November 23, 200817 yr I didn't grow up knowing the wonders of rum and it took a move to the subtropics to awaken my rum lust. I remember doing a couple week research stint out on an island in the Exuma Chain in the Bahamas and having my first formidable encounters with serious rum drinking. Had some really rough mornings and wasn't sure I had the rum-drinking gene at first. It turns out it just hadn't fully expressed itself. Appletons is always a good bet, but after a year of playing around with more than a dozen gold rums I have decided that without a doubt Mount Gay Eclipse is the most versatile readily available gold rum. Barbados is the presumed birthplace of the spirit, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Unbelievably good rum at a great price, smooth enough to pass for a sipper with a lime twist, and mixes well with almost everything. There are better drink-specific rums. A Pusser's painkiller beats out one with Mount Gay by a nose. But when substituting in a drink that I usually use a 5 year Demerara in, Mount Gay may not quite make the drink sing, but it definitely knows the tune and can hum along. By contrast, subbing with something like Bacardi gold just leaves the drink flat and unbalanced. Bottom line - Mount Gay is a really good broad-use one to have on hand if you don't plan on keeping a bunch of specialty bottles on hand.
November 23, 200817 yr I mixed up my very first real Sazarac last night. Other than Beam, I've had a hard time finding many 100% rye whiskeys. I finally found Old Overhart 4 year KY rye yesterday, and that seems to be the grand of choice in 'nawlins for sazaracs, so I gave it a spin. Arguably the fist cocktail ever invented, and not a timid drink by any means. 2oz of rye shaken with 1 tsp of simple syrup, 4 good dashes of Peychaud's bitters (Peychaud was a Creole apothecarywho invented the sazarac), a small dash of Angoustora. . . shake and pour into a rocks glass that has been chilled and coated with a swirl of Pernod (they use Herbsaint in New Orleans), squeeze in the oil from a lemon twist and you have a sazarac. 180 degrees opposite most of the rum drinks I've been spinning, but a really memorable long sipper. My wife made her best ugghh! face when sdhe tried it, so it must be good. Edited November 23, 200817 yr by FlaSoxxJim
November 23, 200817 yr QUOTE (knightni @ Nov 23, 2008 -> 10:37 AM) So, Flaxx... You'd rather enjoy a Pusser than Mount Gay, huh? Yes, given the choice. . . But I can go Gay when the situation calls for it.
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