Since reading And a Bottle of Rum my interest in rums has increased dramatically. It’s an interesting spirit on a number of fronts: one can’t help think of warm winds and sandy beaches when quaffing rum, its birth as a commodity is intractably tied to the Americas, and even the “high end” rums we sampled for this showdown are quite affordable, the most expensive in our trio checking in at a reasonable $45.99 (on sale for $24.99).

Our trio of rums (L to R: Plantation XO 20th Anniversary, Pyrat Planter's XO, Babancourt Estate Reserve)

I first experienced “premium” rum at a lovely beachfront dinner at the Westin on Grand Cayman. Our waiter was incredibly knowledgeable, and suggested a Venezuelan rum (I forget which) to end the meal. That rum opened my eyes to the subtle smoothness of a good rum, versus the industrial taste of mass-produced products that are often no more than a “relaxation accelerator” for your favorite beach-front umbrella drink.

There was nothing particularly scientific about the rums selected for this showdown, although they ended up being very different and respectable in their own right. I already had a bottle of Barbancourt’s Estate Reserve ($37.99) in the cabinet, and had recently enjoyed the Plantation XO 20th Anniversary ($32.99) while in travelling on business and since it was unavailable locally, turned to the interwebs. The sale price of Pyrat Planter’s XO placed it in my cart to spread shipping costs, and offered a chance to sample a new entrant into the rum market ($45.99 marked down to $24.99, no link since Pyrat’s web site is some interactive mess that doesn’t actually show you their products).

We followed our blind tasting method, and sampled each of the three from brandy snifters. My notes were as follows:

Barbancourt Estate Reserve

Nose of sweet wood; definitely not an oak but more along the lines of a port-wood. Smooth caramel taste with a slightly harsh finish. Great mouth feel, like your tongue rolling around in olive oil (in a good way).

Plantation XO 20th Anniversary

Sweet nose with a with a hint of coconut and vanilla; smells like the beach! The coconut continues in the mouth, with a subtle sweetness and smooth finish.

Pyrat  Planter’s XO

Strong fruit nose, apricots and floral that comes on almost a bit too strong. Just short of being cloyingly sweet in the mouth.

For once the surplative-laced descriptions on the bottles were faily accurate, and upon reading them Mrs. Cocktail Hound and I were both readily able to link the mystery glass with the correct rum. Neither of us have expert or particularly sensitive pallets, so that gives an idea of how distinctly different these rums are. My favorite was the Barbancourt, while Mrs. Cocktail Hound found the Plantation picking up her #1 spot and Barbancourt in last place. The Barbancourt had a stronger alcohol taste, and probably appealed to me since I’m usually a fan of digistifs consumed neat, while the Mrs. is more of a mixed or sweet post-dinner drinker.

I was least impressed with the Pyrat, and thought the fruit notes were a bit overdone and bordering on a synthetic, medicine taste. That’s probably a small criticism at this level of rum, and the Pyrat would probably impress if you used to the usual “industrial” rum. I’d drink the Pyrat with a chocolate dessert, the Babancourt with something caramel-based, and the Plantation with fruit or coconut cake. The latter two would be a pleasure for a liquid dessert by themselves.

I don’t know that I’d be in a rush to put any of these rums in a cocktail, although our research lab is hard at working looking for something to enhance one of these rums without it getting lost behind a mixer. If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments!