Review: Captain Morgan White Rum   (82/100)
a review by Chip Dykstra (AKA Arctic Wolf)
Published April 15, 2016

Admiral Sir Henry Morgan (aka Captain Morgan) was a Welsh ‘privateer’ who attacked and plundered the Caribbean on behalf of, and with the written consent of (in the form of an English Letter of Marque), the Governor of Jamaica, Sir Thomas Modyford.

Privateers at that time in history were essentially ‘legal pirates’ who were allowed to attack and loot enemies of the state reaping the rewards from their plunder in lieu of pay. Researching Sir Henry Morgan, I learned he was a skilled naval captain, a ruthless buccaneer, and one of the most successful ‘privateers’ in the history of piracy (oops I mean privateering) earning a Knighthood for himself in 1674.

Captain Morgan Rum is one of the most successful spirits brand in the entire world. The Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum is perhaps the most successful spiced rum in the entire category, and it has pretty much set the standard for sales and marketing for all other spiced rums to follow. However, Captain Morgan is no longer just spiced rum. The company now also produces a full line of flavoured rums,  CAPTAIN MORGAN Pineapple Rum, CAPTAIN MORGAN Coconut Rum, and CAPTAIN MORGAN Grapefruit Rum (click the links to read my reviews). As well they recently launched the subject of this review, CAPTAIN MORGAN White Rum. 

According to the company website, CAPTAIN MORGAN White Rum is five times distilled and made from cane molasses. It is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

In the Bottle 4/5

I have said before that it is hard to argue with the impact the iconic Captain Morgan Logo has had upon the world of rum. The swashbuckling privateer with his leg set upon a rum barrel is one of the most recognized symbols in the industry. Even though the bottle for the White Rum is of the standard bar room variety, the logo on the label brings attention to the brand and makes it immediately recognizable on the store shelf.

In the Glass 8/10

When I poured the rum into my glass and examined it, I was not surprised to find a no hint of colour. Although I believe the rum is aged for about a year in ex bourbon casks (I could find no confirmation for this; but I note that all rum sold in Canada must by law be aged for at least one year in oak), the rum has been filtered clear to make it an appealing spirit for cocktails and mixed drinks. When I took my glass and give it a slow tilt and twirl I noticed that the liquid sheen on the inside of the glass was just a little thicker than I would have thought and the legs which formed (although small) seemed slightly sluggish. It is hard to tell for sure, but the sluggishness of the legs and the slightly thickened sheen seem to indicate that the rum may have a little sugar added to smooth the flavour and to lightly sweeten the rum. (I should point out here that the addition of sugar is perfectly acceptable and falls well within the rules and regulations which define rum sold in the USA and Canada.) (See: What is Rum?)

The initial nose surprised me too as there was an ever so light mustiness rising the from the glass, as well as very apparent aromas of a mild caramel, green banana, peppery zest and light sandalwood spices. I was expecting the ‘5 times distilled’ white to have more of a ‘vodka-like’ nose, and am pleased to be completely wrong on that count. I allowed the glass to breathe and began to notice a vague ‘grassiness’ and hints of cotton candy. There is also a light resin-like aroma coming forward and an ever so light menthol in the air as well. All in all the nose pleases me, as the rum appears to be moderately complex (for a white rum that is) and does not present any undo harshness.

In the Mouth 50/60

When I sip the rum I notice immediate that the spirit does indeed contain a little additional sweetness as compared with other white rums I have sampled recently. I can readily taste sweetened vanilla and citrus flavours (lemon zest) which are combined with light banana-like impressions combined with a light menthol and some undefined grassiness. I can sip the rum easily without ice which I suppose is a reflection of that heightened sweetness. It would be true to say though that the moderate complexity which I noticed in the breezes does not translate fully to the palate.

I mixed a few standard cocktails including a Daiquiri and a Cuba Libre‘.  The daiquiri was quite good although I did have to cut back the sugar syrup just a little in my standard recipe. The Cuba Libre’ was acceptable; but it would be my inclination to continue along the path of citrus cocktails rather than mixing with cola in the future.

In the Throat 12/15

The rum is smooth in the exit with trailing flavours of light butterscotch, vanilla and banana. The mild sweetness seems to linger, and after a few sips it is the light butterscotch that seems to dominate the finish rather than the other exit flavours of vanilla and banana.

The Afterburn 8/10

Captain Morgan states on their website that they want there consumers to take life less seriously, it appears they have taken this motto to heart and produced a decent white rum that does not take itself seriously either. This mixing rum will have mass appeal, and should do quite well in the marketplace. It has more sweetness than others in the category which will definitely appeal to many especially if sweetened citrus bar drinks are part of their regular cocktail menu.

If you are interested in comparing more scores, here is a link to my other published Rum Reviews.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Suggested Recipes

Daiquiris and Mojitos are highly recommended servings. Here is a daiquiri-style serving I created with Captain Morgan’s White Rum, the 11 A.M. Daiquiri:

11 A.M. Daiquiri

2 1/2 oz Captain Morgan’s White Rum
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Orange Juice
3/8 oz Sugar Syrup (1:1)
Ice
Lemon Slice

Add the ingredients into a metal shaker with ice
Shake until the outside of the shaker begins to frost
Pour into a crushed ice-filled hurricane glass
Garnish with orange and cherry.

Enjoy Responsibly!

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I thought I would also share a recipe sent to me by the Diageo (owners of the Captain Morgan Brand) media team which combines Captain Morgan’s White Rum with their 100 Proof Spiced Rum.

Captain Morgan Spiced Hurricane

3/4 oz. Captain Morgan 100 Proof Spiced Rum
3/4 oz. Captain Morgan White Rum
2 oz. Passion Fruit Juice
1 oz. Orange Juice
1 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Sugar Syrup
1/4 oz Grenadine
Ice
Orange slice and cherry for garnish

Add the ingredients into a metal shaker with ice
Shake until the outside of the shaker begins to frost
Pour into a crushed ice-filled hurricane glass
Garnish with orange and cherry.

Enjoy Responsibly!

If you are interested in more of my cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 You may (loosely) interpret the scores as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing rum or whisky.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84    We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89    Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94    Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)