I was excited, thinking this would be the last of my Oliver & Oliver rums, but then I realized there's still a few more waiting for me. This particular bottle goes by several names depending on the market: most places print a big "25" on the front, but mine has "XO" instead. Ron Cubaney Grand Reserve Tesoro XO 25 Años is me just mashing every variation into one. What can I say about this rum? There is very little information about it online. No details about aging other than it's solera and a maximum of 25 years, no info on the mash or distillate other than that it's triple distilled, no info on any additives or sugar. However, my hydrometer shows a very high amount. It also seems like you can't buy this rum anywhere outside the Dominican Republic and Europe. Also, today is a big day! It's Memorial Day, and I am going to a Memorial Day BBQ. The same one I went to last year, and bought Bumbu because it looked like a cool rum. And that very same day, I made my first post on the /r/rum subreddit. I am bringing a new rum to the BBQ this year, and I promise it's real, sugar-free rum! But it's also not super exciting, because tbh most people there are bourbon drinkers so I am not trying to scare them away a second time. (It's Bacardi 8.) Review Smell: Without a doubt, you can smell the sweetness. But there's also a rich, woody, oakiness to it, and actually, side by side with Zacapa 23, they smell almost the same. Taste: The palate is surprisingly lacking. It smelled so deep and rich, but then the taste is just okay. A bit of woodiness, a bit sour, vanilla, caramel, a bit of alcohol burn, and a lot of sweetness. Not a ton beyond that. On the finish, there's a bit of the floral note that I typically associate with Cuban and Dominican rums. That being said, it's actually not bad. The sweetness is less overwhelming than I was anticipating, maybe because the rum itself is tannic and slightly sour enough to call for it. It's better than Cubaney Centenario and even Puntacana Club XOX. Not by much, it's still not super exciting, but it actually has decent depth and it's decently balanced. Honestly, I think I also like it about as much as Brugal 1888. Of course, trying them both side by side, they are quite different, with Brugal being much dryer and with a distinct wine note, but the richness of Cubaney is winning me over. I can tell that this was likely made with a heavier column still rum, as it's about as flavorful or maybe slightly more flavorful than Havana Club 7, and they both even share a similar sour tinge. Verdict {rating}/10 For all the grief I gladly give Zacapa for their lack of transparency, I've yet to taste a better solera rum. Cubaney XO is not better, nor is it cheaper. There's no reason to buy this rum. However, of all the rums that I tasted in the DR, as long as you're ok with a sweeter rum, this one now ties with Brugal 1888 and Brugal Extra Viejo for my favorite. For how much sugar I measured, it's surprisingly not overpowering, and on a beach in the DR with a big rock of ice and a few dashes of bitters, I wouldn't think twice about it. It's fine if you don't overthink it. 6.25/10

The Rums of México have been on my radar for a while, mostly because of the overwhelming hype I see for them online. However, after trying several rums from Alambique Serrano and realizing that it's a mixed bag for me, I didn't want to rush and buy these bottles, and maybe wait to try a sample at some point. Well, that some point was this past weekend! This rum is made from sugarcane juice of the Caldo variety and distilled on a four plate copper column still. Review Smell Also very strong brine and grass. But also a distinct pickly olive note to it. Taste I mean, this is tequila. I found it hard to tell apart in flavor from Fortaleza Añejo. It's also a bit smoky and peppery like Criolla, but it just gave me very strong tequila vibes. With papelón con limón, it's kind of just a margarita. Verdict {rating}/10 I sat high upon that rooftop, drinking Fortaleza, and thinking "man, this is probably really good tequila. It's a damn shame that I don't like tequila." I have similar feelings about Caldo. If you love tequila, this might be the rum for you. And real can recognize real, but while I can drink it and feel that it's just a good product, I thought that it's relatively middle of the road in terms of my enjoyment. I just don't really like it. 5.5/10

