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Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World's Spirit
The recipe for a great read, Rum Curious teaches how to fully appreciate this versatile and varied spirit!
Once the drink of sailors and swashbuckling pirates, rum is the most versatile -- and the most varied -- spirit in the world. It is consumed neat as a sipping drink, on the rocks, and in a dizzying variety of cocktails like the mai tai, mojito, and pina colada. In Rum Curious, author Fred Minnick first takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of the world of rum, describing its many styles; explaining the great variety of fermenting, distilling, and maturing processes; and highlighting distillers and distilleries. He then teaches the reader about tasting rum -- revealing the experience offered by brands ranging from the familiar to the unusual and obscure. A final section provides recipes for classic and innovative rum cocktails from around the world. Rum Curious is the one book the reader will need to understand and appreciate rum in all its glorious variety.
- GenresNonfictionCocktailsBooze
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2017
29 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 26, 2018
I had high hopes for this book, thanks to the lovely foreword by Martin Cate. But it's a bit f a mixed bag. The writing is at times sloppy, often repetitive, and generally lacks structure and direction... it almost seems stream-of-consciousness. I'd say the text is in need of a few rounds of editing and revision for clarity.
The first chapter, on the history of rum, is arguably the weakest. And having read a couple other "history of rum" books, I find many of Minnick's perspectives puzzling or incomplete. Pirates are used to draw us in, and their modern-day association with rum is not the least bit questioned (they drank a lot of rum... but mostly, they just drank a lot, and it was whatever they could plunder). The great rum mixologists of the early Tiki era are given only a passing mention, while an entire page is devoted to Martha Washington's gingerbread cookie recipe (Minnick really likes molasses).
The chapter on rum production is the best, guiding the reader through the entire process—from grass to glass, as we say. My only annoyance is that he spends so much time discussing adulteration and coloration, many times throughout the book. And even after detailing how many countries have rules prohibiting such practices, he continues to insinuate in the Tasting section that most rum contains added sweeteners and/or food coloring.
My overall perception is that this book was hastily written and published (it came out around the same time as a couple other, very similar volumes), and that Minnick, despite having tasted several hundred rums to inform this work, is still just getting to know this spirit and its history. I see the tasting notes just as filler (and the cigar pairings... very niche). Since everyone's tastes (and flavor experiences) are unique, one person's opinions aren't worth much. (A panel of 3–6 tasters with collaborative notes and weighted scores would be nice.)
The rum production notes are good, and I guess it's a handy reference for tasting notes and popular distilleries, but the best way to judge a rum is by tasting it yourself, and tasting as many as you can.
The first chapter, on the history of rum, is arguably the weakest. And having read a couple other "history of rum" books, I find many of Minnick's perspectives puzzling or incomplete. Pirates are used to draw us in, and their modern-day association with rum is not the least bit questioned (they drank a lot of rum... but mostly, they just drank a lot, and it was whatever they could plunder). The great rum mixologists of the early Tiki era are given only a passing mention, while an entire page is devoted to Martha Washington's gingerbread cookie recipe (Minnick really likes molasses).
The chapter on rum production is the best, guiding the reader through the entire process—from grass to glass, as we say. My only annoyance is that he spends so much time discussing adulteration and coloration, many times throughout the book. And even after detailing how many countries have rules prohibiting such practices, he continues to insinuate in the Tasting section that most rum contains added sweeteners and/or food coloring.
My overall perception is that this book was hastily written and published (it came out around the same time as a couple other, very similar volumes), and that Minnick, despite having tasted several hundred rums to inform this work, is still just getting to know this spirit and its history. I see the tasting notes just as filler (and the cigar pairings... very niche). Since everyone's tastes (and flavor experiences) are unique, one person's opinions aren't worth much. (A panel of 3–6 tasters with collaborative notes and weighted scores would be nice.)
The rum production notes are good, and I guess it's a handy reference for tasting notes and popular distilleries, but the best way to judge a rum is by tasting it yourself, and tasting as many as you can.
January 17, 2025
Great introduction to rum plus recipes.
