www.CostaRicaTicas.com

That rum is actually called Pampero (Anniversario), and indeed, it is an excellent rum. Another excellent rum from Venezuela is Diplomatico. Both rums cost around $35 in the U.S.

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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)

The Rum I prefer and have been drinking for years is Barbancourt Rhum 15 yr, it comes in 4, 8 and 15. It is made in Haiti and they grow their own sugar cane, according to their site this cane is a unique variety and gives Barbancourt it's unique flavor. Unfortunately the only place in Costa Rica that sells it that I have found is at the duty free store in the airport.

You can find it in the States and is worth a try if you like fine Rum.

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I love the nights,
I can not remember,
with Friends,
I can not forget......

Spec's and Total Wine and More are the only places I have found Ron Zacapa in the US

Ron Zacapa is 2nd to none whether the 23 or XO. I actually emailed Zacapa recently to see if I could stop by and take a tour but they don't allow visits. Bev Mo carries the 23 here at average cost about $50. A couple more local liquor stores here in So. CA. Have carried the XO closer to $120. This stuff is the DP og rums. Heck...I,can remember when I thought Myers Rum was good stuff. What garbage in comparison.

In Florida, most stores sell Zacapa 23 for around $40/$45, but 'Total Wine and More' usually has it for $33 The XO is hard to find, but the stores that do carry it sell it for around $100/$110.

You should try Zafra rum from Panama (aged 21 years). Hard to find, but well worth it. Sells for around $45/$50. An excellent rum, it is on the same level as Zacapa!

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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)

Myers IS good rum--for mixing. For sipping, y'all are presenting excellent alternatives. And if you have a mind to, give a thought and a taste to various artisanal US rums--you may be pleasantly surprised. My area in Florida has a pretty good brand (Wicked Dolphin) and Florida has enough different to have a trade association--avoiding the spiced and other punk rums, natch.

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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

A BIG Thank You to GringoTim. Turns out there is a Total Wine and More about 10 minutes from my house. I called over there and they have 2 cases of Zacapa 23 at $33 and change a bottle. Headed over there to pick up 1 of those cases (maybe both). It will take me a long time to go through those but I figure the stuff only gets better with age. My local BevMo sells it for $49. Total Wine also has the XO version at $99 which seems reasonable too.

Pick up a bottle of Zafra while you're there. They usually have a few bottles in stock, although sometimes they run out. When Zafra first came out about three years ago, they were selling it for $53, but a year or so later they lowered the price to around $45.

I don't think the Zacapa XO is worth triple the cost of the '23'. Personally, I don't think there is THAT much difference in the rums. The price point for the XO should be around $85. I suppose the reasoning is that they produce fewer bottles of the XO.

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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)

Glad to see this Thread revived. One thing to remember about any long-aged alcohol is how much is lost to evaporation, obviously restricting the available amount and leads to a higher price point. How much an extra premium a maker exacts for that leads to the true value. I hate gouging. I'm amused that Total Wine has 420 (that magic number) varieties of rum available. Here's their published list, highest to lowest price: http://www.totalwine.com/eng/categories ... sortBy/PHL << I admit to being stuck in the mid-point ($20-30/jug) but then I'm a cheap f%ck.

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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