Two Very Different Aged Rums

[jwr0201]

Being a bourbon and scotch enthusiast, I was looking for something lighter and different to enjoy with good cigars. A friend turned me onto Zaya, a nice 12-year aged rum with vanilla, molasses and sugar cane notes. This one is definitely on the sweeter side and I seem to prefer rums that way. Was recently recommended to try RL Seale's 10 year aged rum. Seale's is lighter in color, body and flavor than Zaya, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. It's claim to fame is that it is not only a nice sipping rum, but is supposed to be free of added sugars and flavorings - an honest, unadultered rum. There are notes of light honey, toffee and oak in the background. The taste on the back side is not unlike the sweeter wheat bourbons, but it is smoother and lighter in body. Both of these rums are good and have their place in the rotation. Does anyone have recommendations on good aged rums that may fall in between the sweetness and flavor extremes of Zaya and Seale's?

[Rye]

Havana Club Seleccion Maestros would fit that bill

[ChampagneInHand]

It's all about the oak that the rums are aged in when discussing flavor profiles. As to residual sugars that is purposefully added during blending and bottling. Two interesting examples are Plantation Grand Reserve. Aged 5 years in old cognac barrels. Very flavorful and not too much residual sugars. Then Cruzan which seems drier with different oak flavors. Plantation GR is made from molasses in Barbados and Cruzan also from light molasses in St. Croix, USVI.

Most rums are made from molasses but the grades of molasses vary from light sweet table grade, to deep black, thick molasses which us the most imopure by-product of the sugar refining process. Just different flavors. Think Myers Jamaican or Gosling Black strap fir the later. Other runs are being made straight from pressed sugar cane juice. Most have Agricola added to their names and tend to be lighter in color if not white. Zacata is the exception as it sits in that high altitude Solera system going through gentle heating and pulling plenty of flavors from the oak. It also has some cane juice added during blending.

Zacata, is much like its Trinidad cousin Angostura which is derived from a darker molasses and picks up a lot if tropical notes while aging in the oak. Both are quite delightful.

Rum really has a huge spectrum of flavors, weight in the mouth and viscosity. Some rums are even made from brown sugar and honey. Very different from the earliest days of Rum making in the New World America's and Caribbean.

"What should we start with?"

"An '82 Margaux."

"Is it good?"

"Good? It will make you believe in God!"

[marty922]

One of my favourites is Zacapa Solera 23.. but a bit pricey here (Australia) at $90+

No idea where it fits into your flavour spectrum, but well worth giving it a go. I'm told it's quite reasonably priced in the US.

[stogieluver]

You might consider giving Flor de Cana 18 a try. Very good sipping rum. Very smooth, not too sweet, just right.

[SofaKing]

I too like Zaya, Zaffra is pretty similar to Zaya if you can find it. Others I would recommend are Plantation 20th, Zacapa XO, Diplomatico Reserva

[jwr0201]

Flavorwise, what is the difference between Diplomatico Exclusiva Reserva 12 Year and Diplomatico Reserva 8 year?