Milwaukees Best Light said:
Done Zacapa 23, El Dorado 12, and Diplomatico reserva is about halfway gone. Next up to try is Zaya I think. El Dorado was too sweet. Diplomatico, there wasn't really anything there. Zacapa was fantastic.
Zacapa 23 is pretty good - sweet, smooth and easy to drink.
I"m the opposite on Diplomatico and El Dorado - I'm a huge fan of Diplomatico, great earthy profile with a solid molasses finish with a hint of tobacco. El Dorado was, to me anyway, absolutely bland. Started off OK, but had no body and absolutely no finish at all. I have a bottle of 15 year I'll keep for guests, but that's about it.
Others that are really good:
Kirk & Sweeny 18 - great underrated rum. I have an 18 year that is heavy on tobacco and cocoa and a really good pour. Only complaint is that it is a bit of a dry finish. They make a 12 year and 21 year as well.
Zafra 21 - absolutely great all around bourbon. Sweet, earthy, hints of vanilla and tobacco. Right now it is my go to.
Ron Cartavio XO - Buttery smooth, starts with butterscotch and finishes with spice and tobacco. Great pour.
Papas Pilar - Dark rum that is finished in Spanish sherry casks. Molasses and tobacco with some earth tones and spice. The sherry casks give it a sweet finish that isn't sugar sweet, hard to describe for me. Great pour though, I always have a bottle in my cabinet.
Dos Maderas PX 5+5 - Very simlar to Ron Cartavio XO to me. Very smooth, butterscotch and vanilla up front with tobacco, oak and spice on the backside. Great every day bottle type of bourbon - neat, over ice, doesn't matter to me. Wife loves it, which means I'll keep a bottle handy.
Flor de Cana 18 - Smooth, no burn at all, tobacco and vanilla notes, great lingering aftertaste
Flor de Cana 12 - Smooth, no burn at all. Surprisingly I got more oak and less vanilla on the 12 year than I did on the 18 year. Not as much body, weaker finish. But overall a solid rum.
Plantation OFTD - Hot (something like 160+ proof) and very dark. The heat dissipates pretty quick, heavy tobacco and spice. I wasn't a huge fan of how this finished - but it's a good pour overall.
Foursquare Zinfandel - Interesting rum IMO. Grape on the nose, initial hit is a sweet rum but it quickly turns into spice. At first I was kind of disappointed in the finish because it seemed to tail off to me, but by the end of the glass I was really happy with it. I think a little water or ice really opens it up and I didn't give it enough time, hence the weak initial finish.
Foursquare Port Cask - I liked it better than the Zinfandel. Not a heavy drink - butterscotch and spice with a really solid body that doesn't overpower you. Great finish. One of my more likeable rums.
Bayou Spiced Rum - Surprisingly not a bad rum. A tad bit rough IMO for a neat pour, but let it blend over an ice ball and it's solid. Kind of one of those tweeners that is too good for a mixer, but not quite good enough to be a stand alone rum. I wish they would produce some with a bit more aging as I think it would be pretty good. Starts sweet, spices take over and linger on the finish. Some tobacco and every now and then I get a bit of butterscotch or vanilla in there as well.
Bayou Select - Not as good as the spiced. I had high hopes, this is finished in bourbon barrels. But it just seemed weak to me. Maybe not enough aging or maybe I wish the proof was higher, can't tell. Flavor is OK, heavier on the oak than their spiced, but just no body to it.
Barrel Rum - A Tale of Two Islands - Meh. Finished in scotch barrels, very malty and peaty flavor. Not my style at all to be honest.
Diplomatico 2002 - Probably the best overall rum I've had. Can't say enough good things. Thick syrupy juice, very dark, starts off with a sweet/vanilla opening and then rolls into tobacco and a hint of citrus/fruit. Finish is awesome - just kind of lingers there and melts away with a touch of molasses. Just enough to make you smile.
Diplomatico Anejo - OK rum, nothing special. Kind of like Bayou Spiced IMO - better than a mixer, but for me it's just not up to par for a neat pour. Lots of citrus, younger aged I think. Some vanilla. If i remember the finish was a bit short and seems like it was ever so slightly bitter. A bit longer in a barrel would probably change it a bit, just a guess though.