October 7, 2017
As a half-Cuban, half Puerto Rican woman, I have rum in my blood. I was looking forward to this book and enjoyed the historical aspects of it. After that, it all seemed like a matter of personal opinion.
September 15, 2017
Neugierig auf Rum
Hinweis: Dieses Review ist umfangreicher und mit Fotos versehen auf meinem Blog nachzulesen.
Ich kaufe nur noch selten Bücher aus Papier. Einst war ich eine Bibliotheksratte und liebte es, mit dem Finger über die Reihen und Reihen von Büchern, mit denen ich meine Wände pflasterte, zu streichen und konnte mir im Leben nie vorstellen, nur noch elektronisch zu lesen. Das haptische Gefühl! Der Geruch! Das Umblättern! Wie kann sowas durch ein schnödes Gerät ersetzt werden, das Papier durch einen Bildschirm? Nun, die Zeiten ändern sich, und ich mich mit ihnen. Inzwischen weiß ich zu schätzen, dass auf meinen eBook-Reader mehr Bücher passen, als ich im Leben lesen kann, alle in der Tasche dabei wohin es auch geht. Und der ganze Platz, der durchs Verschenken, Verkaufen und Wegwerfen der Papierbücher entsteht, wird nun frei für Flaschen voller Spirituosen und Gläser.
Ein paar Bücher habe ich dennoch gern in der physischen, gedruckten Form vor mir liegen – keine Romane, auch selten Fachbücher, aber wenn es um Spirituosen und Cocktails geht, dann blättere ich immer noch gern im Papier, insbesondere, da derartige Bücher gern etwas opulenter aufgemacht sind, mit festem, dicken Papier, guter Bindung und vielen Fotos. Hat es sich rentiert, dass ich mir Rum Curious von Fred Minnick, der eigentlich mehr als Bourbon-Spezialist bekannt ist, in dieser altmodischen Ausgabe zugelegt habe?
Das Leseerlebnis ist zweigeteilt. Die ersten 80 Seiten enthalten einen Abriss über Geschichte und Produktionsprozess bei Rum – wer sich nicht als totaler Laie in die Lektüre begibt, erfährt nicht extrem viel neues, der Inhalt ist aber sehr lesbar aufbereitet und mit vielen attraktiven Fotos versehen. Eine schöne, gelungene Kurzzusammenfassung über Rum, möchte ich sagen.
Besonders hervorheben möchte ich darüber hinaus einige Dinge, die mir sehr gut gefallen haben. Erstens, Minnicks Position gegenüber dem Manipulieren von Rum. Er lässt nichts aus diesbezüglich, wählt sehr klare Worte und ist auch ausführlich genug, so dass das Thema nicht als kleines Randproblem erkennbar ist. Dabei bleibt er aber einigermaßen neutral und lässt auch in Zitaten die Gegenposition der Nachsüßer zu Wort kommen (die sich dabei aber, praktischerweise, meist selbst entlarven).
Aufgrund einer hitzigen Diskussion, die ich neulich bei Facebook im Ministry of Rum führte, möchte ich Minnick auch extra dafür danken, dass er explizit klarstellt, dass Batavia Arrack und Cachaça kein Rum sind – Zuckerrohrbrände, ja, aber kein Rum. Seine Erklärung diesbezüglich ist klar, stringent und verständlich.
Vom Guten zum Schlechten – die andere Hälfte des Buchs, eigentlich mehr zwei Drittel sogar, ist leider nur wenig spannend. Sie besteht aus Bleiwüsten. Es werden viele Rums aufgezählt, dazu Tasting Notes und eine numerische Bewertung in der Skala von 1 bis 100 abgegeben (wobei die schlechteste Note eine 60 ist – wozu dienen die restlichen 60% der Skala?). Leider ist nur bei einem winzigen Bruchteil ein Bild vorhanden. Wie ich schon zu reinen Rezeptbüchern, die einfach nur Rezept nach Rezept auflisten, schrieb – sowas ist recht nutzlos und wäre auf einer Webpage mit Suchfunktion besser aufgehoben (oder eben in einem indexierten eBook). Wäre wenigstens zu jedem Rum noch eine Anekdote oder ähnliches vorhanden, könnte ich damit leben. In der vorliegenden Form enttäuscht es einfach nur maßlos.
