xkcd

by **lewismd** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:44 pm UTC

New Amsterdam is not very juniper-y at all. I love it in an Aviation and keep a bottle on hand for that reason. But it makes a mediocre gin and tonic. Beefeater is a bit more expensive but is great for that classic london dry taste. Personally, I generally have New Amsterdam, Sapphire, and Hendricks on hand. I use each for different cocktails, and they're all good in their way.

by **Telchar** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:39 pm UTC

I like New Amsterdam but I can see how some people classify it as medicinal.

@Az: Rum selection in Montana is relatively limited unless I want to special order and this was something of an impulse purchase.

by **Mr. Mack** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:59 pm UTC

For value I actually recommend Gordon's Gin. I can usually find it for less than $10 and it's better than anything else that cheap, but I wouldn't recommend it for a martini or anything else where gin is the main ingredient.
The flavor is generally good but the texture may bother people sensitive to alcohol burn.

I've been referring to Broker's Gin as the best gin in the world for a while now. Some other people agree with me, but it's harder to find and a little more pricey. Not bank breaking, but usually pretty close to $20.
It's smooth enough to drink straight (even at 47% ABV), has a very strong flavor, and is so well balanced that it can only be described as "tasting like gin."
For a while it was $15 until important people started agreeing with me about the quality.

For anyone in the American Southeast or Wyoming, Southern Gin is a good beginner's gin. It's usually not too expensive and pretty smooth. The flavor is a little unbalanced and favors a citrus taste, which I don't consider a problem but may be disappointing to others who want juniper to dominate or perfect balance.

I'm also going to second the recommendations for Tanqueray and New Amsterdam. They're both quite good, but Tanqueray is slightly less smooth than Broker's despite being about the same price. New Amsterdam is a little on the subtle side and as a result may be covered up in certain drinks, but the smoothness means it may be a great value depending on what you spend. I've seen it go for between 11 and 15 dollars.

Also, avoid Maxim's de Paris and Pinnacle. Maxim's burns worse than your mom forgetting your birthday and Pinnacle tastes like vodka. I suppose that's not a terrible thing if you like vodka, but in that case you should probably just buy vodka.

by **Роберт** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:26 pm UTC

Sheikh al-Majaneen wrote:Bombay Sapphire was great, though I was mildly disappointed when the gin itself wasn't blue. Until I drank some, of course.

To be honest, I like regular Bombay gin better than the weird Sapphire stuff.

Tanq is also good, better than New Amsterdam IMHO. Probably better than Bombay.

by **Belial** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:50 pm UTC

Sheikh al-Majaneen wrote:Bombay Sapphire was great, though I was mildly disappointed when the gin itself wasn't blue. Until I drank some, of course.

I've mentioned this before, but Magellan gin is actually blue.

by **Bakemaster** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 2:42 pm UTC

The only time I've purchased a bottle of New Amsterdam, I hated it with a passion. I would definitely choose Gordon's over New Amsterdam. If it's within your budget, my recommendation would be Beefeater. I've noticed that its price seems pretty variable, so shop around a bit and you should be able to find a good deal. Hendrick's is a little more expensive and definitely not what I would call an "all-purpose" gin, but it's really, really great nonetheless. Bevmo is selling Boodles right now for under $20/fifth, so that could be a good option as well.

by **Роберт** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:29 pm UTC

Bakemaster wrote:The only time I've purchased a bottle of New Amsterdam, I hated it with a passion. I would definitely choose Gordon's over New Amsterdam. If it's within your budget, my recommendation would be Beefeater. I've noticed that its price seems pretty variable, so shop around a bit and you should be able to find a good deal. Hendrick's is a little more expensive and definitely not what I would call an "all-purpose" gin, but it's really, really great nonetheless. Bevmo is selling Boodles right now for under $20/fifth, so that could be a good option as well.

I've had Beefeater and Boodles, they were both okay....
Let me see if I can do this in order of the gins I remember.

Tanq > Bombay > Beefeater > Bombay Sapphire > Boodles > New Amsterdam > Seagrims

I should try Hendricks sometime.

by **SurgicalSteel** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:07 am UTC

So, The Kraken. I'd seen the bottle for years in my hometown's super liquors and always kind of thought it was some stupid gimmicky thing. You know, "hey we make rum, let's market it all sea monstery and make it look cool to make up for the fact that it tastes like shit!" You know, the Skye vodka of the rum world. One day I'm looking in that store for my favorite rum (Diplomatico Anejo) which for some reason I can only find in one particular liquor store in Rochester, NY, so I'm really only looking here out of vain hope. I see The Kraken and think Eh, $20 for a 750 is a little high, but I'll give it a shot. Otherwise I won't have any rum at all!.

