Newbie rum question

[djmont]

For years my knowledge of rum was limited to Bacardi -- there was Silver, there was Gold, and that was rum. Eventually I started buying the odd bottle of Gosling's Dark to mix in Dark 'n Stormys.

Recently, though, I've embarked on a campaign to improve my knowledge of spirits and cocktails. I've been doing some research on various rums and bought a few new bottles that were on sale at the local liquor store.

I now have:

Appleton Estate VX
Rhum Barbancourt 8 year
Mount Gay Extra Old

My question is: where do these fall on the Light/Gold/Dark spectrum? (I mostly use rum to mix in cocktails -- I haven't started drinking it straight yet.) Also, would the Barbancourt and Mount Gay both be classified as "añejo" rum?

Thanks for your help!

[Rutherford H Mountbatten]

Those are all quality gold/aged rums -- that is, they get their color from spending time in a barrel, whereas a dark rum like Gosling's Black Seal or Cruzan Blackstrap have added molasses for a different flavor and color. "Añejo" is technically appropriate for rums from Spanish-speaking countries, while the rums you listed are from English or French-speaking countries.

[Ellis34]

Those are all quality gold/aged rums -- that is, they get their color from spending time in a barrel, whereas a dark rum like Gosling's Black Seal or Cruzan Blackstrap have added molasses for a different flavor and color. "Añejo" is technically appropriate for rums from Spanish-speaking countries, while the rums you listed are from English or French-speaking countries.

I agree with that, and by the way, you have chosen a good group to start your exploration with. Most people start with Captain Morgan, or Sailor Jerry. You, my friend, started in better company.

[djmont]

Thanks guys! That's very helpful. I also have giant bottles of Bacardi Silver and Gold. :)

I need to get some good silver rum now.

If you're mixing a drink with, for example, both silver and gold rum, is it generally advisable to stay within the same brand? Or is there no reason to do so?

[Edward Hamilton]

I like to mix different brands of rum to expand the depth of the cocktail. Most rum companies make one style of rum, light, heavy or something in between, blending rum from different distillers gives more variety in the drink. But, and there's always some other consideration, mixing a heavy rum with a light rum can easily overpower the lighter rum.

[Rutherford H Mountbatten]

Flor de Caña makes a white rum at roughly the same price as Bacardi, but with about 4 time longer in the barrel prior to filtering/bottling. It's probably going to be better than other white rums you can find for twice the price. El Dorado 3 may be another good choice if you can find it.

[djmont]

Which of these would you recommend:

El Dorado 3yr White
Mount Gay Silver Eclipse
Flor de Caña 4yr Blanco
Appleton White

Thanks!

[Rutherford H Mountbatten]

You won't go wrong with the FDC 4 Blanco (or any other FDC products)