Nützlich finde ich, dass Minnick auch Spiced Rum berücksichtigt, und diesem einen separaten Bereich mit einer separaten Bewertungslogik gönnt. Viele der gereiften südamerikanischen Rums würden eigentlich auch in diesen Bereich gehören, aber diesen Schritt wagt er nicht, das wäre allerdings vielleicht auch zuviel verlangt.
Auch wäre ich dem Autor sehr dankbar, wenn er seine pseudowitzigen Sprüche lassen könnte, die er immer bringt, wenn er persönlich meint, ein Rum sei „nicht zum mixen“. Schon allein die Idee finde ich bei einem Spirituosenprofi seltsam, vor allem, da er keinen Grund für diesen immer wieder auftretenden Einwurf bringt; da ist Dave Broom mit seinem Buch näher an meiner Meinung, dass es keine Spirituose gibt, die „zu gut“ fürs Verwenden in Cocktails wäre – höchstens zu teuer für den einen oder anderen. Je besser die Zutat, um so besser der Cocktail.
Das Buch schließt mit ebensolchen Cocktailrezepten, meist Klassiker, aber auch viele mir noch unbekannte Rezepte, die ich bald nachkochen werde. Ein Anhang mit einer Liste bekannter Destillen und deren Produktionsweisen ist eine tolle Sache, die ich sehr nützlich als Nachschlagewerk finde; kleine Fehler, die sich selbst einem Profi einschleichen, gehören leider dazu – Gosling’s süßt doch, Barbancourt auch.
Nun habe ich vielleicht das Buch auch einfach nur falsch gelesen – der Untertitel sagt mir, dass es sich um einen „Tasting Guide“ handelt. Und das ist er sicherlich. Wer also nach Geschmackshinweisen für viele Rums sucht, und nebenbei noch ein bisschen über Rum lernen will, der ist mit diesem Reiseführer durch die Rumgeschmackswelten bestens bedient.
Hinweis: Dieses Review ist umfangreicher und mit Fotos versehen auf meinem Blog nachzulesen.
Ich kaufe nur noch selten Bücher aus Papier. Einst war ich eine Bibliotheksratte und liebte es, mit dem Finger über die Reihen und Reihen von Büchern, mit denen ich meine Wände pflasterte, zu streichen und konnte mir im Leben nie vorstellen, nur noch elektronisch zu lesen. Das haptische Gefühl! Der Geruch! Das Umblättern! Wie kann sowas durch ein schnödes Gerät ersetzt werden, das Papier durch einen Bildschirm? Nun, die Zeiten ändern sich, und ich mich mit ihnen. Inzwischen weiß ich zu schätzen, dass auf meinen eBook-Reader mehr Bücher passen, als ich im Leben lesen kann, alle in der Tasche dabei wohin es auch geht. Und der ganze Platz, der durchs Verschenken, Verkaufen und Wegwerfen der Papierbücher entsteht, wird nun frei für Flaschen voller Spirituosen und Gläser.
Ein paar Bücher habe ich dennoch gern in der physischen, gedruckten Form vor mir liegen – keine Romane, auch selten Fachbücher, aber wenn es um Spirituosen und Cocktails geht, dann blättere ich immer noch gern im Papier, insbesondere, da derartige Bücher gern etwas opulenter aufgemacht sind, mit festem, dicken Papier, guter Bindung und vielen Fotos. Hat es sich rentiert, dass ich mir Rum Curious von Fred Minnick, der eigentlich mehr als Bourbon-Spezialist bekannt ist, in dieser altmodischen Ausgabe zugelegt habe?
Das Leseerlebnis ist zweigeteilt. Die ersten 80 Seiten enthalten einen Abriss über Geschichte und Produktionsprozess bei Rum – wer sich nicht als totaler Laie in die Lektüre begibt, erfährt nicht extrem viel neues, der Inhalt ist aber sehr lesbar aufbereitet und mit vielen attraktiven Fotos versehen. Eine schöne, gelungene Kurzzusammenfassung über Rum, möchte ich sagen.
