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Rum and Coke Taste Test
Many people have opinions on what makes the best rum and Coke. Some people swear by Bacardi white rum, others pick a true Cuban rum and even others want a well aged, vintage, rum like Mount Gay Extra Old. But what do you do for the people that just ask for a rum and Coke? What type of rum, white or amber, makes the better drink? Does a moderately priced vintage rum make a noticeable difference in taste? And from the stand point of a bar or restaurant, which rum will make people enjoy their stay more, without offending them when the bill comes around.
Aside from vodkaphiles, there are not a lot of people who actually "call" a brand at most bars. The majority of regular bar go'ers order a basic drink and just accept what they get. Vodkaphiles tend to believe they can taste a difference. Don't get me started on that. Rum on the other hand is something you can absolutely taste a difference, even when mixed with something like Coke. That's because rum is one of the most varied of all the spirits.
The trick as a bar / restaurant is to strike a balance between quality and price. Unfortunately many places have decided that quality isn't so important, so the cheapest rum wines out. That means that aged rums get the heave-ho, even though some of them may be the same price or only be a dollar or two more.
Some people will state that when you order a rum and Coke, it is expected that you will get a white rum. I don't agree with this statement. When you order a whisky and something, what do you expect to get? Bourbon, Canadian, Irish, American 2 year old, rye? Most people don’t care as long as it tastes decent, and that is my point. If you can take a moderately priced, lightly aged rum and make the drink taste better, why wouldn't you. So, here's a quick look at three rums.
*Please note that the prices are Canadian, and yes they are high, but that has always been the case.
Appleton White Rum ($22.10 CDN)
Positive: Relatively smooth, with an alcoholic cola flavour.
Negative: Limited rum flavour with a slightly unpleasant after taste
Appleton Special Gold ($22.30 CDN)
Positive: Smooth, with decent rum flavour that compliments the Coke nicely
Negative: Not as deep in flavour as V/X
Appleton V/X ($24.95 CDN)
Positive Nice, deeper flavour than Appleton Special
Negative: Not as clean finish as Special
I'm in almost complete agreement with Scott at Scott’s Rum Page about the Appleton V/X and Special Gold rum. For a general rum and Coke call, I'd highly recommend using Appleton Special Gold. It is not going to make people go "wow" or blow the socks off anyone. But, the clean finish is enough to be noticed when compared to the Appleton white rum. The Special Gold is also mild enough in flavour that you'd have a hard time identifying it as an aged rum. Basically it strikes a balance between old and new by taking the few rough edges of the white rum. If you used V/X, most people would enjoy it, but there maybe a few who notice that is has more flavour than a white rum.
Sometimes it is the little details that separates the good bars from the bad and the good bartenders from the hacks.
616 Comments on Rum and Coke Taste Test
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I saw a study done once about this topic (wish I could find it). Most people do expect white rum when ordering a rum and coke. If they ever change it up with cuban rum a lot of time they come back to that time and time again. It is so true that people want a balance between taste and price. They want a lot more taste for less money.
Do you have a favorite rum?
i made rum & cokes at a party the other night for a gaggle of grad students, which were unanimously declared "the best rum & cokes we've ever had."
i used cruzan white, which i think tastes a bit better than bacardi. i used a lot of lime juice, which lazy bartenders and most amateur mixologists ignore. but the most important ingredient?
pepsi.
I normally drink my coke (Coca Cola) and my rum (depends on my mood) separate - however times come, when I drink a Cuba libre.
Actually I am not thinking, that this concoction has to be made of REAL Cuban rum - however it rather should be made out of a Cuban styled rum...
Jamaican rum is there too different. Don't get me wrong, it will make a proper Rum & Coke but no Cuba libre...
Hm I really appreciate coke, but I really think that this spoils a premium rum. But Bacardi 8 years as well as Havana Club 7 years are a good deal between flavor, smoothness and price.
Especially the Bacardi 8 is in my opinion one of the best value rums available - inexpensive enough to pour it into the next mixed drink but good enough to drink it even neat (or on the rocks).
Though I am not a fan of lime juice - 2 wedges of lime are more than enough to bring the right punch into the drink...
Give "Flor de Caña"[1] a try. Aspecialy the "4 year Extra Dry" is a valuable but reasonably priced white rum.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flor_de_Ca%C3%B1a
After your last Coke post I went out and got some Mexican Coke in order to enjoy it with sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. I planned to do a comparison sometime this week, and my first two choices were the Appleton Gold and V/X. Good choices Darcy!
I am looking for a rum that I had in Eastern Canada (Nova Scotia-PEI?)It was either Old Sam or Black Sam, something like that. It was very thick and molasses-y I can't find it in the States but it made a great Rum and Coke. Any Info?
It was probably Cabot Tower. Try finding a Demerara rum like El Dorado.
"Thick and molasses-y" makes me think of Cruzan Blackstrap rum.
For rum and cola, I echo the sentiments expressed to me some years back by Bill Samuels Jr. regarding bourbon and cola, when he noted that it was a good drink, but "everyone gets the proportions backwards." I like a rich, expressive rum (Havana Club 7 Year, Appleton Reserve, Mount Gay Extra Old) with just a splash of good cola. Perhaps not the most practical approach for bartenders, but delicious at home (or at the Cuban all-inclusive resort where I'll be spending Christmas).
The best Rum & Coke I had, was made of Coke and a Trinidian overproof rum (ca. 70%). One of the reasons it was good was you don't have to use that much Rum and the Coke was still sparkling.
Once I tried a Cuba Libre with Havana Club, I could never go back. All other rum and cokes taste like something is missing!
Great article, my only comment, a good middle of the road rum is Eclipse Rum by Mount Gay or Extra Old, not everyone likes Appleton, because it is a bit sweet. Personally I live for Mount Gay Extra Old, followed by Appleton Estate 12yr, then Eclipse. You can also try El Dorado Rum from out of Guyana, it has had very good reviews and 1919 from Trinidad. As you would understand I am from Barbados where Mount Gay is home so I have a bias lol, plus, can you beat a company that has the oldest rum distillery in the world at over 300 yrs old, I bet Jack Sparrow would have thought Mount Gay was to die for lol.
Don't forget to mention the coconut flavored rum. i have made the mistake of ordering a rum & coke without specifying the rum only to get a coconut flavored drink in return. I hate coconut with a passion so i gave the drink to a friend and reordered a new drink specifying my desired rum of choice, Bacardi.
Dark rum if you want to tast it.
Here is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. A good Premium rum should never be mixed.Why waist good Rum on a Cocktail. You are diluting it reduces its tast.It should be drunk Straight. Possibley with one small ice cube. The ice cube or if you prefer a teaspoon of water in good Rum HELPS TO RELEASE THE FLAVOR AND AROMA.
As for Rum and Coke. The darker and thicker the Rum the beter it is in a Rum and Coke or in a Cuba Libre. Do Not use Pepsi. It is to sweat. A good dark Rum is sugary enough on it's own. Coke matches mutch better to give you a smooth creaminess to the drink.
Holy Cow!!!!
I never knew you could have coke with white rum. I have ALWAYS had it (and served it) with dark rum. I wasn't sure serving it with white rum was allowed (that's how I found this post).
It's a good thing I'm not a bartender.