At Drunken Tiki, when a spirit is being rated, it is intended to serve as an ‘informed opinion’ of how the product is received – that is, as reviewed by our internal judges, which is designed to help you decide which products you should explore further.

Generally speaking, we typically conduct our testing based around three Litmus tests:

 

1. 1. Mixing the spirit in a classic Daiquiri (for any white or gold rum)

   2. Mixing the spirit with Coca-Cola (if it is a dark/black or spiced rum)

   3. Mixing the spirit with Jasper’s Secret Mix (if it is a pure Jamaican rum)

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In some instances, we may expand our tasting repertoire beyond the above mentioned applications, such as a classic Ti’ Punch if we are testing a Martinique. In other instances, if the rum is a ‘regional’ blend, then we’ll add more weight to the constituent component of the blend which has the more dominant characteristic and which ultimately works in harmony with the rum itself.

When rating a product, we base our rating criteria around three primary directives:

1. Aroma

2. Taste

3. Mixability

NOTE: Regarding specific rum criticism, the most useful portion of these judgments can be found in our written reviews themselves. These reviews typically describe the mixability of the rum, along with advice for when to drink it and other relevant information, like production methods, tasting notes, and background or historical context about the distillery or producer.

 

LITMUS TEST FORMULAS:

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Daiquiri #1: (Reserved for 85% of rums we test)

• 2 oz Rum

• 3/4 oz Lime Juice

• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

 

Daiquiri #2: (Reserved only for overproof rums)

• 2 oz Rum

• 1 oz Lime Juice

• 3/4 oz Simple Syrup

 

Daiquiri #3: (Reserved only for rare/esoteric rums)

• 1 1/2 oz Rum

• 1/2 oz Lime Juice

• 1 tsp. Simple Syrup

 

Jasper’s Secret Mix: (Reserved exclusively for pure Jamaicans)

• 16 oz Lime Juice

• 3 Cups of White Sugar

• 1.5 oz Angostura Bitters

• 1/2 Whole Nutmeg, Grated

 

Coca-Cola: (Reserved exclusively for any dark/black or spiced rum)

• 2:1 Ratio (Coca-Cola to Rum)

 

NOTE: While there is no definitive version of either one, the above recipes are the specific ones which we’ve found to be the most accurate in terms of showcasing any given spirit.

 

Drunken Tiki’s 5-Star Rating System: