What Matters in Rum Ratings

Most people like their own creations.  That’s the way I am about these ratings and descriptions on www.YoHoHoNABOR.blogspot.com.   Sure, there are some rather sophisticated rum ratings and websites out there by individuals and panels of credentialed experts, but they typically include too many rums I can’t find at my local liquor stores.  Then there are websites with rums described only with standard marketing blurbs and photos, but nothing really personal about how the rum enhanced someone’s vacation or whether the rum represents their home town or if the rum brought a smile or grimace to their wife’s face.  Beyond the words, a useful rumsite needs to show the visitor a graphic that depicts each rum’s vitals for ease of comparison.  There needs to be help with selection of the perfect rum for each occasion. 

When I showed this blog to my son, Shelby, he liked the Value Rating.  That conversation also taught me that I needed a visual, graphical way to display value.  That’s how the Rum Meter evolved.  As of this date, the Rum Meter is posted for all rums rated 7 or higher.  After all, if a rum is rated 6 or lower, its value can be misrepresentative.  Would you want to buy a high-value rum that earned that value based more on price than taste? 

So what matters?  Simply, selecting the rum that fits the occasion at the right price.  Oh, yes, and that rum needs to be one that you can actually find.