A Rum Diary

I fell in love with rum when I visited Puerto Rico and blended my own rum at the Destileria Serrallés, which is, alas, not open to the public (yes it’s way cool!). The Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva Rum uses a blended 15 year recipe, which only means it’s really a blending of a bunch of different aged rums. That can work, and that cannot work, depending on the master blender and the final product. Matusalem makes a point of saying their rum was produced in Cuba originally, and who cares as it’s now made in the Dominican Republic. (Bacardi too was first made in Cuba, but now it’s Puerto Rico. And?). The point is this: should you spend your money on it? The nose is all caramel, toasted wood, maple and molasses and this is pretty smooth, with a slight burn, and you will get similar flavors in the mouth as what you smell. But I’ve had better, smoother, more complex rums for a similar price. It’s your money, you worked hard for it, so spend as you will. This is a good sipping rum, solid and dependable, but it’s not going to knock your dreadlocks off.

$30/750, Alc. 40%

BOOZEHOUNDZ RATING:  85 POINTS