Besonders hervorheben möchte ich darüber hinaus einige Dinge, die mir sehr gut gefallen haben. Erstens, Minnicks Position gegenüber dem Manipulieren von Rum. Er lässt nichts aus diesbezüglich, wählt sehr klare Worte und ist auch ausführlich genug, so dass das Thema nicht als kleines Randproblem erkennbar ist. Dabei bleibt er aber einigermaßen neutral und lässt auch in Zitaten die Gegenposition der Nachsüßer zu Wort kommen (die sich dabei aber, praktischerweise, meist selbst entlarven).
Aufgrund einer hitzigen Diskussion, die ich neulich bei Facebook im Ministry of Rum führte, möchte ich Minnick auch extra dafür danken, dass er explizit klarstellt, dass Batavia Arrack und Cachaça kein Rum sind – Zuckerrohrbrände, ja, aber kein Rum. Seine Erklärung diesbezüglich ist klar, stringent und verständlich.
Vom Guten zum Schlechten – die andere Hälfte des Buchs, eigentlich mehr zwei Drittel sogar, ist leider nur wenig spannend. Sie besteht aus Bleiwüsten. Es werden viele Rums aufgezählt, dazu Tasting Notes und eine numerische Bewertung in der Skala von 1 bis 100 abgegeben (wobei die schlechteste Note eine 60 ist – wozu dienen die restlichen 60% der Skala?). Leider ist nur bei einem winzigen Bruchteil ein Bild vorhanden. Wie ich schon zu reinen Rezeptbüchern, die einfach nur Rezept nach Rezept auflisten, schrieb – sowas ist recht nutzlos und wäre auf einer Webpage mit Suchfunktion besser aufgehoben (oder eben in einem indexierten eBook). Wäre wenigstens zu jedem Rum noch eine Anekdote oder ähnliches vorhanden, könnte ich damit leben. In der vorliegenden Form enttäuscht es einfach nur maßlos.
Nützlich finde ich, dass Minnick auch Spiced Rum berücksichtigt, und diesem einen separaten Bereich mit einer separaten Bewertungslogik gönnt. Viele der gereiften südamerikanischen Rums würden eigentlich auch in diesen Bereich gehören, aber diesen Schritt wagt er nicht, das wäre allerdings vielleicht auch zuviel verlangt.
Auch wäre ich dem Autor sehr dankbar, wenn er seine pseudowitzigen Sprüche lassen könnte, die er immer bringt, wenn er persönlich meint, ein Rum sei „nicht zum mixen“. Schon allein die Idee finde ich bei einem Spirituosenprofi seltsam, vor allem, da er keinen Grund für diesen immer wieder auftretenden Einwurf bringt; da ist Dave Broom mit seinem Buch näher an meiner Meinung, dass es keine Spirituose gibt, die „zu gut“ fürs Verwenden in Cocktails wäre – höchstens zu teuer für den einen oder anderen. Je besser die Zutat, um so besser der Cocktail.
Das Buch schließt mit ebensolchen Cocktailrezepten, meist Klassiker, aber auch viele mir noch unbekannte Rezepte, die ich bald nachkochen werde. Ein Anhang mit einer Liste bekannter Destillen und deren Produktionsweisen ist eine tolle Sache, die ich sehr nützlich als Nachschlagewerk finde; kleine Fehler, die sich selbst einem Profi einschleichen, gehören leider dazu – Gosling’s süßt doch, Barbancourt auch.
Nun habe ich vielleicht das Buch auch einfach nur falsch gelesen – der Untertitel sagt mir, dass es sich um einen „Tasting Guide“ handelt. Und das ist er sicherlich. Wer also nach Geschmackshinweisen für viele Rums sucht, und nebenbei noch ein bisschen über Rum lernen will, der ist mit diesem Reiseführer durch die Rumgeschmackswelten bestens bedient.
