Review: Captain Morgan Sliced Apple
Captain Morgan Sliced Apple was just released. It is one of 13 Captain Morgan varieties in the current Captain Morgan lineup. It should not be confused with Captain Morgan Apple Smash, their over sweet 60 proof flavored rum designed for shooting. Captain Morgan is one of several spirit brands owned by Diageo including Smirnoff, Crown Royal, Baileys Irish Cream, and Ketel One. If anyone knows how to extend a product line it’s Diageo. Three of those brands Smirnoff, Crown Royal, and Baileys Irish Cream already have an apple flavored version of their original. The Captain Morgan Spiced Rum base is made from sugarcane molasses. It is distilled in St. Croix in a continuous still and is aged for 1 year in oak barrels. A proprietary blend of Caribbean spice is added before bottling at 70 proof. Captain Morgan Slice apple is made with premium rum, natural apple flavor, spice and natural flavors. Read more 
Review: Barcelo Imperial Rum
Barcelo Imperial Rum was launched in 1980. It is distilled from the finest selection of estate grown Caribbean sugar cane grown in the Dominican Republic. Ron Barcelo is the only rum produced in the Dominican Republic from fresh cut sugar cane. The other brands are all made from molasses. Imperial is one of eight rums currently produced at this distillery. Having arrived from Spain in 1929 Julian Barcelo founded Ron Barcelo in 1930 and by 1950 the Ron Barcelo Brand was launched with Barcelo Blanco and Dorado. In 1974 Don Julian Barcelo handed over the reins of the business to his nephew Miguel Barcelo. Barcelo Imperial is made from a blend of rums aged up to 10 years in American bourbon barrels. Ron Barcelo is sold in over 50 countries and it ranks as the 4th largest exporter of rum in the world. Read more
Review: Boardroom Rum
Boardroom Rum was released by Boardroom Spirits Distillery in Lansdale Pennsylvania November 2016. This is a bottle that has been sitting on my shelf waiting to be reviewed for some time now. I have been impressed with the other spirits I have reviewed from this distillery. I remember being exciting when this bottle arrived but when you have a bar with over 1800 spirits sometimes a bottle gets hidden behind others before you get a chance to review. What led me to search for this bottle was the information that Boardroom would soon be announcing the release of several new spirits. Boardroom Spirits Distillery was founded and built by three former Management Consultants, Vlad Mamedov, his young brother Malat, and his wife Zsuzsa Palotas. August 2017 Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine invested in and became part owner of the distillery with the other three. Boardroom Spirits currently also produces Boardroom Gin, Boardroom Vodka, a Fresh Cranberry and Fresh Citrus Vodka, a Beet Spirit, and Carrot Spirit. Boardroom Rum is made from 100% organic cane. It is fermented and distilled in small batches in-house. Read more
Review: Hue-Hue Coffee Rum
Hue-Hue Coffee Rum was released February 2018. It is pronounced Way-Way. The white rum base is made from molasses and is distilled in the Caribbean. It is shipped to Eastside Distilling in Portland Oregon. Cold brew free-trade , single origin Arabica coffee beans grown at Finca El Paternal Estate in HueHuetenango Guatemala are sourced and lightly roasted through Portland Roasting Company. The beans are slowly brewed in a stainless steel vat and stirred slowly with a paddle before steeping for 48 hours. The concentrated brew is then blended with the premium silver rum and demerara sugar. Only 4 grams of demerara sugar is used to produce a 750 ml bottle of Hue-Hue. Read more
Review: Malibu Strawberry Rum
Malibu Strawberry joins a flavor lineup that already includes Original Malibu, Malibu Lime, Malibu Pineapple, Malibu Mango, Malibu Passion Fruit, Malibu Tropical Banana, Malibu Black, and Malibu Red. Malibu Strawberry is not the first strawberry flavored rum on the market, we have already reviewed Cruzan Strawberry and Parrot Bay Strawberry. It is also not Malibu’s first strawberry rum, they introduced Malibu Swirl Strawberries and Cream, May 2012, but later discontinued production. As with all Malibu flavored rums they start with a rum base triple distilled at West Indies Distillery in Barbados. The rum is made from molasses created with Caribbean cane sugar and pure water. A proprietary yeast is used to ferment prior to distillation. The rum is then shipped to Canada where it is blended with a Strawberry Liqueur and bottled at 42 proof. Read more