It is well worth $20 for a 750. It's pretty high alcohol for a rum (I compared to some Malibu my cousin was serving at a party that night; Malibu: 22 proof; Kraken: 91 proof) so it has a bit of harsh ending, but if you can handle it (or even cut it with a little water) it's great. Strong flavors of chocolate and spices, and a thick mouthfeel. It's also black as tar, which I guess is why it's a black spiced rum. The cool shape of the bottle and design of the label are just icing on a fantastic cake. This goes in the sipping rum section of my bar, far from the mixers. I just hope I can get this when I move out of state.

by **Dark567** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:16 am UTC

SurgicalSteel wrote: (I compared to some Malibu my cousin was serving at a party that night; Malibu: 22 proof; Kraken: 91 proof)

So I haven't tried Kraken, but I think I might have to now. I have also never had Malibu, yet I was given a bottle on my 21st birthday. I still own this bottle and I am just shy of 25. I have yet to figure out what to do with it.

by **poxic** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:19 am UTC

Make piña coladas with it, as far as I can tell. (The Malibu, not the Kraken.)

by **SurgicalSteel** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:24 am UTC

What kind of Malibu is it? The Malibu my cousin was serving was Mango. If you like fruity mixed drinks she made something that I think was just 1 part malibu mango and 1 part some-flavor-or-other of Fuze soda. It was pretty tasty. If you want something less fruity you could mix it with Coke. I learned recently that I love rum and cokes. Though that probably wouldn't be good if it wasn't a darker rum. Of course you could always just try drinking it neat.

This might also be helpful.

by **Bakemaster** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:12 am UTC

SurgicalSteel wrote:It's pretty high alcohol for a rum (I compared to some Malibu my cousin was serving at a party that night; Malibu: 22 proof; Kraken: 91 proof)

You do realize that rum is hard liquor, right? 22 proof is incredibly low alcohol for a rum; 80-90 is standard. Not the other way around. The rum you name as being your favorite is 80 proof.

I shudder to think what sort of candy-flavored shit that Malibu was. EDIT: I think you are mistaken and it was 22% ABV, not 22 proof...

by **SurgicalSteel** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:35 am UTC

Yea, you're probably right about the Malibu alcohol content. All I remembered was a 22 and thinking Wow that's low. I knew the Malibu was low, but I didn't realize the Kraken and Diplomatico were average. I was mostly going off a review of Kraken that said it had a (paraphrasing) "higher alcohol content then were used to in rums."

by **rrwoods** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 1:05 pm UTC

Kraken + Drambuie is a surprisingly good combination. Add a little coke (preferably real-sugar Coke) if you want to cut the bite a little.

by **AvatarIII** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 1:56 pm UTC

SurgicalSteel wrote:What kind of Malibu is it? The Malibu my cousin was serving was Mango. If you like fruity mixed drinks she made something that I think was just 1 part malibu mango and 1 part some-flavor-or-other of Fuze soda. It was pretty tasty. If you want something less fruity you could mix it with Coke. I learned recently that I love rum and cokes. Though that probably wouldn't be good if it wasn't a darker rum. Of course you could always just try drinking it neat.

This might also be helpful.

Malibu comes in flavours other than coconut? this is news to me. not that i drink it, it's vile, i only drink Morgans Spiced when it comes to Rum,

by **Роберт** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 2:30 pm UTC

AvatarIII wrote:Malibu comes in flavours other than coconut? this is news to me. not that i drink it, it's vile, i only drink Morgans Spiced when it comes to Rum,

You're definitely missing out.

by **AvatarIII** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:00 pm UTC

Роберт wrote:
AvatarIII wrote:Malibu comes in flavours other than coconut? this is news to me. not that i drink it, it's vile, i only drink Morgans Spiced when it comes to Rum,

You're definitely missing out.

to be honest, there's not a lot of variety available that i know of, and i wouldn't know where to start in trying other types, so i found one rum i liked, that is readily available, and not too expensive, and stuck with it

i have emailed the UK suppliers of Kraken to see if it's available anywhere near me, out of curiosity though,

by **Bakemaster** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:16 pm UTC

You could also look for Sailor Jerry, a spiced rum which is (in my opinion) superior to Captain in taste, if not in naval rank. I don't know if it would be easy or difficult to get in the UK.

by **Dark567** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:19 pm UTC

Bakemaster wrote:You could also look for Sailor Jerry, a spiced rum which is (in my opinion) superior to Captain in taste, if not in naval rank. I don't know if it would be easy or difficult to get in the UK.