August 12, 2017
I received this book as a digital advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t necessarily have a love affair with rum or rum cocktails, especially after an ill-fated evening of mojitos at a dinner party at my house almost a decade ago. However, I am always generally curious to learn more about the spirits that I stock in my cabinet, so I thought that Rum Curious would be an interesting read. Without looking into my liquor cabinet, I’m pretty sure that I have a bottle of Don Q silver rum, Sailor Jerry spiced rum, and Goslings Black Seal rum hiding in there. Aside from making a mean Dark and Stormy while in Bermuda, I definitely have to rely on recipes when it comes to mixing rum cocktails.
As stated in his Introduction, the author’s intent is to help consumers make wise rum purchasing decisions by delivering a rum guide “with a touch of history, production information, cogent tasting notes, scores, and classic and contemporary cocktails.” He hopes to educate consumers as well as provide recipes for cocktails that will be fun to make at home.
After the introductory material, the book is basically divided into two parts – About Rum and Tasting Rum – that are followed by two appendices – Distillery Production Notes and Rum Resources.
About Rum begins with a short history of rum, including the history of the sugarcane, the most notable early discovery of which was recorded by one of Alexander the Great’s admirals in 325 BCE. The earliest known spirit distillation using sugarcane was in Brazil in the 1500s; however, the spirit distilled from molasses did not begin until the 1650s. The somewhat academic feeling text traces the influence of rum on United States history, as well as the influence of the popularity of American whiskey and the sugar beet on rum trade. The section continues with a discussion of the production of rum, which begins again with the sugarcane and ends with a discussion of the controversy over adding sweeteners to the rum at some point after distillation. A discussion of Rules and Regulations concludes the section by providing an overview of rum regulations that exist at all levels of government from the United Nations to each individual Caribbean island and by listing regulated terms for style. The master distiller of Foursquare, the master blender of Appleton Estates, and the founders of Richland Rum are heavily cited and quoted throughout the About Rum section, leaving an impression of bias in the author’s writing. Throughout this part of the book are pink call-out boxes with additional information or recipes to supplement the text.
Tasting Rum is composed of five sections: unaged rums, aged rums, flavored rums, other cane spirits, and cocktails. The author asserts that tasting rum is different than tasting whiskey or brandy; the color matters little to the quality of the rum, and what is important is smell, taste, and finish. According to the author, “[w]hen sampling rum, the nose does not lie … rum’s taste tends to follow the aroma it initially presents.” After a brief overview on tasting rum, the author scores a wide variety of rums in his four categories on a scale of 100 (where 59 and below is not recommended) and then offers some cocktail recipes. There are approximately 40 pages of rum ratings, and 15 pages of cocktail recipes. In each rum chapter, the rum is clearly identified, along with its percentage alcohol by volume and point of origin. The rums are presented in alphabetical order. The author describes the aroma and the palate of the rum, assigns it a score, and advises on how to drink the rum. There is absolutely no information about the objective criteria that the author used to come up with his score, so the scores seem rather whimsical. Oddly, the author is a fan of recommending rums be mixed into Old Fashioned and replace whiskey in other drinks. With respect to the unaged rums that are typically mixed in cocktails, the author is looking for flavor, but is also basing his scores in this category on their mixability and sipping merits. For aged rums, the author is looking for flavor that is not derived from additives and bases his scores more on sipping merit. Cigar pairing recommendations are offered for aged rums that score over 90 on his scale. With respect to flavored rums, the author is looking for a nonchemical taste and sipping quality. The cocktail recipes list the ingredients and the method, and sometimes the tools, the glassware, the topping, and the garnish. They range from the Classic Daiquiri in the Easy to Make Cocktails section to the Vinho Carousel in the Pro Level Rum Cocktails section. The Easy to Make Cocktails definitely seem familiar and possible with my liquor cabinet, but the Pro Level Rum Cocktails do not. The latter seem to each require either some type of foam or whipped cream or special sugar syrup that is made in such volume that is impractical for preparing one cocktail at a time.
