Review: "Guavaberry Rum"

Are these real rums? Is a chocolate flavored Bistec de Palomilla a steak? Maybe. Some are of lower proof. Some use real flavoring. And as for some, may we never drink worse than this!
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Capn Jimbo
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Review: "Guavaberry Rum"

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Guavaberry Rum: a good honest rum...

This is not a review, but rather an example of honesty. Today was the proverbial day from hell inasmuch as my work day - consisting of providing hospice nursing services - was not going well. A late start, steady rain, crazy drivers and hard-to-schedule patients. I was several hours behind and was finishing up a call when the patient's family offered me a drink.

"No, I can't" I replied, "it's really not a good idea during working hours." But as I admired and complimented their spirits cabinet I spotted a pint of a rum loudly labeled "Guavaberry Rum".

That's it!

The entire label. Just "GUAVABERRY RUM". Huge letters! To find the company I had to look on the small back label. Now here was a company who understood the product was the whole thing, and overshadowed the company, the island and the marketing, all appearing in small print on the back label. The rum was made on St. Martin and was no doubt intended for the tourist trade. At first I thought this a bit crude - maybe attractive to a low budget student traveller, but then I thought, nope...

This is honesty!

Guavaberry rum, period. Compare to some of the very high priced "premium rum" distillers who don't say a word about what's really in the bottle in addition to good pure rum. Think Zaya or Zacapa 23. And sadly, so many others, all of which include unlabeled additives, flavorings and adulterants.

Dishonest and frankly, unnecessary.

Such unadmitted adulteration is what truly keeps rum from being the noble spirit it could really be. This is not to say that there are not some very fine, true pure rums. Think Doorly's or Seale's 10 for example (there are others). But these honest few are forced to compete with the devious many. And we all suffer for it.

Here's to "Guavaberry Rum", which by the way was terrific...
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