Rum Runner Labs

Plantation Jamaican Rum Xaymaca Special Dry

Plantation Jamaican Rum Xaymaca Special Dry

by | May 24, 2024 | Jamaica, Molasses, Reviews

Plantation Jamaican Rum Xaymaca Special Dry

7.2/10

7.3/10

Neat Rating

7.7/10

Mixer Rating

Good

Value at $34.99

This blend of 100% pot still rum from Long Pond and Clarendon distilleries in Jamaica is bottled at 43% ABV, is aged for a minimum of two years, spending at least one year aging both tropically and continentally. The bottle and corresponding page on Plantation’s site are a rum nerds dream: along with all the information you’d expect from a reasonably transparent brand, we get fermentation time (1 – 3 weeks), the break down of not only volatile substances (312 g/hLAA) but also the portion of esters (156 g/hLAA) and coloring (E150a, between 0% and 0.1% by volume).

In the lab we measured a density of 0.942g/cc, agreeing with their declaration of no added sugar. Though interestingly they choose to say “Dosage : 0 g/L”. This seems to say “There’s no added sugar, but not because that’s like,,, bad or anything.” which is simultaneously a fair, and a little funny.

On the nose the first things you notice are smoke and solvent. Nosing deeper there might be a little overripe pineapple, and then some tobacco. On the palate is remains fairly aggressive: not really funk per se, but peat, brine, something medicinal. A little caramel and banana. The finish is moderate, especially considering it’s low proof; finally there’s some oak, followed by a little ginger.

While we were a bit perplexed by it, it didn’t do half bad in our blind taste test: we thought it was pretty good neat (7.3/10) and as a mixer (7.7/10). While it’s not particularly funky in a high-ester sort of way, I wouldn’t really recommend it as an introduction to Jamaica; it’s very interesting but it’s idiosyncratic, and can be hard to approach on it’s own terms.

Minimum Age

2 years

ABV

43%

Volume

750mL

Refractometer

15.5

Price Acquired

$34.99
Neat Rating: 7.3
Mixer Rating:7.7
Presentation Rating:8.0
Personal Rating:7.0

Overall Rating:

7.2/10
Rating Notes:
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Myers’s Original Dark Rum

Myers’s Original Dark Rum

by | May 17, 2024 | Jamaica, Molasses, Reviews

Myers’s Original Dark Rum

6.6/10

6.7/10

Neat Rating

8.6/10

Mixer Rating

Great

Value at $25.99

Myers’s Original Dark Rum is a blend of pot and column still distillates from Long Pond and Clarendon in Jamaica, bottled by Fred L. Myers’s & Son at 40% ABV. It’s difficult to nail down it’s age as it’s a blend of multiple marques (RumRatings claims 9), but while some of it’s definitely aged (RumX claims 4 years) and some of it may be unaged. Myers’s was purchased by Sazerac in 2018, but the publicly visible face of the brand has remained unchanged.

In the lab we measured a density of 0.949g/cc, suggesting less than 5g/cc of dosage if any. In the glass it’s quite dark; even if everything in the bottle spent 4 years in a cask, the hue would still seem to suggest some added coloring.

The nose is pretty robust for 40% ABV; while not incredibly complex, there’s molasses, some banana, and a hint of baking spice, along with some harsher alcoholic notes. On the palate there some chocolate, something baked (pie crust, or graham crackers maybe?) and bit of an industrial rubber note. The finish is light and quick, sticking to a sweetness that leans back into molasses.

In our blind taste test it was just okay as a sipper (6.7/10), but surprised us with great tasting daiquiri (8.6/10) even though a daiquiri may not be the drink this rum is most at home in. Generally when a product is identifiable to the point of iconography, it’s either because the quality is high enough to have fostered a fan base, or because it’s been industrially optimized to the point of ubiquity. While it’s hard not to imagine the latter is true of Myers’s, it was surprisingly serviceable, and actually pretty good when mixed well. It might not have a fan base, but with pretty universal availability, a reasonably flavorful Jamaican profile that plays well in a drink, and price tag that should fit into even a strict budget, I would keep it on the bar instead of Coruba.

