Thirsty Thursday Eve - Admiral Nelson's Spiced Rum
As my first (and probably only) Thirsty Thursday Eve covering monthly discounted liquors from North Carolina, I thought it all too appropriate to pick the first style of alcohol that I ever reviewed here: spiced rum. Specifically, Admiral Nelson’s 70 proof spiced rum.
Name: Spiced Rum
Source: Admiral Nelson
ABV: 35%
Price: $7.95 ($9.95)
Volume: 750ml
Price per oz: $0.31 ($0.39)
For a long time now, my approach to bottom shelf liquor has been, “just how bad can it be?” This cheap spiced rum surprised me, however. I’d genuinely say it’s good. It’s very smooth, even accounting for the small proof reduction. I try to base my judgement on smoothness from a standard 80 proof perspective, and adjust my expectations accordingly. This spiced rum is 70 proof, but it drinks more like a 40-ish proof liquor. It’s sweet and a little spicy. The flavor profile isn’t exactly deep, but it isn’t offensive either. I’d serve this at a party without fear of alienating any type of drinker.
Being a spiced rum, this begs a few comparisons. Personally, I enjoy the burn of a more stout liquor, so I still think I prefer Costco’s Kirkland Signature spiced rum. That isn’t a commentary on quality, though. I think those who don’t care for the burn would prefer Admiral Nelson. I’d call the value similar, so it literally just comes down to personal preference.
Beyond Kirkland Signature, I can personally compare it to Kraken. Now, you could potentially offer the distinction that Kraken is a *black* spiced rum, where Admiral Nelson is just a plain ol’ regular spiced rum. Whether you call that a different category or not, it speaks to the differences that I can detect there. I’d say that Kraken is a more complex flavor profile, and more interesting to drink straight. Kraken also comes at a bit of a premium over Admiral Nelson. If you’re drinking straight and you enjoy that nuance of flavor, go with the Kraken. If you’re mixing or you don’t really mind the simplicity of Admiral Nelson, it probably isn’t worth the extra cost for the Kraken to you.
As for the obvious match of Captain Morgan… I couldn’t tell you. I’ve never had normal Captain Morgan, only the flavored seasonal variants. When I pick up one of those flavored bottles of Admiral Nelson, I may make the comparison then. Otherwise, I’ll have to postpone this particular pairing until I’ve tried normal Captain Morgan. Sources seem to put them about equal, with Admiral Nelson coming out on top for some tasters. Suffice it to say, they’re probably a pretty close match, and Admiral serves as a pretty decent alternative or backup to Captain.
If nothing else, I hope this spiced rum nods toward the quality of the rest of Admiral Nelson’s variety of rum styles. It’s cheap anyway, readily available, and frequently on sale in NC. I’d gladly pay 10 bucks for a bottle, but it’s an even better deal when you can regularly pick it up for 8. If all of the Admiral rums are this good, it’s a reliable source of pretty good rum. Sign me up.
Name: Spiced Rum
Source: Admiral Nelson
ABV: 35%
Price: $7.95 ($9.95)
Volume: 750ml
Price per oz: $0.31 ($0.39)
For a long time now, my approach to bottom shelf liquor has been, “just how bad can it be?” This cheap spiced rum surprised me, however. I’d genuinely say it’s good. It’s very smooth, even accounting for the small proof reduction. I try to base my judgement on smoothness from a standard 80 proof perspective, and adjust my expectations accordingly. This spiced rum is 70 proof, but it drinks more like a 40-ish proof liquor. It’s sweet and a little spicy. The flavor profile isn’t exactly deep, but it isn’t offensive either. I’d serve this at a party without fear of alienating any type of drinker.
Being a spiced rum, this begs a few comparisons. Personally, I enjoy the burn of a more stout liquor, so I still think I prefer Costco’s Kirkland Signature spiced rum. That isn’t a commentary on quality, though. I think those who don’t care for the burn would prefer Admiral Nelson. I’d call the value similar, so it literally just comes down to personal preference.
Beyond Kirkland Signature, I can personally compare it to Kraken. Now, you could potentially offer the distinction that Kraken is a *black* spiced rum, where Admiral Nelson is just a plain ol’ regular spiced rum. Whether you call that a different category or not, it speaks to the differences that I can detect there. I’d say that Kraken is a more complex flavor profile, and more interesting to drink straight. Kraken also comes at a bit of a premium over Admiral Nelson. If you’re drinking straight and you enjoy that nuance of flavor, go with the Kraken. If you’re mixing or you don’t really mind the simplicity of Admiral Nelson, it probably isn’t worth the extra cost for the Kraken to you.
As for the obvious match of Captain Morgan… I couldn’t tell you. I’ve never had normal Captain Morgan, only the flavored seasonal variants. When I pick up one of those flavored bottles of Admiral Nelson, I may make the comparison then. Otherwise, I’ll have to postpone this particular pairing until I’ve tried normal Captain Morgan. Sources seem to put them about equal, with Admiral Nelson coming out on top for some tasters. Suffice it to say, they’re probably a pretty close match, and Admiral serves as a pretty decent alternative or backup to Captain.
If nothing else, I hope this spiced rum nods toward the quality of the rest of Admiral Nelson’s variety of rum styles. It’s cheap anyway, readily available, and frequently on sale in NC. I’d gladly pay 10 bucks for a bottle, but it’s an even better deal when you can regularly pick it up for 8. If all of the Admiral rums are this good, it’s a reliable source of pretty good rum. Sign me up.
They also make a coconut rum that's cheaper than Malibu and tastes just as good.
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