less/no excise/import taxes) and it keeps poor folks in a US area employed. I'm a pig so what do I know? Here's a list of brands by country of origin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rum_producers but you can make it anywhere, even if sugar-cane isn't local. There are now 3 different brands made in Florida (which, natch, has abundant raw materials); one of them close-by is artisan quality and price: http://www.wickeddolphin.com/home/index ... nfirm=true They give factory tours...

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

In Venezuela they have a rum called Anniversario it comes in a leather bag and is very good.
You can find it in the big liquor stores. It is available in Specs Liquor stores. I have been buying
it for 25 years.