Minimum Age

0 years

ABV

40%

Volume

750mL

Refractometer

15

Price Acquired

$25.99
Neat Rating: 6.7
Mixer Rating:8.6
Presentation Rating:3.0
Personal Rating:7.0

Overall Rating:

6.6/10
Rating Notes:
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Smuggler’s Reserve Jamaica

Smuggler’s Reserve Jamaica

by | May 10, 2024 | Jamaica, Molasses, Reviews

Smuggler’s Reserve Jamaica

6.7/10

7.0/10

Neat Rating

8.1/10

Mixer Rating

Good

Value at $26.99

This Jamaican rum from Infinity Spirits is a blend of aged pot of column rums from multiple Jamaican distilleries: Worthy Park, Monymusk, Hampden, New Yarmouth. It has a minimum age statement of 3 years, and is bottled at 40% ABV—though you may have a hard time finding that information on the bottle, because it comes wrapped up in a crinkled faux newspaper attempting to invoke the glory of prohibition-era rum runners. Visually it’s a little kitschy for my taste, but someone clearly put in some effort, and hey, at least it’s not pirates. Underneath the crumpled trade dress there’s a more standard label wrapped around an otherwise quality feeling bottle with all the same information. Besides it’s entry on the official Infinity Spirits site, I wasn’t able to find much information about this bottle online; it doesn’t help that the word “Smuggler” is used by multiple other (ostensibly more popular) rum brands, but as of writing it has no reviews on Rum Ratings or RumX.

In the lab we measured a density of 0.953g/cc, which suggests some dosage: about 13g/L (interestingly, almost exactly the same amount of dosage in Cane Island Jamaican Rum, also bottled by Infinity Spirits). Unfortunately this added sugar is not mentioned anywhere on the bottle.

On the nose the Jamaican pot still is evident; pineapple and overripe banana show up first with some more abrasive solvent and a subtler oak note. On the palate the main addition is butterscotch, and the added sugar muddles some of what complexity was once there. In our blind taste test on two separate occasions we described the palate as “saccharine”. If you really dig in you might pick up hints of strawberry (probably the most interesting note from this expression), a little coconut, baking spice, and manure (gross). As you might expect, the finish is light and short, even for it’s low proof; it indexes on honey and fruit with a mild touch of baking spice.

In our blind tasting we thought it was decent as a neat sipper (7.0/10), and pretty good in a daiquiri (7.8/10). There’s nothing particularly remarkable about this rum, but it does deliver an overall pleasant combination of several Jamaican distilleries, and may be an approachable entry point into the classic Jamaican profile, especially for drinkers who prefer their tipple sweetened.

Minimum Age

3 years

ABV

40%

Volume

750mL

Refractometer

16

Price Acquired

$26.99
Neat Rating: 7.0
Mixer Rating:8.1
Presentation Rating:7.0
Personal Rating:6.5

Overall Rating:

6.7/10
Rating Notes:
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Worthy Park 109

Worthy Park 109

by | May 3, 2024 | Jamaica, Molasses, Reviews

Worthy Park 109

7.9/10

7.8/10

Neat Rating

8.1/10

Mixer Rating

Incredible

Value at $27.99

Worthy Park 109 is a high proof pot still rum from Worthy Park Estate in Jamaica. The back of the bottle reads “Using only our own molasses with fermentation times up to 3 weeks and distilled in our 100% copper double retort pot-still. This blend is composed of a combination of various marks of both our un-aged and aged rums.” Worthy Park’s single estate operation truly makes it unique in the world of Jamaican distillers. Bottled at 54.5% ABV, the minimal dilution the unique character of Worthy Park really shines through. While the presence of un-aged rums means the minimum age statement is technically zero, it clearly uses younger distillate as an accent to its overall lightly aged profile.

In the lab we measured a density of 0.921g/cc, indicating no added sugar. It doesn’t carry the text “no additives are used in blending of this rum” that’s found on Rum-Bar gold, and from a brief glance it’s pretty obvious there’s some added color. While the phrase “black rum” doesn’t appear on the bottle, it’s clear the 109 is gunning for the spot on on bar normally reserved for Coruba or Myer’s.

On the nose there’s a lot of depth: chocolate, cola, banana, toasted sugar, and oak, along with a parade of support fruits in the background. On the palate the oak and banana carry over, joined by a little orange, some bubble gum. There’s some spiciness, indexing on allspice and vanilla. The finish moderate length and very satisfying, calling back to the chocolate on the nose, and spices on the palate.

In our blind taste test we thought it was pretty good as a neat sipper (7.8/10) and great as a mixer (8.1/10). Overall this a great rum with tons of complexity and flavor; it’s a great demonstration of Jamaican rum as a whole, and of Worthy Park as a distillery. It’s high proof may make it an aggressive sipping experience for someone new to rum, but flavor density makes it incredible to have in your arsenal for mixing. There’s something about this rum that is so damn charming; beyond it’s incontrovertible utility, it has a personality.

Minimum Age

0 years

ABV

54.5%

Volume

750mL

Refractometer

18.1

Price Acquired

$27.99
Neat Rating: 7.8
Mixer Rating:8.1
Presentation Rating:7.0
Personal Rating:8.0

Overall Rating:

7.9/10
Rating Notes:
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