The Rums of México have been on my radar for a while, mostly because of the overwhelming hype I see for them online. However, after trying several rums from Alambique Serrano and realizing that it's a mixed bag for me, I didn't want to rush and buy these bottles, and maybe wait to try a sample at some point. Well, that some point was this past weekend! This rum is made from sugarcane juice of the Caña Criolla variety and distilled on a four plate copper column still. Review Smell Very strong brine and grass. Very similar to a savory agricole like HSE blanc. Taste Very strong flavor of agricole, a bit peppery, and has a pretty distinct smoky note. It actually instantly reminded me of Clairin Le Rocher. It makes an awesome drink with papelón con limón. It's Smoky, fruity, and grassy, like a smoked 'ti punch. Very complex, very interesting to just hold in your mouth. A lot more flavors open up with a bit of dilution and lime. Verdict {rating}/10 Definitely my favorite of the bunch. As you know, I am not a huge fan of really savory, grassy rums, but this one really is quite good. It very much reminds me of a Haitian clairin, such as Le Rocher. Very strong flavor, very complex, and if you love clairins, I think you will love this rum. 7.5/10

The Rums of México have been on my radar for a while, mostly because of the overwhelming hype I see for them online. However, after trying several rums from Alambique Serrano and realizing that it's a mixed bag for me, I didn't want to rush and buy these bottles, and maybe wait to try a sample at some point. Well, that some point was this past weekend! This rum is made from molasses and muck fermented for 15 days and distilled on a copper hybrid still. Review Smell Very strong dubble bubble. There's a hint of some fruity Jamaican funk, almost like Worthy Park overproof, but fake strawberry candy is the predominant note. Taste Kind of like Hampden rums, it's kind of hard for me to drink this just because it's so overwhelming. It doesn't help that it's over 57% ABV as well. The initial sensation is not that great. Strong flavor of strawberry candy, industrial glue, bitterness, and olives, though it finishes fruity with pineapple and banana. There is a lot going on in this bottle. I was hoping that mixing it with papelón con limón would open it up more, but it didn't. It was still industrial, fake candy, and somehow briny (even though it's made from molasses) and just didn't make the best drink. It's actually kind of savory, and I wasn't expecting that. Overall it wasn't bad, but it's overwhelming and complex in a way that I found hard to appreciate. Verdict {rating}/10 Maybe my expectations were just a bit shattered by me going into this hoping for another Hampden. This isn't it, and it's really hard to categorize it as I really don't think I've had a Caribbean rum quite like it. It's quite hard to drink neat, and I don't think that papelón con limón was the right mixer to tame it. It was a wild ride just sipping it, but I don't really know what I could mix it with to properly enjoy it. Just for the ride, though, it deserves a 6/10

I mean, this is the most obvious Kraken knockoff that I have seen so far. It's a Total Wine special and it's cheaper than the real thing, so let's see how it holds up. I've just been really busy lately so I am picking something up from the backlog. Expect better stuff soon! Review Smell Vanilla extract, caramel, buttered popcorn, sweet, and artificial. But it's heavily leaning towards vanilla. Kraken smells similar but much lighter on the vanilla. Taste I mean... it's harsh and unpleasant, as expected. Very heavy on vanilla and sweetness. A bit of caramel on the back. It's not great and definitely kind of fake tasting, but Kraken is somehow worse. Bitter spices, none of which I can really discern, and a syrupy medicinal sweetness. Both do not have very good base rums, but I can deal with a sweet vanilla bomb more than the concoction in Kraken. Of course, there is a 0% chance you buy these rums for anything but mixing with cola, so I tried them with Pepsi. Unsurprisingly, Jonah's Curse was also noticably better than Kraken in Pepsi. It makes like a vanilla caramel Pepsi and it's surprisingly drinkable. Kraken is also improved by being mixed in Pepsi, but it's still not a flavor that I prefer. Verdict {rating}/10 These rums are not really meant to be drunk neat, but I prefer Jonah's Curse over Kraken. Still, I vastly prefer Coruba, Myers's, Goslings, even Bacardi Black if I must have a black rum. Kraken is special to me, because it's the rum I drank during college, and I finished the last of it off for my first review. But now, Kraken is like an old friend that you met again for the first time in years, and you realize that they are actually a total loser. Jonah's Curse is not good, but it's better than Kraken.