The Distillery Production Notes are notes gathered from the distilleries themselves, sources within the organizations, and previously published material that might suggest a particular brand’s flavor profile. For each distillery, the notes might include the location, water source, source material, distillation, off-the-still proof, barrel-entry proof, maturation, filtration, color added, sugar added, flavoring, and cold stabiliztion. The notes for Appleton Estates includes almost all of these factors, while the notes for Bacardi and Don Q includes only location and off-the-still proof. The distilleries profiled range from the esoteric Phraya in Thailand and Montanya in Colorado to household names like Mount Gay and Goslings. The Rum Resources is approximately one page of web resources and another half page of print resources to learn more about rum. There are no resources for ordering rum online or finding rum in stores …
The artwork in the book is a combination of author photography of locations, rums, and cocktails; stock photography; and historical images. The artwork adds a richness to the book.
I don’t think I will add this book to my already extensive culinary library because the bulk of the book was composed of the rum ratings. I am not so into rum that I would refuse Goslings Black Seal in my Dark and Stormy or Sailor Jerry in my Hurricane. I am still working on the differences between Islay Scotches, so the differences between different aged rums seems too subtle to me. However, I would recommend this book for anyone who is serious about their rums because the rum ratings do span a wide variety of brands from a wide variety of countries.
I don’t necessarily have a love affair with rum or rum cocktails, especially after an ill-fated evening of mojitos at a dinner party at my house almost a decade ago. However, I am always generally curious to learn more about the spirits that I stock in my cabinet, so I thought that Rum Curious would be an interesting read. Without looking into my liquor cabinet, I’m pretty sure that I have a bottle of Don Q silver rum, Sailor Jerry spiced rum, and Goslings Black Seal rum hiding in there. Aside from making a mean Dark and Stormy while in Bermuda, I definitely have to rely on recipes when it comes to mixing rum cocktails.
As stated in his Introduction, the author’s intent is to help consumers make wise rum purchasing decisions by delivering a rum guide “with a touch of history, production information, cogent tasting notes, scores, and classic and contemporary cocktails.” He hopes to educate consumers as well as provide recipes for cocktails that will be fun to make at home.
After the introductory material, the book is basically divided into two parts – About Rum and Tasting Rum – that are followed by two appendices – Distillery Production Notes and Rum Resources.
About Rum begins with a short history of rum, including the history of the sugarcane, the most notable early discovery of which was recorded by one of Alexander the Great’s admirals in 325 BCE. The earliest known spirit distillation using sugarcane was in Brazil in the 1500s; however, the spirit distilled from molasses did not begin until the 1650s. The somewhat academic feeling text traces the influence of rum on United States history, as well as the influence of the popularity of American whiskey and the sugar beet on rum trade. The section continues with a discussion of the production of rum, which begins again with the sugarcane and ends with a discussion of the controversy over adding sweeteners to the rum at some point after distillation. A discussion of Rules and Regulations concludes the section by providing an overview of rum regulations that exist at all levels of government from the United Nations to each individual Caribbean island and by listing regulated terms for style. The master distiller of Foursquare, the master blender of Appleton Estates, and the founders of Richland Rum are heavily cited and quoted throughout the About Rum section, leaving an impression of bias in the author’s writing. Throughout this part of the book are pink call-out boxes with additional information or recipes to supplement the text.
