Best Rums Under $30

[boonedoggle]

I've not gone wrong with Bacardi 8 Anos!

[Pampero]

My handle, Pampero, is also a rum from Venezuela, and it is generally available under $30, and goes well with cigars. Try it; an excellent spirit.

Here's a full list of rums under $30.00 that you can trust:

El Dorado 12 & 15. The 15 is one of the best cigar rums you can get, sweet, complex. It's a Demerara style, which refers to the kind of sugar they use in distilling it. Rum drinkers almost universally appreciate El Dorado. The 12 YO is well under $30, and the 15 might be a scosh over.

Cruzan Single Barrel, a dry, premium rum I like....a lot! About $25 most places.

Zacapa 15 Anos (the 23 anos is a bit over your $30 budget). Guatamalan rum that defines a certain style, nice with gars. Cocoa and coffee notes, and a lot of vanilla.
Ron Botran Solara is another rum in this family, in the money and very nice, as is Ron Zaya, which is getting harder to find, but similar to the Zacapa 15 Anos. Prices on Zaya vary all over the map, but if you're in California, Bev Mo usually has it in your price range.

Carib Rums: The aforementioned Appleton 12 is always good. Barrilito 3 Star is a few bucks over, but is, I think, the best rum from Puerto Rico.
English Harbor 5 year is good, dry and a bit on the harsh side with good rum flavor. Mt Gay XO is good, but usually runs just over $30. It sells for $31 here, a bit more elsewhere. It's the Scotch drinker's rum. Very smooth and sophisticated, a classic.

For less money, Gosling's Black Seal is a winner; a rich, flavorful rum from Bermuda. Also, from Haiti, you can try Barbencourt 8 (five star). The 15 YO is a bit better IMO, but at $38, well over your limit. It's a different style than some of the others.

There's a lot of great rums out there in that $30 range. All the ones I named are respected by rum drinkers everywhere.

But if you're looking for a no-brainer, go with Pampero. I didn't out my handle on that one for nothing!

[Joey Link]

Excellent feedback guys, keep it up!

[smokin5]

For the price range (& lower), try:
Mount Gay Eclipse
Bacardi 8
Myers Dark

All very good on the rocks with a squeeze of lime.

I'm not a fan of Appleton, too harsh for my tastes.
The Barbancourt 15 year old is excellent, but over your $ range.
The other lesser years are not up to snuff, too harsh as well.

[yellowgoat]

Originally Posted by Ironfreak

I like Captain Morgan Private Reserve.. (Spiced rum)

(Please don't hit me.. )

Good stuff.

[4WheelVFR]

Gosling's Black Seal and Pusser's Old Navy Rum.

[Pampero]

I forgot to put this in my first post. This is one of the mother links on rum, probably the best rum forum on the web. You can get your education here. There's also a specific section on pairing the leaf with the Demon! CS is by far a fuller and more focused (and bigger) cigar site, but for rum, this is the place for goods information:

http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/index.php

Cigar and rum pairing:
http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/...splay.php?f=52

[BigVito]

Originally Posted by chenvt

With the extra 5, Ron Zacapa Cenenario (Guatemalan). I picked up a bottle for the first time and brought it to the counter where the I have a conversation with the owner of the liquor store who has a heavy Russian/Eastern European accent:

"Excellent choice, this is delicious"
"Really? I've heard good things"
"I like this better than vodka"
"Wow, must be good"

Ron Centenario like snkbyt said hands down wins the BTT

[Fenwick]

Originally Posted by poker

HC7

I second that suggestion. My favorite sipping rum.

For mixing with Coke, I go with Myers Dark mostly but I've been known to drink Mount Gay Eclipse on occasion with Coke and a lime.

[rrplasencia]

Try Rhum Babancourt, they make everything from 5-18 yr blends. It's from haiti and i'd put their 18 yr up against the ron zacapa 23 yr which is one of my favorites.

[Guitarman-S.T-]

Come on?! No ones going to vouch with me that Zaya' melts my FACE like a beast guitar solo from the mad man himself, Deathroned's front man Sam Hastings? Oh ok.. well i guess im a sucker for my own band haha, but come one.. ZAYA ZAYA!
straight up

[Mark C]

I'm going to agree with Pampero. He listed a lot of my favorites, but I'm going to do it again

Ron Pampero Aniversario (gotta love the cool leather pouch)
Cruzan Single Barrel Estate (I pour this for anyone in my home who wants to try 'sipping rum' for the first time)
Ron del Barrilito 3 Star (can be a pain in the ass to find, doesn't exist in MD)
Ron Zacapa 23 (sweet, smooth, easy to drink, not so easy to find)
Cruzan Diamond 5 yr (nearly as good as SBE, but cheaper)
Angostura 1919 (I call it a 'sleeper', doesn't get a lot of press, but I think it's great for the price)

As for the Costa Rican Centenario XX, I'm convinced the only way to get a bottle is to ask a mermaid to take you to the lost city of Atlantis at midnight on a blue moon night in the month of July when Mars and Jupiter cross paths in the constellation of Orion. I can't even find a friggin' website for this stuff, let alone a bottle on a shelf.

PS - Zaya may soon be discontinued. If there's a bottle on a shelf near you, buy it now. I've been trying to find one in MD for 5 months, I think they're all gone already.

[poker]

Originally Posted by Mark C

I'm going to agree with Pampero. He listed a lot of my favorites, but I'm going to do it again

Ron Pampero Aniversario (gotta love the cool leather pouch)
Cruzan Single Barrel Estate (I pour this for anyone in my home who wants to try 'sipping rum' for the first time)
Ron del Barrilito 3 Star (can be a pain in the ass to find, doesn't exist in MD)
Ron Zacapa 23 (sweet, smooth, easy to drink, not so easy to find)
Cruzan Diamond 5 yr (nearly as good as SBE, but cheaper)
Angostura 1919 (I call it a 'sleeper', doesn't get a lot of press, but I think it's great for the price)

As for the Costa Rican Centenario XX, I'm convinced the only way to get a bottle is to ask a mermaid to take you to the lost city of Atlantis at midnight on a blue moon night in the month of July when Mars and Jupiter cross paths in the constellation of Orion. I can't even find a friggin' website for this stuff, let alone a bottle on a shelf.

PS - Zaya may soon be discontinued. If there's a bottle on a shelf near you, buy it now. I've been trying to find one in MD for 5 months, I think they're all gone already.

It must be that conditions are right
http://www.hitimewine.net/istar.asp?a=6&id=166527!4045

Its like the Walmart of liquor. They are a real store thats real big. They wont ship to MD, but Im sure that can be worked around if you really want it.

[jordon]

Originally Posted by Joey Link

Wow, that's cheap! What's it taste like? Anything like cheap Bacardi?

What's HC7 sell for?

HC7 is about $30 CAD a bottle.

[RGD]

Originally Posted by Mark C

. . . .
PS - Zaya may soon be discontinued. If there's a bottle on a shelf near you, buy it now. I've been trying to find one in MD for 5 months, I think they're all gone already.

You know over here in Virginia we have to buy through the ABC stores - they have it listed on the website - never in the stores - but the manager at the local store said he can order it - it's still in the system and they have it - but would have to order a case, 12 bottles at about $45 each. He still has my name in case he runs across a single bottle or two as I can't foot the bill on a case at the moment.


Ron