I've reviewed several cachaças before, mostly ones I had as one-offs, but there is only one brand that I regularly see in liquor stores: Leblon. Sure, if I do some hunting, I can find Cachaça 51 or even Novo Fogo, but Leblon is the one that you just see everywhere. Review Smell Grassy, briny, slightly sweet. It smells extremely similar to my HSE martinique agricole blanc. No real fruit or funk, just smells like grass and brine. Taste Leblon tastes quite grassy and briny. However, I would say, it tastes very much like HSE, but HSE is both bolder in taste and also harsher in burn. Leblon is just weaker. Both really don't have much complexity. I made two... daiquiris? I guess I'd piss off two countries by not using their preferred term for the drink, but I combined Leblon and HSE with sugar and lime. Call it caipirinha and 'ti punch if you will. Anyway, as expected, the HSE was much stronger, but actually, in Leblon's lightness comes ease of drinking. If you really love the taste of cane juice, Leblon will leave you disappointed, but if you are like me and don't really prefer it, Leblon comes off as tolerable and more enjoyable. Verdict {rating}/10 I would still rather have Bacardi. That's just me, and I can recognize that agricole and cachaça have a following, but my opinions are mine, and I'd rather have a daiquiri with Bacardi. But it wasn't bad. I'm sure I would probably enjoy Novo Fogo more, just as I have enjoyed agricoles that are better quality than HSE. I haven't reviewed it yet, but WP 9th floor WPE-CJN is incredible. For now, Leblon is a 4/10.

Another rum I had while in the Dominican Republic. I thought that this one was not by Oliver & Oliver, but, after doing some research following my initial note taking, it turns out that it's totally by Oliver & Oliver. Usually they like to slap their name on their bottles, but in this case, it's a celebrity rum for Enrique Iglesias. Oh boy, Oliver & Oliver AND finished in cognac AND a celebrity product. Review Also before I go into nosing or tasting, when I first got the rum, in a clear glass cup with no ice, I noticed that the rum is full of flocules. I guess it's unfiltered? Not really a problem for me, I just was curious why they didn't filter it. Smell Smells primarily of alcohol, with the faintest hint of sweetness and vanilla. Taste Primarily alcohol and pretty flavorless. It's not that harsh, and it's pretty easy sipping, especially with some ice. But it really doesn't have much flavor— even Puntacana Club XOX, which is a similar "25 year" solera, has at least a decently nice deep rich woody flavor. It has some faint notes of vanilla, sweetness, oak, and perhaps brown sugar. The finish is very short, but it's slightly floral similar to Puntacana Club XOX. Verdict {rating}/10 I pretty much feel the same way about this rum as I did with my previous review of Legado El Caballo Mayor, and most Oliver & Oliver rums. Sweet, flavorless, and not bad, but not really worth your time either.

Time to finish up Barceló. Sorry for skipping the last post. I was in Atlanta this past weekend and was very busy. Review Smell It's much lighter smelling than Barceló Imperial. It's less woody, and also has less red wine character than Brugal XV, which shares a similar position and price point. The primary scent is alcohol with a bit of vanilla. Taste Trying it neat, it's light and not bad. It's not too sweet, and there is a slight woodiness to it, and shares a similar profile to Bermudez and Brugal rums that is hard to describe, but I pretty much feel like I can recognize the Dominican terroir when I taste it. However, it's not as bold as Imperial, and in fact I would say that Gran Añejo tastes pretty much like a blander, harsher Imperial. In a daiquiri, I put it head to head with Brugal Añejo, Barceló Dorado, and Bacardi Gold. I would say that the harshness on all three is about equal, and totally managable in a daiquiri, but the Gran Añejo daiquiri just didn't have the flavor to back it up. Barceló Dorado and Bacardi Gold were better, and Brugal Añejo was my favorite. Of course, if you're in the Dominican Republic, the best daiquiri rum you can buy at the airport is Havana Club 3. Verdict {rating}/10 This rum faces the same crisis as Brugal XV. It's not that great as a sipper, and for just a few bucks more, you can get the next tier of rum which is far better for sipping. But for mixing, it's actually worse than its cheaper counterpart. It exists pretty much to fill the middle price point, and I don't see myself ever preferring this rum over the alternatives.

Ok, I said that I was reviewing all of my Barceló rums now, but most of them are mixing rums. I actually ran out of limes, and I am NOT paying $3 for 4 tiny brown limes at the bodega. So I'll go buy some proper juicy 6 for $1 limes when I go to the grocery store soon. For now, let me do a weird one from the Dominican Republic. This is a celebrity rum for Johnny Ventura, a legend of Dominican Merengue. Art-is-anally hand crafted small batch ultra-premium collector's yadda yadda you get it. > Note: I am seeing lots of inconsistent "aged up to X years" claims, but the bottle has no age statement. Review Also before I go into nosing or tasting, when I first got the rum, in a clear glass cup with no ice, I noticed that the rum is full of flocules. I guess it's unfiltered? Not really a problem for me, I just was curious why they didn't filter it. Smell No smell. I put my nose into it until the tip touched the rum, and I couldn't smell it. Taste Sweet. A bit of burn. That's it. There's basically no flavor here, and if I really swish it around my mouth, I get the tiniest bit of rum taste. Verdict {rating}/10 It reminds me of Oliver & Oliver rums. Smooth, sweet, flavorless, and boring. I'd hate to call it worse than Bacardi, because it's so much less harsh for sipping neat, but it's just so flavorless, that I can't imagine picking this bottle up again. 4/10

