Popped in the store on my way back: they’ve got something cheap that I can’t remember, and then:
a couple of Brugals (Extra Viejo at $920 and the 1888 at $1700).
I took home the last Ron Zacapa (Sistema Solera 23) : $1250.
They also have several Zacapa XO, but we’re upping the ante there at $2500.
Drinking the '23 neat before dinner, in an attempt to overcome chronic jet-lag.
The Zacapa 23 is a good rum to start with for sipping, and a good value here in Taiwan. It’s not too expensive and not harsh, but it may be too sweet, particularly for those coming from a whiskey background.
I did manage to try Mount Gay Extra Old while on vacation out of the country last week. Very nice, if that’s the one you had. It’s very similar to RL Seale’s 10-year, also from Barbados.
The Martinique agricole from Carrefour is pretty damn good.
Okay, folks, we are in luck. There’s a foreigner in Tainan named Seamus who is selling some pretty decent rum. Right now he has Foursquare & Doorly’s from Barbados, Hampden from Jamaica, and Mezan, an independent bottler of various regions. All of the rums have no added sweeteners or flavorings, and only one has added color. ABVs range from 40% - 63%. All the information is in Chinese, but he can explain everything to you in English. Highly recommended.
(I have no financial or personal interest in this venture. I just like good rum.
REDRUM! (Okay, I’m bored.)
Hasn’t anyone marketed a red rum yet?
Ok. Mr. Nicholson 
The Mangoustan’s Rhum at Simple Mart is a steal for $345. Distilled in France from West Indies cane juice. Goes nice with coconut water
Looks like a squeeze top. Which would be awesome for the more spilly of rummies.
Ron Zacapa got me interested in rum, but it has added sugar. I’ve recently started pursuing unadulterated rum (no additives), and I’ve enjoyed the journey. The problem is, the Taiwanese in general view rum as a low-class drink, fit only for putting in cakes; and the rest of the world thinks of it as a cheap mixer for Tiki drinks and Coke. It’s starting to be taken more seriously, though.
Yes, before I left the U.S., I was the same. Venezuela opened me to Ron selecto and anniversario. Then Costa Rica got me into others
I’m enjoying most things from Foursquare Distilleries in Barbados. I find them quite tasty at a price point I can accept.
Let’s see how this one is:
If I see it on the shelves, I’ll grab a bottle.
I have a feeling that those 20,000 bottles won’t be hard to shift.
What’s wrong with Bacardi? I like that dark/aged rum they sell. Bacardi Black?
I’ve seen Mount Gay at Carrefour several times. Is that a good rum?
Bacardi is to rum what Starbucks is to coffee: harsh-tasting, mostly marketing hype, and a poor value for your money. Interestingly, both require sugar or other things added to make them palatable.
I’ve been okay with the two Mount Gay rums I’ve tried.
