The Third Annual Rum Fantasy Draft Grades
Hello folks, Auditor here. Every year, the Rumcast holds its Rum Fantasy Draft, and through a mix of categories and fan voting, a winner is crowned. Like any good fantasy sport, a post-draft, pre-results evaluation is needed, based on highly biased opinions with no journalistic credibility. So today, I’ll be your Todd McShay for this draft.
For simplicity, we’ll go category by category, briefly discuss the picks, and crown an overall winner.
Here are links the the various folks in this draft:
https://www.youtube.com/@therumrevival
Best Pick: Unaged Rum Category
- John: Monymusk Overproof
- Will: Hampden 8 Marks Collection
- Arminder: Worthy Park Overproof
Winner: Arminder
Will made a solid push by selecting the expensive free agent (Hampden 8 Marks Collection) that could raise both his floor and ceiling, but it’s ultimately a gadget player—exciting but somewhat like Tavon Austin. Arminder’s Worthy Park Overproof, on the other hand, is delicious, versatile, and budget-friendly. It brings more to the table than the Monymusk, making it an A-grade pick.
Best Pick: Lightly Aged Rum
- John: Smith & Cross
- Will: Coruba Dark Jamaican Rum
- Arminder: Rhum JM Terroir Volcanique
Winner: John
Smith & Cross wins for obvious reasons—an impressive cocktail rum at a good price with fantastic quality. While I do appreciate the Rhum JM pick, Coruba feels more like a waiver-wire addition you’d grab out of desperation during a rum’s bye week, where it might even score negative points for your team.
Best Pick: Aged Rum (1)
- John: Chairman’s Reserve Legacy
- Will: El Dorado 12
- Arminder: R.L. Seale’s 12
Winner: John
In this showdown of accessible aged rums, Chairman’s Reserve Legacy takes the win. Though R.L. Seale’s 12 is strong, and El Dorado 12 could be the “Blue Blood” on a college Saturday, Chairman’s delivers the upset.
Best Pick: Aged Rum (2)
- John: Foursquare 2011
- Will: Worthy Park Estate Reserve
- Arminder: El Dorado Port Mourant Cask Strength Single Still
Winner: Arminder
This is a heavyweight battle, akin to a New Year’s Day bowl game between Pac-10 and Big Ten champs. Arminder’s pick of El Dorado Port Mourant Cask Strength stands out due to its unique flavor profile. Pricey but potentially game-changing, it edges out the competition.
Best Pick: Long Aged Rum
- John: Holmes Cay Single Cask Guyana Uitvlugt 2003
- Will: Foursquare Equipoise
- Arminder: Isautier 16-Year Cane Juice
Winner: Arminder
This matchup features some of the most classic distilleries facing off against a relative newcomer, much like the Steelers in 2006 or Packers in 2010. Arminder’s Isautier comes in as a 6th seed but pulls off the upset with its unique flavor profile, showcasing the magic of long-aged cane juice rums.
Best Pick: Unaged Cane Juice
- John: Rhum Bologne Blanc
- Will: Clairin Sajous
- Arminder: Clairin Le Rocher
Winner: Will
After a tough stretch, Will gets a win here. The Sajous offers a perfect balance of value and flavor, just eking out a win over strong contenders like Bologne and Le Rocher.
Best Pick: Aged Cane Juice
- John: Papalin Haiti 4-Year
- Will: Rhum JM V.O
- Arminder: Neisson Eleve Sou Bois
Winner: John
John’s Papalin Haiti 4-Year shines in a category that can be tricky due to the in-between aging. It’s a well-blended rum that shows how good aged Clairin can be, akin to a high school recruit turning into an All-American.
Best Pick: Multi-Country Blend
- John: Hamilton Beachbum Berry Zombie Blend
- Will: Transcontinental Rum Line High Seas
- Arminder: Denizen Merchant’s Reserve
Winner: Will
Will picks up another win with the TCRL High Seas. It’s a superb multi-country blend that excels as an expensive mixer and holds its own against the competition.
Best Pick: Non-Caribbean
- John: Transcontinental Rum Line Australia 2014
- Will: Holmes Cay Fiji Single Origin
- Arminder: Holmes Cay Reunion Island Grand Arome
Winner: Will
The Holmes Cay Fiji is a versatile rum that punches above its weight and price, making Will the winner in this category. While the other picks are good, the Fiji stands out.
Best Pick: 100% Column Still
- John: Rhum JM Jardin Fruite
- Will: Don Q Gran Reserva Anejo XO
- Arminder: Ron del Barrilito 3-Star
Winner: Will
Will’s Don Q Gran Reserva Anejo XO is the clear winner here, outperforming the competition without much contest.
Best Pick: 100% Pot Still
- John: Rivers Royale Grenadian Rum
- Will: Rum Bar Silver
- Arminder: Hampden Estate 8-Year
Winner: John
Rivers Royale dominates this category like an overmatched college team crushing its opponent. Though Hampden Estate 8-Year puts up a fight, it’s no match for the sheer power of Rivers.
Best Pick: Best Overall Bench
- John: Worthy Park 109 & Bacardi Reserva Ocho
- Will: Ten To One White & Mount Gay Eclipse
- Arminder: Uruapan Charanda Blanco Blended & Appleton Signature
Winner: Arminder
Arminder’s bench is superior in flavor and versatility, with a classic Jamaican rum and a high-quality Charanda that outclasses the other benches.
Overall Winner: Arminder
Despite a close contest, Arminder emerges victorious. Every bottle Arminder picked is, at minimum, very good and enjoyable neat or in a cocktail. While John and Will built great teams, a few key bottles let them down, allowing Arminder to eke out the win. Arminder comes in to upset the heavy favorite Will, stoping his quest for a 3-peat. We will have to wait and see if a new challenger rises up in 2025. But as they say, ya nevea know!
Overall Draft Grades:
- John: A-
- Will: B+
- Arminder: A