Time to finish up Barceló. Going to have one more post after this, and then that will be basically their entire core lineup. Not sure if I want to go for all the different finishes for Imperial. Review Smell Smells like alcohol and nothing else. Taste It's pretty flavorless and noticably sweet. There's a tiny hint of vanilla, but not as much as the bolder vanilla and coconut flavor of Bacardi, and the sweetness is distracting. Nowhere near as flavorful. In fact, I pulled out my bottle of Parrot Bay and I would say it's about tied in terms of lacking flavor and having unnecessary sweetness. In a daiquiri, Blanco is still worse than Bacardi. The cocktails are the same burn but for less flavor. Verdict {rating}/10 Barceló Blanco was a real disappointment. Flavorless and sweet. Barceló Dorado came out a bit ahead. Not by much, we're still talking about mixers here, and just as Brugal Añejo falls short of Havana Club 3 for mixed drinks, so too does Barceló Dorado fall short of Brugal Añejo. It's a judgement call in terms of whether it's better than Bacardi gold.

Time to finish up Barceló. Going to have one more post after this, and then that will be basically their entire core lineup. Not sure if I want to go for all the different finishes for Imperial. Review Smell Surprisingly, still has some nice vanilla and oak smell, along with the prevailiang alcohol smell. Side by site with Bacardi gold, it smells about the same. Taste I was surprised after trying Blanco by how much less Dorado sucks. It has more oak and vanilla flavor, has a fuller body, and actually tastes like rum. It might be close to Brugal Añejo in flavor. Bacardi gold burns about the same, and the flavors are different, where Bacardi gold is more of that classic vanilla coconut rum flavor, while Barceló Dorado is noticably more dominican, and it's in the same flavor vein as Brugal and Bermudez. In a daiquiri, the trend continues. Makes a decent daiquiri, not much better than Bacardi gold, but the rums are just very different terroirs. Barceló Dorado just has more of an oaky floral note to it. Side by side with a Brugal Añejo daiquiri, the Brugal is noticably better, but the taste is very similar. The Barceló is just more watered down. Verdict {rating}/10 Barceló Blanco was a real disappointment. Flavorless and sweet. Barceló Dorado came out a bit ahead. Not by much, we're still talking about mixers here, and just as Brugal Añejo falls short of Havana Club 3 for mixed drinks, so too does Barceló Dorado fall short of Brugal Añejo. It's a judgement call in terms of whether it's better than Bacardi gold.

I've been collecting little bottles of orange liqueurs for a while. Saw a 50mL of Cointreau and Grand Marnier, and of course I bought a whole bottle of Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao for Mai Tais. But then, when I got a sample of Clément Créole Shrubb, I knew that I had to do an experiment. Review Smell: Definitely smells of orange, something spicy like cinnamon and vanilla, sweetness, and the grassy smell of agricole. It's like an orange spiced tequila. Taste: The taste is pretty wild and unique. The underlying agricole rum is very interesting and suits this flavor profile. Spicy, sweet, fruity, and it's honestly not too grassy/briny, but there's some good depth and complexity here. It's hard to pick out any individual spice from the mix because it's all so subtle, but I really like the mix. It has this really nice finish that is floral and fruity. I also tried it in a Mai Tai. I actually took the opportunity to compare several different orange liqueurs, and Créole Shrubb won the contest for my favorite, barely edging out PF Dry Curacao and Grand Marnier. I hope to do this again when... I know a bit more about what I'm talking about. Verdict {rating}/10 It's hard to compare this rum to other rums, since it's more like a spiced rum or spirit drink. And in that regard, it might well be the best one that I have ever tried, just because it does it well for the task, which is to be a complex and flavorful mixer for when the recipe calls for an orange liqueur, such as a Mai Tai. I would not drink it neat, and its use is situational, but I can see it easily elevating cocktail recipes that call for basic orange-flavored liqueurs.