There is a hint of American white oak as well, indicating a charred wood component that is not overly prominent, but just ever so slightly detectable. It brings maturity and depth to the entire profile but soon fades into a crisp and minimalistic crescendo. There’s not much to be said in terms of Captain Morgan White’s color, obviously. The viscosity is medium, with heavy legs running down the side of the glass rather swiftly. I’m pretty sure there’s quite a bit of sugar, hence the viscous nature. Captain Morgan White Rum’s Nose A drink designed for adventure—to be passed between you and your crewmates in the scoundrelly sea dog spirit—Captain Morgan has made a splash in the industry with its range of spiced and flavored rums.

Alcohol is created by adding yeast and water to the molasses. The yeast is always carefully chosen to ensure the right taste profile and aroma of the final rum. 3. Distillation Take “white rum,” for instance. The vast majority of white rum is a distillate made from the by-product of sugarcane processing, which we of course know simply as “molasses.” To make white rum, molasses (with added water and yeast) is allowed to ferment, and is then distilled, cut with water and bottled. After that comes distillation, which essentially involves purifying the liquid by heating and condensing it in column stills. Captain Morgan uses column stills rather than pot stills because it’s better at removing impurities. This makes it a lighter drink, and the company can then use spices and barrel aging to create a more nuanced flavor profile.That instantly recognizable Captain Morgan logo—the Captain Hook look-a-like with his roguish grin? It’s the work of award-winning American artist Don Maitz, and no doubt played its part in establishing the brand as a fun-loving party favorite. This is where the Captain comes into his own. To create the smooth taste that he’s known the world over for, some of the finest Caribbean rums are carefully blended. The banana chips provide a touch of extra sweetness, tanginess and a musky, roasted character. That alone will give the experience more length, complexity and depth. Then there’s the best-selling Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold, which is also matured in charred American white oak bourbon barrels. This aging process, alongside the blend of spices, lends the rum notes of vanilla, brown sugar, and dried fruit. The Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold is matured in charred American white oak bourbon barrels.

Shortly thereafter, Diageo, who traditionally hasn’t competed in the white rum space, quietly got their feet wet with a little white rum brand called Naked Turtle, which was available in just a few markets. With some key learning under their belt, Diageo is now launching a full-on assault at Bacardi under the guise of a line extension. Captain Morgan White Rum isn’t just an extension for the Captain Morgan line, it is the brand’s future, and we may see a day when Captain Morgan Spiced Rum is as much as an also-ran as Bacardi’s Oakheart. Keeping in mind that this is 37.5% alcohol, the impact on the palate is very light. The first sips are fresh and clean with only minimal hints as to the molasses base material. Nevertheless, I can detect an alcoholic burn that feels a bit out of place, given the strength level below 40%.

Closing Thoughts

Information about this stuff is quite spotty, but it sounds like the liquid was distilled in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Truly, it’s what you expect a bottle of ultra-cheap booze to taste like—all burn and nothing else to speak of. On both the nose and palate, this just reeks of pure ethanol, like some combination of gasoline and nail polish. To say it’s “hot” on the palate is sort of misleading, in the sense that it can’t be anything other than hot, as it really has no other flavors to speak of. Tasting this neat, you’d never come to the conclusion that it was rum at all—it comes across almost perfectly as harsh, boozy and neutral grain alcohol. If you were told it was vodka, you’d say “this is bad.” If told it was rum, you’d say it was doubly bad. Suffice to say, this was pretty much universally hated by the tasters. Overall, the olfactory sensation is straightforward, crisp, and rather refreshing without being complex or overly intricate. Castillo is often offered as a substitute for Bacardi Superior, given that they’re both Puerto Rican rums owned by the same company, but Castillo is certainly the more easygoing (and even cheaper) of the two, which isn’t a bad thing. This was one of the lightest-bodied rums in the tasting, crisp and only slightly medicinal in terms of its alcohol presence, with a lingering spice note that is sort of reminiscent of freshly crushed cardamom pods. It’s not the most distinctive of the entries in this field, but it feels like a rum that would probably accomplish exactly what most drinkers want a white rum to do, which would be to largely disappear into whatever mixer they’re drinking it with. Or in other words, Castillo more ably does what you’d probably assume Bacardi Superior would do. That’s worth a few points, we think. I paired this rum with Davidoff’s Dominicana, which features vintage tobaccos from the 2014 crop. It brings a lot of complexity and the rum acts simply as a blank sheet underneath, almost like a flavor enhancer without contributing all too much by itself.

Adding ice or a dash of water can mellow the intense alcohol flavor. And a slice of lime wouldn’t go amiss, either. Sir Henry Morgan was a Welshman and admiral in the British Royal Navy. He set sail for the West Indies in the 17th century where he was tasked with protecting British colonial interests. Because of the lower alcohol content, this rum makes for a trusted combination with zesty, invigorating cigars. Alternatively, creating a contrast with a meaty, dark wrapper, offering some sweetness and leather notes, will work very well. The juices are squeezed from the sugar cane to create a by-product called molasses. 2. Fermentation

Some of this liquid will then get its rich colour and flavour by being aged in charred white oak barrels. 5. Blending

With its spicy flavor, smooth texture, and the way it pairs so well with other drinks, it’s no surprise that Captain Morgan was the second most popular liquor brand in the US in 2014. And, in 2018, the brand became Britain’s favorite rum, surpassing the spirit’s other big-name player, Bacardi. The Pina Colada needs little introduction. It’s a world-favorite and all-time classic, born in Puerto Rico. Cool and creamy, it’s got all the tropical flavors you would want from a drink that is basically a holiday in a glass. It is soon met by a nuance of green, unripe banana, which has a funkier, ester-heavy smell, almost reminiscent of a typical Jamaican rum. The second layer reveals a darker, richer caramel, with roasted coconut flesh.This is a mixing rum, simple, clean, with a short finish, and without overcomplicating matters for the light-hearted palates. Following distillation, the rum is aged in charred white oak barrels before the different rums are blended to create the range of rum variants—spiced rum, coconut rum, fruit-infused rum—that Captain Morgan’s has become famous for. Rums were judged completely blind by how enjoyable they were as individual experiences and given scores of 1-100, which were then averaged. Entries were judged by how much we enjoyed them for whatever reason, not by how well they fit any kind of preconceived style guidelines.