Anyone who has bothered to read any of my rum related ramblings, will be more than aware of my love of Chairman’s Reserve. Despite being a relatively young and inexpensive rum (freely available in Sainsburys supermarket for £20) it captured my heart very early on in my rum journey.
The double distilled mix of pot and continuous still rum’s offer an authentic and unadulterated rum experience which at the £20 price point is difficult to beat. With the success of The Kraken and Sailor Jerry I’m always a little miffed that Sainsbury’s have never stocked the Spiced Chairman’s Reserve as they do the standard offering. I first tried this rum a couple of years ago. In many ways I’m pleased I left starting my blog until I had tried a good number of rum’s. I feel only now am I beginning to develop any kind of understanding of the various rum’s on offer.
Bacardi Black. Along with Bacardi Gold, the two rums have recently been re-released into the UK market at 40% ABV rather than 37.5%. For whatever reason Bacardi Black is not as readily available as the White Superior or Gold. In most supermarkets and many off licenses the White Superior and Gold can be picked up at entry-level prices. However, the Black is largely absent from these outlets.
I first came across this rum when travelling on a Thomson (TUI) cruise. I was on an all inclusive package no dark rum’s listed on the menu. I thought I may as well chance my arm and see what they would give me if I just asked for a dark rum and cola. I was quite surprised how quickly the bartender understood my request (getting anything other than a Bacardi and Coke when you mention rum is still a problem in the UK!). I was equally surprised how quickly he poured the measure and returned the bottle to below the bar. I got a quick glance at the bottle and noticed only the “medals” at the bottom. There was no charge for the drink so I sat down quite smugly thinking I might have been onto a bit of a winner.
I purchased this rum mainly due to the demography. I hadn’t tried a rum from Belize, simple really. One Barrel also boasted of a number of gold medal awards, in major spirit competitions. A Gold Medal in the Dark Rum category at the second International Cane Spirits Competition in 2007. In 2007 and 2008 Gold Medals at the International Rum Festival.
The Kraken is a fairly newish rum to the market. Introduced in 2009 to the UK and at a time when Sailor Jerry had re-branded and changed its formula. The Kraken was introduced to compete with Morgans Spiced and Sailory Jerry. The darker nature of the rum was hoped to give a more authentic style rum experience.