Booze

I am informed that August 16th is National Rum Day. Rum being my spirit of choice,I thoroughly approve. Of course they could be making the whole thing up in a sleazy effort to sell more rum, but why take chances.

Had a discussion with a friend once who favored whiskeys. Knowing nothing of single malts at the time, I opined that whiskeys were a coarse drink, best added to coffee with a generous dollop of cream and sugar. He replied that Rum was a legalized method of selling the public the lowest form of rotgut moonshine, and we both realized that something was wrong with these pictures.

He introduced me to single malts, which were quite tasty, for the most part, if annoyingly expensive, and I explained that white rum was, in fact rotgut moonshine.
Rum should be brown in color, the darker the better.
Look for the word "Anjeo" on the label. This indicates it's been decently aged.
Look for words like "flavored" and "spiced" on the label, and leave these on the shelf, unless you're under 21. Good booze is wasted on youth.
Recognizable flavors in rum should include brown sugar, and maybe vanilla. Flavors like this tell you you're drinking REAL rum, much like the flavors of peat and iodine tell you you're drinking top-shelf single malt.

The comments in the above post (advertisement?) mention Bardinet Negrita and Cruzan Black Strap. Never tried, or even seen either one. Further research is indicated.