Rhum Barbancourt White

Clear, lightly aged, unaged, or silver rums, whatever you choose to call them, are not usually spirits I drink straight. However, I have several, so I decided to compare eight of them to see which one would be the best (among Angostura, Privateer, Havana Club, Cana Brava, Barbancourt, Flor de Cana, Banks 5 Island & El Dorado). I almost ranked this higher than the second one on the list, but it lacked the same depth. This is certainly one I would happily drink neat, and it also works well in cocktails, though not as effectively as the top two on the list. The nose is dominated by tropical fruits and vanilla. The palate is somewhat grassy and oily, but very enjoyable. The finish has a slight burn with hints of pepper. The burn might be the sole reason it's third on my list rather than higher, but regardless, for the cost, this bottle is a great value.

I generally don't consume rum neat, so my frame of reference is limited. Nevertheless, this strikes me as quite good. The initial aroma has a strong ethanol scent that fades after a couple of minutes, revealing notes of overripe banana, green grass, and coconut. The palate offers sweet vanilla sugar with a hint of coconut and a distinct rum character. It's a great value and my go-to white rum.

I'm loving this as an everyday cuba libre over the more conventional options.