Readers may have noticed quite the gap between when I published my review of the book “Tea Leaf Reading for Beginners” and my interview with Magic the Cat. That’s because my husband and I hauled our asses to the farthest reaches of Nova Scotia, Canada for a wedding. While there I got to attend a big ol’ seafood boil that got me a plate piled high with lobster and crab along with tasting a red and white wine both made by one of the people in attendance. And although I did not get to try poutine while I was there, I did get to try mozza fries which is the same thing except the cheese curds are replaced with mozzarella cheese. Awesome! However despite how delicious all of those things were, there was one tasting that surpassed all others.
Rum. And not just any rum, Havana Club Rum from Cuba. With Cuba being the home of the mojito I’ve always wanted to try a mojito with Havana Club Rum. Imagine my surprise when I saw it came in varieties besides white or silver! I visited a local liquor store and of course checked out their rum selection. The guy working found it quite humorous that I was so excited about seeing a bottle of Havana Club Rum that I insisted on taking a picture of it! For those of you who don’t know, the United States has a trade embargo on Cuba which means that you can’t buy Havana Club Rum in the U.S. and also that I couldn’t buy a bottle to bring home with me. Many Canadians offered lots of suggestions for getting the illicit rum home with me, but as of late I’m pretty well convinced I’m one of the unluckiest people shambling around so I didn’t want to see what happens if you get caught at the border with Cuban rum. Fortunately my friend Greg, of What Greg Eats, bought a bottle for me to try while I was visiting. It was surprisingly smooth with just a touch of a burn at the finish, and it made an amazing Rum and Coke.
So as to not go home empty handed I opted to buy a bottle of Smuggler’s Cove Dark Rum. It’s from the Glenora Distillery which was right in the area we were visiting. When in doubt, buy local. At a glance I suspect it is going to be comparable to the Kraken Black Spiced Rum I have. They have a similar color and aroma. I haven’t had a chance to try it because I was vacationing with a failing gallbladder that hasn’t been removed yet, and I pressed my luck good and proper with the wine and Havana Club Rum, so this one can wait until after my surgery, which is (gulp) tomorrow.
If you ever get the chance since you seem like a rum lover, the BEST rum that I have ever tried is called Flor de Caña which is a Nicaraguan rum. I had a layover in El Salvador on the flight back from South America and bought an 18 Yr rum. . . simply spectacular. They have a store locator on their website and they sell in New York. . . not in Canada though 🙁
http://www.flordecana.com
As of the last time I spoke with Rebecca, I had only had the Havana Club straight, and it was tasty.
Since then, I’ve had more than a few rum and cokes and they were excellent, so good in fact that I recommend them without lime.
Good stuff!
Heh, I sense a trip to Canada in my future….mmm, rum.