« Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu No. 1 Cigar Review | Home | CAO Black VR Moby Cigar Review »
Latest Libation Purchase
By Jesse | January 28, 2008
I’m not a huge beer drinker so I’ve been exploring the world of spirits and found that I have a liking for good rum. I’d been told by many people that I must by this rum next time I have the cash. Well since I finally had some extra cash I went ahead and picked up a bottle of Zaya Gran Reserva 12 Year Old Estate Rum.
Oh wow… I’ll review it once I educate myself on how to properly review a rum. This isn’t something you mix with coke or make a mixed drink out of, at most you just add a little ice. It is very sweet with some darker caramel flavors to it. It pairs well with a good full bodied spicy cigar.
Pour yourself a glass and light up a Camacho Triple Maduro, Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label or EO 601 Oscuro.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Tags: Drink Pairing, Rum
Topics: Drinks |
January 29th, 2008 at 9:09 am
I’m looking forward to the review. When I’m not drinking Scotch, I’m usually drinking rum. While I’ll have the occasional rum and coke, and enjoy a nice rum punch on a hot day, I much prefer my rum with nothing more than a few ice cubes to keep it company. Can’t wait.
January 29th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Jesse,
The quality and variety of rum these days is outstanding.
Another good one to try is Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum, it is very nice.
Here is a good recipe for hot summer evenings when you want something light.
2 parts Cruzan Vanilla Rum
1 part Pineapple Juice
1 part Cranberry Juice.
Mix and serve over ice.
I don’t work for Cruzan but one of their sales reps hooked me up with some samples while at the bar at Emeril’s in Orlando FL.
January 29th, 2008 at 11:12 am
I’ll have to give that a try some night. Thanks!
January 29th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Looking forward to your rum reviews. To my shame, I mostly fix myself some cuba libres, without really tasting it as I should :)
January 29th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I make Cuba Libres all the time with $9 Rum. You’d be shot for making Cuba Libres out of this. :)
January 30th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Great topic Jesse. Keep up the reviews and education. My IPA’s do not go well with most cigars so I would like to find out more about rum.
Thanks CWFrasa for the recipe. First warm day I’ll give it a try. It’s cold our here in Los Angeles (I’m a weather wimp)
January 30th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Cold? in LA? Is that possible? I’m out in my garage smoking at 10 degrees! Pay no attention to the heater…
January 30th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Hey, it’s 56 right now with a wind chill!! I had to put a jacket on to take the dog out at noon.
Like I said, we are weather wimps out here. Can’t imagine smoking a cigar in 10 degree weather.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Hey Jesse -
I too just bought a bottle of Zaya for the first time over this past weekend. I heard the guys on the “Cigar Nation” podcast praise it, and so I figured I would give it a shot. It is as you said, sweet with a caramel flavor.
I drank it on the rocks and while smoking a CAO Brazilia and found the combination to be absolutely perfect. I look forward to hear your review.
February 10th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Tried the Zaya with a 601 Blue and was blown away. What a great match. I would be curious which cigar you choose to pair with the Zaya. My match up was a winer.
February 10th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
The 601 Blue or 601 Green both would pair very well. So does the Verocu No. 1 from Tatuaje. Heck I’ve just about paired it with every cigar I’ve smoked since I got the bottle. :)
February 15th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Purchased some Zaya 12 yo GR for my rum-bum poker buddies. Instant hit. I get it at my local military base. More than one ice cube and your probably wrecking it. Really nice - looking forward to the deck in summer with a CAO or Montecristo.
Also blew right through a bottle of the Cruzan Single Barrel recently . Nice for the price - different end of the spectrum from the Zaya in terms of flavor - both really good.
(I lived in PR 30 yrs ago and we used to bum over to St Croix to get the Cruzan white- it was the smoothest around then …)
Ain’t life grand …
February 15th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I’ve not tried the Cruzan Single Barrel yet. I’ll have to give it a try.
March 7th, 2008 at 11:52 am
“Heck I’ve just about paired it with every cigar I’ve smoked since I got the bottle”
This is generally my view of cigar and drink pairing. I don’t know that I have ever had a cigar and drink “pairing” - heck let me call what it is - a cigar I like and a drink I like together that I didn’t like together.
I did recently have a Fonseca porto and a mild Fonseca cigar that wasn’t as good as a stronger cigar would have been, but I didn’t enjoy either any less because of it.
March 7th, 2008 at 11:55 am
As a tequila drinker, I am glad to see rum’s rise in popularity.
My hope is that this will impact the 100% agave super-premium tequila market adversely, thereby freeing up and reducing the price of agave for the blanco market.
“If there ain’t no burn, it ain’t worth a durn!”