Hello from BC

[JMac]

Hello from BC, Canada. I just signed on as a new member and am looking forward to discussing everything rum!

Cheers
John

[KINGSTON]

Let me be the first to say, Welcome!

[RobertBurr]

tell us about the rum in your neck of the woods JMac. What can you find on the shelves that you find interesting? Have you traveled to some islands and discovered something interesting?

[Dood]

Man how this place has grown!

Welcome aboard!!

[JMac]

tell us about the rum in your neck of the woods JMac. What can you find on the shelves that you find interesting? Have you traveled to some islands and discovered something interesting?

Thanks for the welcome everyone. In BC, I hate to say it, rum is not king. Here its mostly wine, micro brewed beer, and whiskey particularly scotch.

All liquor stores in BC are government regulated but if you go to the ones with the 'Signature' designation the selection is pretty good. For example we have:
all the Appletons except the 21 year,
Havana Club Anejo, Blanco, and 7yr,
English Harbour 5 yr
Flor de Cana, 5 and 7. We had the 12 too before it became DC (discontinued)
El Dorado 12 and 15 year.
Rhum Barbancourt 15 year
Ron Matusalem 10 and 15
Pyrat XO
Pampero; now also DC

Currently in the cabinet is Appletons 12 year, Ron Zacapa, Flor de Cana 7yr, and Zaya. For guests I have a couple of bottles of Jamaican 'Captain Morgan'.

I've been to the Caribbean Islands of Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Bahamas, St Lucia, and Barbados. I'm dying to go to Martinique and Guadeloupe because I have a thing for rhum agricole now.

The most interesting bottle of rum I have ever tried was in St Lucia. My wife and I were in this little town and by the roadside was this older woman selling rum. The rum was in clear, unmarked bottles with noticeable fruit and herb particulates floating around inside. I bought a bottle. Well to put it mildly the rum was STRONG and had a Raspberry meets Hot Cinnamon schnapps meets black pepper flavour. It was one of those flavors that you can't decide if you like or hate but take another drink anyway. Well I was down for the count after 4-5 drinks.

I was told later by a distillery employee that the rum is the local white over proof bought at the distillery. The locals then add their own blend of fruits/spices. By tradition the rum is then buried on a full moon and left to age for 1 year before being dug up to drink. I was also told to be careful with it as the ingredients added in the right proportions could hasten or intensify alcohol intoxication.

So now I'm sticking to conventional rum particularly rhum agricole. I would love to get some from Guadeloupe.

[Tiare]

That overproof rum sounds like something else man..would have loved to use that in tiki drinks..:p

Welcome!

[Dood]

The overproof sounds like Strong, which I have a bottle of at home.

My wife and I purchased a similar home-spice while in St. Lucia. Word of warning: Don't leave it in your liquor cabinet with all of the spices still floating in it. You'll need to remove those or drink the rum or the rum will go Jaeger on you.

Of course, as Ed suggested to me, once it turns to Jaeger, you can use it to spice other rums. It's what I do.

[JMac]

I finished the bottle there. While writing this I wish I had brought home a second one. Next time......

[Tiare]

Good idea to use it to spice other rums..

[Don Piero]

Welcome JMac.

[JMac]

Ahhh a fellow Canuck.....thanks...

[Lew Barrett]

Howdy from just south of you in Seattle, and welcome to the warming effects of the rum stream.

[JMac]

thanks...I love rum shopping in Seattle plus the Washington state liquor board is pretty good about special orders.

[Lew Barrett]

It could be worse here that's certain, but I find California to be the best place on the west coast for choice and price. I'm agreed that BC's not the best place for liquor shopping. It is really nice for everything else, though. We're there every summer on out boat. We bring our own rum and everything else takes care of itself.:)

[Hank Koestner]

Welcome to the forum!!