I've been a regular whisky drinker for about 15 years now. A couple of months ago I decided to try something different. I've always quite liked rum but felt that it was inferior to whisky. However, I have read on a number of websites that there are certain golden rums that have complex, refined flavours that can match whisky in quality.
So, I've been buying bottles of rum and have been pleasantly surprised...and in some cases very impressed.
If you have experience of drinking rum, I would be interested in your opinions.
Perhaps a top 5 (with reasons) - hence me posting this as a poll thread.
Out of the rums I have tried so far, these are my top 5:
1. Appleton golden rum - Special (about £15 a bottle, light in colour and flavour. Less sweet than many other rums. Possibly the most whisky-like rum I have tasted)
2. Mount Gay - Eclipse (about £18 a bottle, very subtle flavour initially but has a distinctive banana under-taste, also a hint of peach)
3. Appleton - VX (about £18 a bottle, darker than the special, full bodied and robust, full chocolatey, caramel, molasses flavour)
4, Cockspur (about £14 a bottle, a little like Appleton Special but a slightly thinner flavour and less refined. Lower alcohol content 37% volume but very nice all the same)
5. Sainsbury's 8 year old golden rum (about £16 a bottle, blended from a number of rums from Trinidad and Tobago. Lovely oily consistency, subtle but very pleasant flavour).
I prefer to drink these rums with ice only. So it would be great if you restricted your top 5 to rums suitable for sipping rather than mixing.