Review: Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum

The second standard reference style: aromatic, robust and full flavored - it's absolutely dunderful. To our ships at sea! May they sink very slowly!
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How do you rate Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum (five is best)?

5
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100%
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Total votes: 1

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Capn Jimbo
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Review: Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum: Simply stunning - the history of rum in a glass...


After a point in reviewing lots and lots of rums you get to the point where (a) there's not much left to review and/or (b) you recognize that there are damn few really great rums and to review - to taste yet another marketing altered concoction is simply not worth the time, effort or money.

Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum is an exception.

Oddly enough I've long been aware of this rum, and even had a special connection to the Fred L. Myers company. My dear and beloved Grandfather, though not a drinker at all, had a classic old bottle of Myers's Dark Rum on his shelf for visitors. In part this was due to his Caribbean and South American business interests, but that's another story.

So naturally one of my first purchases was of this classic mixer that reminded me of my dear Grandpa. But it's fair to ask "That being so, just why have you never purchased the Legend?". A fair question.

Like many of you I saw Myers's Dark as the quintessential dark rum mixer, against which all dark mixers need be compared, and without which no bar can exist. A superb mixer, but just too edgy to be considered a sipper.

I couldn't believe the Legend could be all that much better, not to mention it's $40 price was a good ten dollars more than my "...great rums don't have to be expensive" philosophy would bear. Finally though, my long affiliation with Myers's, and just plain old curiosity prevailed...

The reviews...
Sue Sea: I suspected something was up when Jim brought a rum home, since new rums have become hard to find. And I really knew it when he made sure to leave it in its paper bag wrapper. He insisted this had to be a completely blind tasting and refused to discuss the rum at all. I actually like this, as I don't want to be influenced by the marketing presentation.

Although a rum sometimes doesn't keep its promise, it has gotten to the point that a great one makes its presence known immediately. What turned out to be Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum was one of the latter. The deep color - mahogany with a hint of auburn - was immediately intriguing as most rums fall into the ambers. The inviting dunderlike aroma was equally moving - a combination of a mocha coffee dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and molasses, followed by a bit of raisin, prune, and mincemeat/pecan pie. And yes, just a whiff of root beer.

Normally I like to describe the early, middle and late palate but to its great credit the Myers's Legend (as finally revealed by Jim) was entirely consistent throughout the palate, including the warm finish and aftertaste. Tasting the Myers's Legend proceeds like a dark bitter-sweet chocolate melting in your mouth. It is completely balanced, harmonious, consistent and complex. It is exceptionally smooth.

For me this rum is a classic Jamaican style rum, perhaps the best. It is beyond a "10" for me and represents what a real rum is, and the reason why I love rum. It is pure, classic and simply wonderful. What we found especially enlightening was to compare the Legend with its Grandfather - the Original Myers's Dark Rum, which presents as lighter, younger and more edgy.

Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum is a example of what ideal aging can achieve in 10 years. It is a rum lover's rum, wonderful anytime and especially after a meal. This rum has a savory umami, zenlike quality that I have experienced with only a handful of rums: this one, Wray & Nephews Overproof and Pappy Van Winkle's 20 year. I actually found myself getting lost in it. Amazing!
Me: Sue Sea got so carried away by the Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum that she forgot to review the bottle (normally an important part of her experience). The bottle is a very squat dark glass, with sharp shoulders and a thin tall neck wrapped with fine cordage, and topped by a smashing wide wooden-topped cork. The label is a simple traditional label featuring an old typeface with "Rich.. Rare... Jamaican Rum" highlighted in a deep blood red. Stunning.

The rum presents as a clear mahogany with a slightly reddish tinge, with thick legs and a thin but distinct green edge of honest age.

Myers's Legend nose presents wonderfully with a rare balance between rich and deeply sweet with molasses bitter, and dunder complexity. Deep leather, molasses, dark spices and semi sweet chocolate. See Sue Sea for the rest, which is assuredly there. The aroma is actually... warm!

As so well stated by Sue Sea the development simply continues the wonderful initial impressions and leads to a warming - not hot - clove and black pepper finish and leaves a long and lasting deep rich glow. Another word picture from Sue Sea "...it's like a surfer riding a long, smooth swell that deposits you safely on a tropical beach".

Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum has no equal and stand alone as a premier example of Jamaican style authenticity. If you don't understand what pot-stilling in the hands of masters has to offer, this rum is it. Compare to the many highly distilled column rums whose flavors are thin, muted or created by unlabeled additives - it's no contest.

Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum is the real deal. A real rum in the classic tradition, using the classic double-distilled pot still method, and achieving near perfection in result: balanced, consistent and harmonious, complex, smooth and with a memorable warm finish. To assemble all these many elements in such perfect balance is rare and much, much appreciated.

Score (ten is best): Sue Sea - 12, Me - 9 tottering on 10.



Note:
Myers's Legend Jamaican Rum is a 100% pot-stilled rum both of the Jamaican style and also made in Jamaican. The bottle hanger bills this rum as "made in the style of navy rums of the Central Caribbean". This is fair, it is. The hanger claims "harkens back to... the days of old". It does.

Unlike the many bullshit rums that use terms like "legendary" or "stuff of legends" loosely, Myers's Legend honest is a real legend. Using traditional means and materials, it exhibits a balance of otherwise different elements into a harmonious whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Myers's Legend borders on a concept rather than a taste.

It is the umami of spirits and is truly a history of rum in a glass. One final note: I am particularly enamored of the added molasses element which provides the punctuation of a product based on it.

My congratulations to Fred L. Myers. A must buy, along with Myers's Original Dark Rum
Hassouni
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Post by Hassouni »

Jimbo,

I got a bottle of this at your recommendation and it's certainly something else. Just wondering if you stand by your ultra-high rating given the recent talk of altered rums and additives, etc.
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Nobody can be sure of anything, but...


Myers's is quite literally an old, venerable and dependable legend, if you'll pardon the pun. Until or unless we buy another bottle someday (don't hold yer breath) and find different, but I rather doubt the Legend will be affected due to its very limited availability and production (ie there would be little to be gained).
da'rum
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Post by da'rum »

Diageo..unfortunately (for me).
in goes your eye out
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