Review: Bacoo 8 Year Old Rum
Two years ago I reviewed Bacoo 5 year old rum. It is one of the best tasting 5 year old rums I’ve tried. While I was anxious to find Bacoo 8 year old rum, distribution is limited and it took until now to get my hands on a bottle. Bacoo is named for a mischievous mythological spirit claimed to be found in empty corked rum bottles floating in the Caribbean. Once freed he lives on banana’s and milk. As long as you keep your Bacoo happy and well fed he will grant your wishes. Bacoo rum is made from estate grown cane sugar grown on the island of Dominican Republic. The fresh cane juice is fermented, then distilled in unique copper stills, and aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 8 years in before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Timber Creek Florida Rum
Timber Creek Florida Rum was first released October 2017. You may ask what is Florida rum. In order to be designated a Florida rum, a distiller must use 100% natural Florida limestone spring water and 100% natural Gulf Coast grown sugar cane. If aged, it must be barrel aged in the heat and humidity of Florida, and it must be bottled unfiltered. Timber Creek Florida Rum is made from 100% Louisiana coast grown sugar cane made into food grade molasses, and local Florida limestone spring water. It is double distilled in a custom copper pot still, and thumper on a 1400 acre family farm owned by Master Distiller Aaron Barnes, just north of Destin Florida. The spirit is aerated and rested in stainless steel before bottling unaged and unfiltered at 80 proof. Timber Creek uses a proprietary distilling and blending technique called Pureblend. Read more
Review: Banana Pudding Sippin Cream
Banana Pudding Sippin Cream will be released May 22. We usually don’t receive a new product this early but in times like this its great to have something to look forward to. The Sippin Cream line of spirits was launched November 2016 by Sugarlands Distilling Company. The current product line includes Butter Pecan, Dark Chocolate Coffee, Eggnog, Electric Orange, Pumpkin Spice Latte, and Strawberry Dream. Banana Pudding Sippin Cream is made in Gatlinburg Tennessee where the Sugarlands Distillery first opened March 2014. It is made with rum, cream liqueur, and natural flavors and bottled at 40 proof. Read more
Review: Miami Club Coconut Grove Rum
Miami Club Coconut Grove Rum is made from the original Miami Club rum base which is produced from sugar cane harvested from local fields. A 2/3 molasses and 1/3 sugar cane juice blend is fermented and double distilled using a family recipe dating back to 1911 in Puerto Rico. The spirit is slow aged in French limousine and American white oak barrels for 2 years while it is simultaneously infused with the music of Miami. Salsa, samba, and Caribbean rhythms are played 24/7 through vintage Bose 901 speakers to activate the barrels for a richer deeper flavor yield. A 7 step filtration process follows including among other things coconut shells and a secret oxygenation technique used to aerate the spirit. Real Miami grown coconut is infused with the rum before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Maggies Farm White Rum
Maggies Farm White Rum is crafted in the Historic Strip District of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. The rum and distillery are named for a Bob Dylan penned song, later covered by Rage Against the Machine. The distillery began production October 2013. It is made from Louisiana grown turbinado cane sugar. The sugar is open air fermented with a Caribbean-derived yeast over a three week period with a secondary high-ester fermentation. The spirit is distilled through a Hoga 100% copper pot still hand made in Spain. A gradual proofing method allows the spirit to rest over longer periods for further flavor development and ester retention. The rum is aged for 3-6 months in stainless for additional smoothness and ester development and is non chill filtered before bottling at 80 proof. Founder Tim Russell donates $1 from the sale of every bottle to animal rescues in your area. Read more