Young rum lover advice

[Hack.The.Pow.]

Hello all. Its been a while since I've been here and I've missed it all.

My question to all of you is that I am a relatively young rum lover(22). I live in vermont and there is not too much of a selection up here. I know I can order some nice rums from other sites but I am quite broke at the moment.

I really would like to develop a nice palate for rum tasting but I still cannot seem to get it all right. What would be your advice to help me be able to distinguish the distinct flavors of one rum to another. I cannot seem to distinguish all the little flavors from each other(cinnamon, caramel, etc.)

Does it really just come from tasting as many rums as possible or is there a little something extra I could do to help myself?

Thanks for the advice in advance.

[young0076]

read about it here.......buy a bottle and try it....if you don't like it the first time....try again.....figure out your mood and go from there.....I have learned that alot of these rums are mood based....but that doesn't mean it will be the same for you. Its a journey.....enjoy it

[Jolipapa]

It's like for painting, leave all those intricated descriptions to professionnal experts.
Your tastebuds are not exactly the same as mines, and sometime we can agree, sometimes not... Be a real Amateur and enjoy what you see or what you drink!
As says young0076 you'll find here a lot of information that will help you make your choices more easily.

[RonJames]

If your from Burlington, you could be a modern rum smuggler with a boat, if you know what I meanglass.gif VT the selection isn't as bad as some, still not that good. Try Ny state or Canada if you make it up there. That being said I know what you mean about being broke. I just bought a pair of 179 Hell bents at the end of the season and need to save for bindings.

[Hack.The.Pow.]

thanks for the suggestions guys. I have been reading a lot of reviews on here(specifically arctic wolf's). I have been trying to match up all the flavors I taste on that rum with the review. Some I can see and others I can't but i suppose that has to do with my taste-buds vs the reviewers test buds.

[Ruminsky Van Drunkenberg]

Read as much as you can and taste as much as you can. Let the reading inform your tasting, even of the cheapo stuff. After all, it's only by tasting the bottom that you know the top when you try it.

More than anything, try to understand what you like and why you like it, and what makes a a given rum work or fail for you.

[DEF]

A couple of rums that won't break the bank-Barbancourt 5 star-El Dorado 12.

[Hack.The.Pow.]

A couple of rums that won't break the bank-Barbancourt 5 star-El Dorado 12.

Thanks for the suggestions. My local store has the Barbancourt so I'll give that a shot.

Anybody wanna take a look at this list? http://liquorcontrol.vermont.gov/retail/priceguide/rum.html

It is all the rums that are sold in VT and while I have tried looking up a bunch of them on here there are still a few I cant find. Anybody find any of their favorites?

[SeldomSeen]

Not a lot for me to recommend from your Vermont list. None of my favorites for sipping anyway. If your stuck to your list, I'd go with Mt. Gay Extra Old, Pampero Anniversario, and Appleton 12 yr. They're from very different rum producing areas, vastly varying in styles and flavor profiles.

But you'd have better options via mail order if your state allows it. Try Hi-Times Wine, Shoppers Vineyard, Drink Up New York, etc. online. cheers.gif

[Rutherford H Mountbatten]

As a young rum fan myself, I highly recommend the Flor de Cana Grand Reserve. It's my standard for value and the rum I'll usually taste new rums against. While there are better rums out there, it is a fantastic choice and won't break the bank.