Tough choices....

[Who-is-this-Ron-guy?]

As a rum neophyte, I am hoping for some recommendations. I can obtain two bottle from friends abroad to supplement the meagre selection here in Ontario, Canada. I have some Mount Gay, Appletons, El Dorado Single Barrel, Barbancourt, and a Berry's Caribbean XO (Caroni). I am partial to the Caroni, as well as the El Dorado and Mount Gay.

One bottle will definitely be Seale's 10 year old. The other will be one from the list below. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I find info about rums to be slightly more obscure than info about scotch, which makes blind buying more difficult.

Foursquare Spiced Rum
Smith and Cross Traditional Jamaican Rum
Berry's Own Jamaican 10 yr old
Berry's Own Enmore VSG 16 yr old
Berry's Own Guyana 14 yr old
Berry's Own Barbados 9 yr old
Berry's Own Panama 11 yr old

[Hassouni]

Smith and Cross (and Foursquare) will be way cheaper than the Berry's, as you probably know. I have the Enmore 16 and the JA 10 - both are pretty phenomenal. From the sound of it, the Enmore is a richer tasting, fuller bodied rum than the "Guyana"...despite both being Guyanese! That said, Smith and Cross is a real scorcher in all sense of the word. Needs water to sip, and it's barely aged, although it doesn't really hurt it. Just keep in mind it's meant mostly for high-end cocktails.

[da'rum]

Yes, as much as I love S&C if I was in your position as it stands I'd be picking any two offerings from Berry's.

[Who-is-this-Ron-guy?]

I was eyeing the Enmore and so will likely opt for that. I'm still trying to figure out from where the Berry's Barbados rum is sourced. It has a chance of replacing the Seale's 10 based on a rarity vs. ubiquity calculus (I can always find another Seale's 10 in the US, but I'm less confident of finding another BB&R).

Thanks again for your input.

[Capn Jimbo]

Ronnie, I feel your pain...


...and finding out the truth about any particular rum is extremely difficult. All we are usually given are marketing and label blurbs, most of which have proved to be highly exaggerated or just plain false.

Still, it is fair to say Berry is producing relatively honest rums, but we don't even really know that for sure. My suggestion: I have sometimes had some good luck with email to their listed contacts with the proviso that you ask very specific questions about their source, process, aging, et al, eg:

• 1. Where was your rum sourced - what distillery produced your XXX?
  
  2. Is it a blend; if so could you please tell me the age of the youngest and oldest rums in the blend? What is the average age, by volume, of the blend?
  
  3. By what process was your rum produced: pot still, Coffey or continuos column stills?
  
  4. At what percentage was the distillate barrelled? Are the components aged separately or apart? When does blending occur?
  
  5. Please describe your barrels to your best? Type of oak, size, preparation and previous fills (ie is this a first, second or third fill, or...). Where and how was the rum aged?
  
  6. Does your rum contain any additives such as sugar, glycerol, wine, or added flavorings or spices (whether natural or artificial)?
  
  7. Have you submitted your rum to either Sweden or ALKO for sugar testing, the results?

You will often get a dodging, marketing style answer, and it pays to write back, thank them for their answer/dodge, but be persistent about you specifically want. You all have my permission to cite that you are doing research for and to be posted at "The Rum Project", which is "the largest completely free and independent rum website on the net, with over half a million monthly reads".

Many of them know who we are, and this may get their attention, but the real marketing types will play ignorant or just repeat the usual drivel...

I'm sure our experienced members could easily add a few more questions. JaRiMi has been particularly successful in obtaining information.

[Hassouni]

I can tell you that based on my extensive experience ( ) and comparisons to KNOWN unadulterated rums, the Berry's offerings are equally unadulterated. For lack of a better phrase, they are DRY AS FUCK. I'm 99% confident they are uncolored, as well. Chill-filtered, I have no idea.

Also, I wouldn't call Seale's ubiquitous, it's only sold at TW in the US, and not only is TW not in every state, but in many states in which it operates, they can't sell spirits (nearby Virginia being the example that immediately springs to mind) At $21 or however much, it will ALWAYS have a place on my shelf. Since good Bajan rum is easy to get, I'd opt for one of the more interesting Berry's options, ESPECIALLY the Guyanese, since DDL only bottles sugar bombs.

[Who-is-this-Ron-guy?]

Capn: thanks for info. I just sent a message to BB&R so hopefully an honest response will be forthcoming.

Hassouni: I stand corrected then! I think I meant more of a relative rather than absolute ubiquity - it's relatively more ubiquitous compared to the BB&R bottles, at least from my less-than-extensive experience. Still, I wasn't aware of how limited Seale's actually was. Now that you've flagged the Guyanese rum I am finding that this decision is becoming more difficult by the day. I like the idea of an interesting BB&R bottle but I am also curious about Seale's, given its reputation. Alas.

[Hassouni]

Actually, in the US I've only seen Seale's and BBR at Total Wine, not sure if Canada is any different...

[Dai]

Go for the Berry Brothers. I've just bought two bottles of rum from an independent bottler and if the Berry Brothers is as good which it is reputed to be then go for it. I had a glass of the Guyanese rum last night lovely stuff. You will certainly get a rum that is different than the usual offerings but a quality one at that.

[Who-is-this-Ron-guy?]

I've seen some BB&R in Canada - one in Alberta (Panama) and one here in Ontario (Caribbean XO from Caroni, which is fantastic). I've never seen Seale's for sale in Canada, but I have friends who make frequent enough trips to the US that I can source it.

Dai: thanks for the input. I think I'm sold on the BB&R offerings.

[Who-is-this-Ron-guy?]

Email from BB&R in reference to their 9 yo Barbados Rum:

"It comes from Four Square distillery and was shipped to the UK for maturation in Liverpool. It is a single barrel rum (ex bourbon) and has had no additives. In addition, it is not chill-filtered which leaves more of the natural oils intact and gives a rounder flavour."

[Capn Jimbo]

Ronnie, nice post, good to know, thanks...

[Hassouni]

Hm, 9 year old Foursquare for multiple times the price of 10 year old Foursquare...I'll stick with the Seale's branded!

[Rum-pelstiltskin]

Hm, 9 year old Foursquare for multiple times the price of 10 year old Foursquare...I'll stick with the Seale's branded!

This along with deals in the US to stock his rums is how Seale keeps the prices of his own products reasonable.

He sells a lot of bulk rum. Which keeps his distillery in operation. As much as he speaks about additives in rum he is still reliant on the companies who do this to keep his operation profitable and to ensure a readily available stock of casks.

[Capn Jimbo]

To be clear...


Yes he sells to others (eg Tommy Bahama). But he absolutely insists on bottling every single release as he is insistent that if he makes it, he will bottle it, and it will be pure, period. I know Richard very well, and he is completely dedicated to ecologically sound, well made, pure and unadultered rum.

Please - no one should confuse Richard with the bulk sales of the Virgin Islands or El Dorado - who have no problem in selling altererd bulk shit.