In general, rum is produced by first combining molasses or sugar with water and yeast to produce a fermented mildly alcoholic mixture. Captain Morgan starts this same way, and once the initial slurry is ready for distillation it is fed into a continuous distillation still (or column still) to produce the raw rum. This is where the spirit really shines. With the addition of a little ginger beer, all of those flavors start to come together really nicely for a delicious drink. The sweetness of this rum (particularly the brown sugar flavor) balances nicely with the bitter ginger beer, and the baking spices in the rum add a depth and richness to the drink. What you see in the aroma is pretty much what you get in the flavor. Once again, the flavors are unnaturally well-saturated with a viscosity like that of maple syrup (note: I’m referencing real maple syrup — not the fake corn syrup stuff). I get an immediate burst of brown sugar and vanilla, followed by some slight development of baking spices, before the finish winds up tasting almost exactly like a flat Coca Cola. On Ice

If you’re looking for another option that’s a bit on the sourer side, give the Captain’s lime shandy a try. I will note that this still is still on the sweeter side. Even with that bitter ginger beer in the mix, the sweetness from the rum makes it almost taste like candy. That might be a welcome result for some folks, but in my opinion it is a little distracting. While I appreciate that this rum works in this drink, I’m not personally a huge fan.With spiced rum, light rum, Malibu rum, and amaretto, it doesn’t have much choice but to be strong. The Seagram company wouldn’t last, however — in the early 2000’s, the various divisions of the company were carved out and sold to larger beverage manufacturers. The mixers division was sold to Coca Cola (who still produces them under the Seagram’s name). Other brands, including Captain Morgan and Seagram’s 7 Crown, were sold to the British spirits firm Diageo in 2001. Product Henry Morgan was born in Wales in 1635, which had been fully annexed into Great Britain less than 100 years earlier. His early life (including how he made his way to the Caribbean) is largely unknown, but we do know that by the 1660’s Morgan was captain of a privateer ship charged with capturing Spanish ships in the Caribbean. He married his cousin in 1666, the daughter of the deputy governor of Jamaica, and was soon elevated to the rank of admiral and tasked with leading a group of privateers. In 1668, he led those forces in a successful assault on the town of Porto Bello, reportedly using captured clergy as human shields for his assault on one of the fortifications. He further led raids on Maracaibo, Gibraltar, and Panama before the end of privateering in the Caribbean in 1672. Morgan would continue to be a figure in Caribbean politics, acting as governor of Jamaica before his death in 1688.

The aromas here are clearly artificial. There’s a saturation and a syrupy sweetness to the smell of the glass that leaves no doubt. That said, it’s not entirely unappealing. It smells like someone dumped a bottle of vanilla extract into a pound of brown sugar — almost reminiscent of cookie dough. There are also some baking spices like nutmeg and cinnamon adding some complexity and interesting notes. Morgan is best known because of a memoir published by former French shipmate Alexandre Exquemelin, which recounts Morgan’s exploits as a privateer. Jumping forward a few centuries, the Seagram company started as a Canadian distillery in 1857 and grew to become one of the biggest spirits companies in Canada. The company eventually became most well-known for two brands: Seagram’s 5 Crown and Seagram’s 7 Crown, which were both massive commercial successes. Otherwise, the potent alcohol content might just sneak up on you and catch you by surprise, and we wouldn’t want that! 11. Captain’s Lime Shandy