Review: Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum
Sammy Hagar conquered rock music. Then he conquered tequila. Then Mexican food. Now: Rum.
The liquor mogul is expanding into the rum business courtesy of this tropics-friendly bottling, a white rum made from first-press Hawaiian sugar cane that is pot-distilled in small batches. It’s aged for two years, then filtered to remove color.
Since it’s made from cane juice, not molasses, Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum has a distinct cachaca note to it, but it’s not overpowering. You’d be perfectly in the right using this to make both mojitos and caipirinhas. The funky wood oil, coal, and rubber character on the nose give way on the body to light sweetness. Those expecting a sugar bomb won’t find it here. This rum, against all odds, is a more complicated affair, loaded with notes of lemon, black pepper, and almond paste. That rubbery character — while not unwelcome on the nose — is moderate on the finish, which unfortunately isn’t really the way I like my rum to fade out.
Pretty intriguing on the whole, but not my favorite style.
70 proof.
B / $20 / sammysbeachbarrum.com
This rum was some of the worst I’ve ever tasted. I was made nauseous by it even as I poured it down the drain.
Sammy’s beach bar rum is a better than average, sippable rum. One reviewer poured his down the drain. He must be so used to drinking the common, gasoline tasting white rum that inundates the market that he was shocked that this doesn’t taste like swill. This rum is an above average sippable rum that is far and away a better than average mixer for a white rum.
I loved it. However, don’t drink it expecting it to taste like rum. Much closer to a good cachacha (the difference with which may be academic) . Personally, it reminded me of a good grappa, or some other mirabelle/white brandy. Also a good silver tequila.
The poster above needs to go back to his Bacardi swill
made as a mixer over ice.
is awesome