Matusalem Gran Reserva

It’s always a tough decision when deciding between beer and rum on a hot day. Last week while visiting my local bottle shop (thats Aussie for liquor store) to escape the heat, I didn’t know what I felt like! Staring through the frosty fridge door into the city-scape like pile of beer cartons in the cool room I really was tempted to have a snooze and cool down and perhaps grap a carton on my way out. I stayed strong hoever and took myself over to the much shinier (but far less frosty) rum section to see what was on offer.

As i browsed the collection it dawned on me that more rums I try, the harder it is getting to find one I haven’t yet sampled. Most adventures to find a new rum conclude with a bunch of “got it, had it, tried it, tried, it, got it, drank it, ooh.. big night, got it..” you get the picture.

I’ve also noticed a trend with price. The more rums I try the more expensive the new rums get! It could just be because I’m a tight ass and try the cheaper ones first, but as my appreciation for rum and my knowledge of the spirit is growing I really do find myself leaning towards the more expensive end of the rum scale. On this occasion I ended with two choices. Mount Gay Extra Old (got it) or Matusalem Gran Reserva. I was left with only one option.

It’s well known that I’m a fan of the Matusalem brand, particularly its Platino offering. So I was keen to try out the more mature spirit of the bunch (a blend with average 15 years age), and when it comes in its own cardboard box, you know its gotta be good! I must say I was very impressed, not only with the decoration of its carton, but also the rum – lovely and smooth with a hint of vanilla and is almost a bit toasty!

After adding a couple of ice cubes it developed a bit of a caramel like quality and became much to easy to drink! This bottle was $60AUD, and when asked the cost for a shot on the rocks while out at the local casino on the weekend, I was told $15… I said no thanks, 4 of those and I’d have my own bottle and went home instead.

This rum really is a beauty, I’m becoming a big fan of the Solera process rums (which i only learnt about recently – doh) and the label makes me feel like a real life pirate, even though i haven’t been on a boat in months! For a more comprehensive, educated and informed review of this rum than I could possibly ever give – pop on over to RumDood‘s site, he had proved everything you need to know about Matusalem Gran Reserva.

Thats it from me today, I’m going to head home tonight to leave the rum on the shelf and instead opt for an ice cold Cooper’s 62 Pilsner and a bin full of ice! (ok, so I lied… I grabbed a carton of beer as well!). Stay cool rummies.

RD