News

Remarkable cache of rare Jamaica Rum found

A remarkable cache of rare Fine Old Jamaica Rum circa 1870-1890

Judging from the labels and bottles, these rums were bottled around
1900-1910, and had likely 20 to 30 years in cask prior to that. It's clear
from the packaging that this was regarded as a superb quality rum
even at the time it was bottled. This is an exceptional discovery - the
nose is one of the most exotic and powerful I've ever experienced.

19th century rum of this quality is extremely rare - far more so than
equivalently fine cognacs or armagnacs. At the time, top quality rums
were regarded by noted connoisseurs like George Saintsbury (in his
legendary "Notes from a Cellar Book" published in 1920) as on a par
with the finest cognacs. Saintsbury writes how rare old fashioned dark
rums (like these bottles) were becoming, and how superior they were
to the paler, lighter rums then coming into vogue.

A long debated issue with many varying views. People seem to divide into two major groups when discussing this topic, they either love or hate the cork, still a lot of people don’t care how their bottle is sealed. For cork lovers its not just about sealing the bottle, but rather how you seal it.

The screw cap is no doubt more reliable than the cork. It doesn't dry or leak very easily and it stays on tighter than the cork. Although these days most bottles that have a cork have a plastic wrap on them to prevent the cork from falling out. Some bottles even have wax poured over the cork which is a very nice touch in my opinion.

Admittedly these kinds of bottles are usually more expensive than their normal or screw capped counterparts. It is also cheaper to use a screw cap than a cork that is facing the threat of extinction. Another popular replacement for the cork is a rubber cork which does not come off as easy as a real cork and is less likely to leak.

The UK Rumfest!

Rum Fest The Lindley Hall, The Royal horticultural halls, 80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 1PE
Doors open from 10.30am. Show finished at 5.30pm

From the 16th-21st October 2007, London features Rums, Rhums, Rons and Cachaça from the world over. The 6-day festival includes a Rum Run, The Rum Experience Show & Exhibition, The 1st UK Rum & Cane Spirit tasting competition, Rum Ball and a Rum Cocktail Contest in search of the new signature rum cocktail for the UK. Distilleries making Scotch whisky, Gin, Cognac, Irish whiskey even Vodkas are easily reached by train or by car. Not so with the only true World spirit, Rum.

The UK RUM FEST guarantees to make it easy to walk to Nepal for a taste of Khukri Rum then to Jamaica for a taste of one the Caribbean's biggest exports Appleton Rum. You can sample the worlds 2nd biggest selling rum, Tanduay from the Philippines or sip a 23 year old modern classic from Guatemala, in Ron Zacapa. Learn why Rhums from Martinique & Guadeloupe have won numerous spirit awards and why Rhum from Haiti is compared to some of the finest cognacs in the world. Find out how Bacardi became one of the biggest selling brands of all time and why Bundaberg rum in Australia is so popular that you can buy it on draught with coke!

Read the rest of the article at Rum Fest.

The bar is open!

Welcome to Refined Vices!

Good day to you one and all. I am Count Silvio Dante. I welcome you all to Refined Vices.com. I would like to begin by taking this opportunity to introduce the purpose of this website to you.

Refined vices was started because of my great passion for fine rums, whiskey and cigars and the general lifestyle that is usually associated with them.

While we will be concentrating mostly on aged rums we will occasionally review whiskey and cigars as well. My goal is to offer plenty of information about the reviewed product but most of all how it tastes, afterall that is what matters the most, does it not? In the process of writing these reviews not only do I wish to inform the readers but I hope to educate myself in the matter as well. What I also find very important, as a provider of information and as a consumer, is to know what the product in question looks like. That is why I will include a high quality picture of the product in every review, contrary to the small thumbnails most websites offer. This way the reader will know exactly what to search for on the shop shelves should he decide to purchase something.