Product: Montecristo Rum Spiced Blend Producer: Montecristo Rum Approximate Retail Value: $20/bottle Category: Rum Country of Origin: Guatemala Reviewer: J. Harding The F Words: Flavor – Cloves, cinnamon. Feel – Smooth, soft. Finish – Dark and satisfying.

Rating:

As a booze reviewer, I have a terrible confession to make. You won’t find much rum in my liquor cabinet. I make my Cuba Libres with whiskey (what do you call that? American Oppression?), my mojitos are spiked with vodka (seriously, try it sometime), and I’m not even sure what other drinks you make with rum. Long Island Iced Tea? But that doesn’t count, because you make Long Island Iced Tea with everything. It’s not that I have a problem with rum; it’s just that rum’s function seems easily outsourced to other, more enticing alcohol. It’s the call center of booze. Why buy rum when you can shoot tequila, mix whiskey with your coffee, and pour Bailey’s into your cereal? So imagine my surprise when Montecristo Rum went public, doubled its revenue, and then bought out whiskey, rum and tequila.

Spiced liquors tend to miss the mark, but Montecristo closes what is otherwise a difficult business merger. Its spiciness is rich and complex, softening the bite of the liquor but keeping its edge intact. Other brands tend to overspice, but Montecristo doesn’t force its flavorings. Cloves and cinnamon add some sweetness; their presence makes drinking straight Montecristo a delight. Try Montecristo on the rocks, or even warmed. I mixed it with coke and was pleasantly surprised by the result. My cocktail was unique and refreshing, a satisfying twist on the standard. I created an ad hoc piña colada which was a little less enjoyable than my Cuba Libre. I don’t really recommend mixing citrus and cloves. They’re like the AOL Time Warner merger; it’ll take a lot of finessing to make it work. Nonetheless, drinking Montecristo was a joy. No diminishing marginal utility here.

But almost more importantly, Montecristo made me excited about rum. It’s rare for me to concoct non-cocktail recipes when I drink alcohol, but Montecristo brought to mind fried plantains, banana splits, and rum-soaked pork. I wanted to make barbecue sauce with Montecristo instead of Jack Daniels, and mix Montecristo into my milkshakes. For someone who’d been using Bacardi to clean the toilet, a rum that ignites my entrepreneurial spirit, so to speak, is a rare thing indeed. Great liquor should not just mix well or shoot strong, but should inspire the drinker to drink more, drink differently, drink better. Montecristo did just that for me, and hopefully it’ll do the same for you.