I really don't like that stuff.... I would take Captain any day over it. But then again, I don't really like spiced rum and nearly always prefer white.

by **AvatarIII** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:21 pm UTC

Dark567 wrote:
Bakemaster wrote:You could also look for Sailor Jerry, a spiced rum which is (in my opinion) superior to Captain in taste, if not in naval rank. I don't know if it would be easy or difficult to get in the UK.
I really don't like that stuff.... I would take Captain any day over it. But then again, I don't really like spiced rum and nearly always prefer white.

well i prefer spiced rum over anything else, and like white rume least, and regular unspiced dark rum i could take or leave, so i guess that would explain it. white rum i consider only slightly nicer than vodka which i despise.

by **bigglesworth** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:40 pm UTC

Is Captain Morgan really the same as Morgan's Spiced?

by **Bakemaster** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:06 pm UTC

http://www.morgansspiced.co.uk/Gateway/ wrote:The MORGAN'S SPICED words and associated logos are trade marks. © Captain Morgan's Rum Co. 2010.

So, maybe? Could just be the same spirit with different marketing.

by **AvatarIII** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:02 am UTC

Bakemaster wrote:
http://www.morgansspiced.co.uk/Gateway/ wrote:The MORGAN'S SPICED words and associated logos are trade marks. © Captain Morgan's Rum Co. 2010.

So, maybe? Could just be the same spirit with different marketing.

pretty sure Captain Morgan is a plain dark rum, Morgan's Spiced is a spiced rum. they are probably made in the same way though,

by **distractedSofty** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:33 am UTC

AvatarIII wrote:pretty sure Captain Morgan is a plain dark rum, Morgan's Spiced is a spiced rum. they are probably made in the same way though,

According to the website, there are two Captain Morgan's available in "Great Britain": "Captain Morgan Dark Rum", and "Captain Morgan's Spiced". Outside of Great Britain, the first is sometimes called "Captain Morgan Jamaica Rum", while the second is usually called "Captain Morgan's Original Spiced".

In the US, it is my experience that "Captain Morgan", or simply "Captain" always refers to "Original Spiced". (The same was true in Australia, but Diageo has a much more popular rum in Bundaberg, so they don't push it very much.)

by **bigglesworth** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:31 am UTC

That is way too confusing. Damn you marketing juggernauts!

by **AvatarIII** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:33 am UTC

distractedSofty wrote:
AvatarIII wrote:pretty sure Captain Morgan is a plain dark rum, Morgan's Spiced is a spiced rum. they are probably made in the same way though,

According to the website, there are two Captain Morgan's available in "Great Britain": "Captain Morgan Dark Rum", and "Captain Morgan's Spiced". Outside of Great Britain, the first is sometimes called "Captain Morgan Jamaica Rum", while the second is usually called "Captain Morgan's Original Spiced".

In the US, it is my experience that "Captain Morgan", or simply "Captain" always refers to "Original Spiced". (The same was true in Australia, but Diageo has a much more popular rum in Bundaberg, so they don't push it very much.)

this is what the bottle look like in the UK

they aren't even the same colour so they must be pretty different.

by **bigglesworth** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:34 am UTC

That could just be extra caramel in one

by **AvatarIII** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:22 am UTC

bigglesworth wrote:That could just be extra caramel in one

i really don't know enough about rum to know, like i said, i found one i liked and stuck with it

on another note, i found a few places i can buy Kraken online for about £27 (70cl incl. postage) i also found a place that does Kraken 47% for about £35 (75cl incl. postage),

by **Dream** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:09 pm UTC

bigglesworth wrote:That could just be extra caramel in one

The label reads "matured and bottled in the UK". It's probably not really Jamaica, Guiana and Barbados rum to begin with, not if you count the maturing. I doubt they blend it so finely that they don't use caramel. In fact, I'd hazard a guess that all of the colour is caramel, and it comes out of the casks nearly colourless.

by **distractedSofty** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 4:45 pm UTC

AvatarIII wrote:this is what the bottle look like in the UK

snip...

they aren't even the same colour so they must be pretty different.

