Product: Brinley Gold Lime Rum Producer: Brinley Approximate Retail Value: $25 per bottle Category: Rum Country of Origin: Caribbean Reviewer: R. Pietsch The F Words: Flavor – Sweet, rich lime. Feel – Heavy, dense – sticky even. Finish – Long lasting, fruity and full of warmth.

Rating:

We’ve been a huge fan of the Brinley product line since day one. You simply can’t find a better flavored rum on the market. In fact, this family has created the market for quality flavored rum.  And while the newest addition to the line pales only slightly in comparison to its predecessors, it is still far and away the best of its kind.

If you’ve tried a Brinley product in the past, you have an expectation of a sensational rum. There is quite simply nothing else like it. Where other flavored rums skimp on both the quality of the rum and the quality of the flavoring, Brinley excels on both levels.

This rum is no different. Following on the heels of their Coconut Rum, the Lime flavor is perhaps the most logical of all the rum flavors. Maybe that is why it is the least impressive of the bunch. Make no mistake, this is an absolutely fantastic product which is worth every penny of the incredibly affordable price tag. But I’m afraid the Brinley family has just set the bar so high that the only comparable rum is that of their earlier releases. And though this bottle is immaculate in its nose, flavor, feel and finish, it lacks the adventurous ambition of, say, their Vanilla Rum. 

As with their other rums, they offer a single serving suggestion: “Serve neat and chilled.” This is truly the best way to take in the full effect of this outstanding bottle. But to become a ubiquitous liquid star that’s found in every home bar, a liquor needs to have a solid serving suggestion for at least one credible (or incredible) cocktail. We are by no means lazy here when it comes to testing our theories in mixology, but there must be a less-than-obvious concoction for this rum to call home. This is the perfect drink for someone who is in the mood for a clean, crisp, rum but can’t find a lime to garnish. But if you are looking to make a heightened rum and coke or remove a step in making a Mojito, put this bottle back on the wall.

This is perhaps the first rum in this line that has a single mark against it in its lack of versatility. But this is probably the first rum from Brinley where the only criticism is at the same time a compliment—this rum is simply too good to be mixed with anything else.