Tasting Rum is composed of five sections: unaged rums, aged rums, flavored rums, other cane spirits, and cocktails. The author asserts that tasting rum is different than tasting whiskey or brandy; the color matters little to the quality of the rum, and what is important is smell, taste, and finish. According to the author, “[w]hen sampling rum, the nose does not lie … rum’s taste tends to follow the aroma it initially presents.” After a brief overview on tasting rum, the author scores a wide variety of rums in his four categories on a scale of 100 (where 59 and below is not recommended) and then offers some cocktail recipes. There are approximately 40 pages of rum ratings, and 15 pages of cocktail recipes. In each rum chapter, the rum is clearly identified, along with its percentage alcohol by volume and point of origin. The rums are presented in alphabetical order. The author describes the aroma and the palate of the rum, assigns it a score, and advises on how to drink the rum. There is absolutely no information about the objective criteria that the author used to come up with his score, so the scores seem rather whimsical. Oddly, the author is a fan of recommending rums be mixed into Old Fashioned and replace whiskey in other drinks. With respect to the unaged rums that are typically mixed in cocktails, the author is looking for flavor, but is also basing his scores in this category on their mixability and sipping merits. For aged rums, the author is looking for flavor that is not derived from additives and bases his scores more on sipping merit. Cigar pairing recommendations are offered for aged rums that score over 90 on his scale. With respect to flavored rums, the author is looking for a nonchemical taste and sipping quality. The cocktail recipes list the ingredients and the method, and sometimes the tools, the glassware, the topping, and the garnish. They range from the Classic Daiquiri in the Easy to Make Cocktails section to the Vinho Carousel in the Pro Level Rum Cocktails section. The Easy to Make Cocktails definitely seem familiar and possible with my liquor cabinet, but the Pro Level Rum Cocktails do not. The latter seem to each require either some type of foam or whipped cream or special sugar syrup that is made in such volume that is impractical for preparing one cocktail at a time.
The Distillery Production Notes are notes gathered from the distilleries themselves, sources within the organizations, and previously published material that might suggest a particular brand’s flavor profile. For each distillery, the notes might include the location, water source, source material, distillation, off-the-still proof, barrel-entry proof, maturation, filtration, color added, sugar added, flavoring, and cold stabiliztion. The notes for Appleton Estates includes almost all of these factors, while the notes for Bacardi and Don Q includes only location and off-the-still proof. The distilleries profiled range from the esoteric Phraya in Thailand and Montanya in Colorado to household names like Mount Gay and Goslings. The Rum Resources is approximately one page of web resources and another half page of print resources to learn more about rum. There are no resources for ordering rum online or finding rum in stores …
The artwork in the book is a combination of author photography of locations, rums, and cocktails; stock photography; and historical images. The artwork adds a richness to the book.
I don’t think I will add this book to my already extensive culinary library because the bulk of the book was composed of the rum ratings. I am not so into rum that I would refuse Goslings Black Seal in my Dark and Stormy or Sailor Jerry in my Hurricane. I am still working on the differences between Islay Scotches, so the differences between different aged rums seems too subtle to me. However, I would recommend this book for anyone who is serious about their rums because the rum ratings do span a wide variety of brands from a wide variety of countries.
June 11, 2017
Quick read until you get to the rum tasting notes. Very little pertinent info on the history of rum. No stories of rum, just reads like a wiki primer on rum. As far as reviews, mostly a bunch of obscure rums you'll never find.
September 1, 2017
Spirits have become more popular recently and I've enjoyed some local micro-distilleries. This book provides a thorough discussion of rum, its history, issues related to its production, descriptions of current rums, and a number of recipes designed for rum. The book is full of photos, drawings, paintings, and is very attractive. There is a history of the development and role rum has held in society. The author has strong opinions about what characteristics make a true rum, and describes the production process and issues related to aging, the addition of sugar, and flavoring. The current international issues related to regulation of rum are covered before a discussion of tasting and scoring. Most of the rest of the book consists of tasting notes for a variety of types of rum. It ends with recipes by a noted mixologist, and resources listing distilleries and sources of information.
I found the information to be comprehensive and accessible to read. The author is open about his stance on what counts as a true rum, but does air the challenges that distilleries face as well as their perspectives. There was a surprising amount of space given to the author's scores and tasting notes for individual rums. Not being someone who works with liquors, I was uncertain about how much to trust his scores. The recipes are presented as being "pro-level" which I guess explains their use of specialized ingredients and specific name brand spirits. While the recipes include suggestions for brand substitutions, I found that few of the recipes could be easily replicated in the average home bar.
Overall, I enjoyed this deep dive into rum, though it will likely become dated fairly soon. The best audience will be those who wish to increase their knowledge about rum, such as professionals and highly interested drinkers.
I received a digital copy for review through NetGalley. The review is my honest opinion.
