I have seen the light (Kind of a Zacapa 23 review)

[yourchoice]

After more than 15 years of trial and error (and error and error) I had come to the conclusion there were a handful of alcoholic beverages I preferred above all others. I'm not sure of the order of preference, but they were Whiskey (especially Scotch), Gin, Beer, Wine, Brandy/Cognac, and occasionally Tequila and Champagne. There are some drinks I dabble with outside of these, but for the straight flavor, that was it.

I can now add another.

Rum.

Recently, through this (sub)forum and a fortuitous last minute invitation to the Philadelphia Whiskey Festival I discovered high quality rums, specifically Zacapa 23. I am honestly shocked how much I enjoy this rum. It is like no other rum I have ever had...not even close (my rum experience prior to it had been very limited - Bacardi, Captain Morgan, etc.). The depth of flavors is outstanding...honey, vanilla, chocolate, fruit (cherries?), wood, all of which contribute to its complexity. I am soooo glad I decided to pick up a bottle.

And thanks to the contributors of the nice rums thread, there are a few more quality rums on my short list to try, including Zaya (not at my local liquor store), Santa Teresa 1796 (at my local liquor store) and a few others. If any of them are anywhere near as good as Zacapa 23, I will be a very happy man (but my liver may not be ).

If your drink preferences are similar to mine, I highly recommend trying Zacapa 23.

[Veritas]

This is one of my favorite spirits. Good choice for an entry into the world of premium rum. Zaya and Santa Teresa are on my short list of must-buys, too.

[icehog3]

Zacapa 23 and Centenario are my favorite rums by far, even over Cuban brands. They just seem to have something that no other rums offer.

Zacapa 23 is a good replacement for the now long gone Guatemalan Zaya ().