One of the many perks of Key West is the island wonder of rum. It's everywhere, and not just bottles of Bacardi and Captain Morgan. Head into any decent bar, and you're sure to spot a sea of the spirit -- the pricey and the cheap, the flavored and the pure. When I was trying to decide which new label to try, the bartender suggested an aged rum, believe it or not, from Guatemala. Ron Zacapa Centenario, 23 Anos. (The middle rum, above.)
This rum is gentle, liquid wonder. Having been aged, it's slightly thicker than your average rum, with a sweeter, chocolatey taste that slides down easily. Straight up, this rum has that nice bite of alcohol, and on the rocks, it's so gentle and sweet that you might think it's a mixed drink. Aged in white oak barrels, drinking the rum is almost like drinking a scotch or wine -- you can make out that subtle flavor and scent of wood.
It's not terribly surprising that this spirit slides down so well -- the Beverage Tasting Institute gave it an "exceptional" rating -- 95 points. As Rumdood's highly detailed review states, that's the highest score for a rum. In fact, there's a bit of a legend making the rounds that it's banned from spirit competitions because it's just that good. Made from real sugar cane rather than molasses, it's practically in a world of its own.
But beware, it might make you quite picky with the ever-present rums we've grown accustomed to!
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