I found the information to be comprehensive and accessible to read. The author is open about his stance on what counts as a true rum, but does air the challenges that distilleries face as well as their perspectives. There was a surprising amount of space given to the author's scores and tasting notes for individual rums. Not being someone who works with liquors, I was uncertain about how much to trust his scores. The recipes are presented as being "pro-level" which I guess explains their use of specialized ingredients and specific name brand spirits. While the recipes include suggestions for brand substitutions, I found that few of the recipes could be easily replicated in the average home bar.
Overall, I enjoyed this deep dive into rum, though it will likely become dated fairly soon. The best audience will be those who wish to increase their knowledge about rum, such as professionals and highly interested drinkers.
I received a digital copy for review through NetGalley. The review is my honest opinion.
January 28, 2018
This would be a great starter book for anyone who wants to get into the appreciation of rum. It covers not only the history but some of the production of rum and the various different sugarcane related spirits. The back after the book provides the author's tasting notes and ratings for a number of different rums and sugar cane derived alcohol. It also has a number of rum-based cocktails listed in the back. If you want to get deeper, I would look into Martin Cate's The Smuggler's Cove, but that may be too deep for the beginning rum reader.
February 27, 2018
It wasn't terrible, but the author's axe-grinding about the evils of added sugar and obsessive tangents about what rum regulations are good and which are stupid got a little tiresome. The heart of the book was interesting: Tasting notes on scores of rums from around the world. That could have gotten dry but the author is a funny guy, and imparts a lot of information that will help me find new rums I might like based on ones I've already tried.
October 28, 2017
I enjoyed the content of what was in the book. Half of the book is tasting and pairing, so if you think you are getting a book on just rum history you are not. But the writer does a really good job of describing the subject of rum. And if you are a bourbon person like I, you will truly enjoy the style and comparison.
July 24, 2017
Serviceable concise intro to rum, with a (legitimate) axe to grind on the problem of added sugar. Much of the book are tasting notes with inherently limited shelf-life. No major complaints about the material.
June 14, 2018
Straight forward review of a most misunderstood spirit
Enjoyed the history and tales of rum. Also appreciated the tasting notes. His other book, Bourbon Curious, does the same thing. Going to use it as a guide to develop my own nose and palette
Enjoyed the history and tales of rum. Also appreciated the tasting notes. His other book, Bourbon Curious, does the same thing. Going to use it as a guide to develop my own nose and palette
April 20, 2020
My first rum book and I enjoyed it. The many reviews were helpful as well as cocktail suggestions. The history of rum section seemed rushed and any research that was done didn’t shine through. Overall, I am glad to have read it.
January 3, 2018
A great reference book with plenty of beautiful pictures and illustrations.
January 8, 2018
In Rum Curious, Fred Minnick gives a shot history of rum and its distillation methods and a tumbler full of reviews of current rum releases.
I found the thorough rum reviews at the back of the book to be interesting and well worth the purchase for anyone hoping to explore the shelves of their local liquor store. Thought I imagine most of the releases would be hard to find at your corner store.
Rum Curious also includes a useful section on mixing cocktails. I do wish this part of the book had been expanded with more detail given into how to properly drink and sample different rums.
The author does have a chip on his shoulder about rum’s place in the spirits world. He complains a little too much about the lack of respect rum gets from consumers. While the book would have benefited from less complaining and more positive proselytizing, I did learn a lot about the current state of rum production across the world, and particularly in the Caribbean where it is centered.
I found the thorough rum reviews at the back of the book to be interesting and well worth the purchase for anyone hoping to explore the shelves of their local liquor store. Thought I imagine most of the releases would be hard to find at your corner store.
Rum Curious also includes a useful section on mixing cocktails. I do wish this part of the book had been expanded with more detail given into how to properly drink and sample different rums.
The author does have a chip on his shoulder about rum’s place in the spirits world. He complains a little too much about the lack of respect rum gets from consumers. While the book would have benefited from less complaining and more positive proselytizing, I did learn a lot about the current state of rum production across the world, and particularly in the Caribbean where it is centered.
to-start-soon
August 9, 2017A digitized ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 10, 2018
Rum industry exposed!
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