I didn't mean to imply that they weren't, but the question was originally "are Morgan's Spiced and Captain Morgan really the same thing?". I was pointing out that if you mean "Do the terms Morgan's Spiced and Captain Morgan refer to the same thing?" then the answer can be yes, because bare 'Captain Morgan' means the spiced rum in the US. (Or the 100 proof or private stock versions of the spiced rum)

by **Bakemaster** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:26 pm UTC

Yeah... basically what ze said above. "Captain Morgan" is the name of the brand; while it is not the name of any particular spirit, in the US it is used as a shorthand way of referring to the brand's flagship spirit. In the US, that flagship spirit is Captain Morgan's Original Spiced Rum. And it's that spirit that I assumed biggles was referring to in comparison with Morgan's Spiced, not being aware that your market also contained a rum under the Captain Morgan brand which appears to be named "Original Rum" (if you look at the very image you posted).

by **Dream** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:32 pm UTC

Is "Original Rum" spiced, though?

by **Bakemaster** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:40 pm UTC

I would assume not. The website describes it as a dark rum.

Re: Morgan's Spiced, the website says, "Worldwide the same liquid takes the name Captain Morgan ® Original Spiced." Which is what we refer to as "Captain" or "Captain Morgan" here in the US.

So I guess the most complete answer to biggles' question might be: Captain Morgan is a brand, not a spirit; Captain Morgan's Original Rum (UK) is not the same as Morgan's Spiced Rum (UK); Captain Morgan's Original Spiced Rum (US) is the same as Morgan's Spiced Rum (UK).

by **Azrael** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:56 pm UTC

Man, this got complicated:

UK: 2 products, only 1 spiced
US: 1 product, always spiced

Therefore, in the US, the company name and the spiced product are synonymous.

ALSO: Morgan's makes shitty rum and don't deserve all this time and attention, nomenclature confusion aside.

by **Роберт** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 8:54 pm UTC

Azrael wrote:ALSO: Morgan's makes shitty rum and don't deserve all this time and attention, nomenclature confusion aside.

It's not terrible, but it's certainly not great. The tattoo stuff they made was okay, too, probably better, depending on my mood.

by **Dark567** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 8:57 pm UTC

Роберт wrote:
Azrael wrote:ALSO: Morgan's makes shitty rum and don't deserve all this time and attention, nomenclature confusion aside.

It's not terrible, but it's certainly not great. The tattoo stuff they made was okay, too, probably better, depending on my mood.

Ugh. Some of the worst stuff I have ever had was tattoo. I would definitely take their original spiced over that anyday.

by **distractedSofty** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:34 am UTC

Azrael wrote:Man, this got complicated:

UK: 2 products, only 1 spiced
US: 1 product, always spiced

Therefore, in the US, the company name and the spiced product are synonymous.

ALSO: Morgan's makes shitty rum and don't deserve all this time and attention, nomenclature confusion aside.

Well, it's closer to 7 products, all spiced, but yeah...

Personally, I find it hard to pick rum as opposed to, say, whiskey since there is less that's obviously different between brands (AFAICT). What Rums would you recommend in the middle price range? (which to me means $15-40 US)

by **Bakemaster** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:24 am UTC

Are you looking for a light or a dark rum? Or, how much do you like the flavor of molasses? And do you plan to drink it neat, mix it with juice/soda, or make more complicated mixed drinks with it?

I think the issue is that there's a bigger market for whiskey in the US than there is for rum; at least, as more than just a basic mixer. There are plenty of brands which can be distinguished from one another in their offerings, you just don't tend to see them all on the shelf unless you go to a good liquor store with a larger inventory.

by **distractedSofty** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 4:53 am UTC

I would tend to lean away from white rum, because I had a bad experience once during uni, (Nothing to do with the rum. Was probably the 2 bottles of bourbon we'd just shared.) but other than that, I'm open to the wisdom of those who know more about them.

And I'd be looking for a go-to standard for mixers (primarily coke for rum), and more complex rum based cocktails.

I'd also love some recommendations for rums to drink straight, but that wasn't my original question. I could easily justify more expensive bottles for that.

by **AvatarIII** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:55 am UTC

i just ordered a bottle of Kraken online (for £27.50 inc. postage, although it included a free bottle of a top quality ginger beer, worth £2 without postage, so i figured it was a good deal) it should be arriving next Wednesday

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