Tasting

What does rum from Barbados taste like neat? Usually smooth and warm: caramel, vanilla, toasted almond, dried apricot, and orange peel, with a touch of wood. Fruity esters, as found in Jamaican rum, stay in the background, and the finish is medium-length and mild. This makes it a great starting point. Whisky drinkers will recognize some familiar notes in the vanilla and oaky spice—just with more sweetness on the nose and less smoke or peat.

Two bottles from Bridgetown serve as good examples. Planteray's Barbados XO 20th Anniversary is, according to the producer, matured twice—on Barbados and in France. Stade's is the house brand of the West Indies Rum Distillery, showing how the distillery's spirit sounds under its own name.

A nosing glass or a small tulip-shaped glass works well, as it concentrates the aromas. The rum should be at room temperature; chilled, its aromas close up. First take a brief sniff, then take a small sip and let it linger in the mouth for a moment.

Water opens up a 40%-ABV rum only slightly—a few drops are enough if it feels sharp. At higher strengths, water makes a much bigger difference. Whether neat or with water is a matter of taste; tasting first without, then with a drop added, shows the difference most clearly.

Tastings are also offered at distillery visitor centers, such as Mount Gay's in Bridgetown. Anyone wanting to know which rum works best for sipping neat should try several side by side: a young one, an aged one, and one with secondary maturation.