Bacardí Gold Rum

Gold Rum Tasting - Quatro, mostly Spanish-style Havana Club Anejo (USA) Don Q Gold Bacardi Gold Koloa Kauai Gold Havana Club Disclaimer: bottle open for a while, still ~2/3 full A - Medium gold hue, like German bier N - Fairly strong ethanol, hints of caramel and… crème brûlée? P/F - Hollow impression of Carmel and vanilla, like from a dried out old rum cork, but somewhat light; slight earthy bitterness like young oak; subtle sweetness but still not really fruity, ethanol is restrained, bitterness builds on the palate Follow-up - Smells like sophisticated carmel candy, tastes like toffee bar after returning. Verdict - possibly doesn’t belong in this category, but surprised with better-developed “usual suspects” type flavors, and stood out in terms of color to the last sip. Might remain more noticeable in a mixed drink than others. Don Q Disclaimer - nearly a bottle kill, and mostly empty for quite a while, months probably A - Pale straw, like a dry white wine N - Light ethanol, toffee and some fruit, papaya maybe? P/F - Light but inoffensive, barely a burn, caramel; burnt sugar, some burn, some wood tannin; brown bread, subtle vanilla, no fruit really Follow-up - Smells like a fruit bowl, tastes like agave nectar after returning. Verdict - lovely fruitiness compared with the others, almost shockingly so. Likely a more harmonious mixer, and pleasant enough to sip on its own. Inviting nose and rewarding palate. Bacardi Disclaimer: Freshly-cracked small 2 dcl bottle, but sat on dram store shelf who knows how long… A - Medium light gold, like domestic beer N - Cleaning products as first, but then ethanol, steeped black tea? Then finally some sweetness, like vanilla latte syrup P/F - Smooth entry with some light vanilla carmel; more subtly sweetness with almost-bitter woody pine-wood lingering; vaguely sweet, somewhat ethanol, light bitterness Follow-up - Smells like sawdust, tastes like dregs of watered-down vanilla iced latte after returning. Verdict - bad nose with smooth taste, oddly enough, although a less-enticing flavor palate than others in the category, can see why this might be a friendly go-to for mixing, if one sought a less filtered experience than the ubiquitous BCB. Koloa Kauai Disclaimer: from a sample bottle bought at the distillery store, and not opened right away upon returning home. A - Light gold, like oaked Chardonnay N - At first, savory, almost bready, like a fresh baked homemade loaf, then oddly sweet, like cleaning products, and almost a cucumber vegetal note, odd. P - Light flavor, some burn, some lingering wood; not fruity, somewhat earthy, barely sweet; faint but round flavor of some nutty dessert Follow-up - Smells like hay, tastes like buttered pancakes with a hint of dried maple syrup upon returning. — So this probabbly doesn’t fit well in the category, but what else to compare this with? Verdict - the different process shows in the product, with unusual notes making their way across the nose and palate. Curious to try a small daiquiri, but makes me think more of a cane juice spirit than molasses from the unusual and unexpected notes.

This is an extremely weird alcohol. It definitely tastes better than Bacardi Superior which is an exceedingly simple offering. On the nose it smells of caramel, vanilla, and fruit. It also has a more interesting taste with nice woody undertones, a stronger molasses profile than it's white brethren and sugar and caramel rounding out the experience. It definitely packs more of a boozy punch than the Superior but that's not necessarily a good thing. The time in the barrels definitely gives it more character but it hasn't been in the barrels long enough for the flavors to really develop and set in. In a cocktail I imagine that the faint flavors melt away by the other ingredients which functionally wouldn't make it too different from it's White counterpart. There are other offerings, including Bacardi 8, that are able to provide a more robust sipping experience. Which leaves me wondering what role is this supposed to play? If I want something more sophisticated to sip on, why not shelve out $5-7 more dollars for another offering or $10 for the 8 year which has a profoundly more refined experience to savor? Hell, if I want something more boozy why not just add a touch more of Bacardi Superior? I don't want to say this is a bad product because it isn't. It's very drinkable and offers some welcome complexity lacking in Bacardi Superior. It just sits at a weird angle where it's not the best mixer, sipper or shot. I enjoyed drinking it but it isn't a product I'm compelled to have.

At first - I despise Bacardí in favour of Havana Club. It's harder with top shelf bottles, but it's easy with basic selection. Overall quality score is better for Havana and the price tag is almost the same. Havana miss the Dark rum and Oro/Gold one, but they are not essential. As I occasionally enjoy Havana 3 Aňos on rock, Bacardí is no go here with any basic bottle. Bacardí basics are bit better than Morgan's, but you can get Morgan's with lower price tag and makes it better pick. This Gold one is even worse than Bacardí black with it's weird off taste (the harder taste of Black could be covering it up, I guess).

What a disappointment. Bacardi has a GREAT marketing department because the rum inside is subpar. It does make a good Rum and Coke but so does nearly every other rum I have ever tried. The bottle is nice and has a classic look to it but I can't drink the bottle the rum inside is blah. I taste some vanilla and sweetness and heat. I was not expecting very much for about $15 a bottle but I feel let down.

Bacardi Gold has a very light, almost straw appearance, with extremely uniform alcohol legs, rimming the glass. The aroma is of lightly-caramelized sugars, mild vanilla, and faint oak. The taste is of mellow, low-charred oak, almond oil, vanilla, and pureed white sugar. Mouthfeel is low medium, and Bacardi Gold finishes medium long. This the first time I have ever tried this (I am 50 years old). RJT

decent. expected something horrifying for the price, but not so bad. almost in sipping territory but there's just something odd about it. aired out: like anything it seems, definitely a smoother nose/taste, but out the bottle something funky comes out eventually. can't put my finger on it.