Friday, May 27, 2011

Friday Alcohol Review: Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Coconut Rum

Avast mateys.  It be Friday and that means it is time for some drinking with comrades and landlubbers alike.  Sit on your stool and gather 'round.  For this is a tale of my experience with some of the best rum ye heard of this side o'the........gulf?

"But I don't like coconut!"  What did I say in my first alcohol review?  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  Not only that, I had a friend of mine who cannot stand anything coconut but downed a shot of this straight up and enjoyed it thoroughly. Yes it wasn't his new favorite drink by any means but he certainly didn't make a face after being a good sport and trying it.

Come here coconut haters, this drink will change you!


The "Parrot Bay" line of Captain Morgan was introduced a while back and since then has released six different "tropical" flavors of its rum in different variations.  Other choices include: mango, pineapple, passion fruit, key lime, strawberry, and orange.  Nobody cares about those though because this one trumps all of them.  No really, I've had them all and I can honestly say, even with pineapple being my favorite fruit of all time, the coconut flavor takes the cake.

What you also need to know is that there are usually two different types of proof for each flavor.  40 proof and 90 proof.  This review is based on the latter.

Alcohol type: Rum/Hard Liquor
Manufacturer:  Captain Morgan
Country of Origin: United States/Puerto Rico
Price Range: $10-20 (750ml/Fifth) 40 Proof, $15-30 (750ml/Fifth) 90 Proof
ABV: 45%
Served in: Shotglass (by itself), Standard Glass (mixed)

Packaging: Parrot Bay Coconut Rum comes in a crystal clear bottle with a blue twist cap.  The decorations on the label are tropical theme with a parakeet flapping its wings on the front.  Whatever flavor you are looking for will further be elaborated by actually displaying the fruit in question on the label itself.  Depending on what proof you are looking for, look to the bottom of the front label.  The 40 proof version has it printed in very small letters but the 90 proof enlarges it quite a bit.

Eye-Candy:  See the picture below.  Most rum people would agree is crystal clear in color and Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay Coconut Rum is no different.  I was first introduced to this drink by being given a glass filled with it at a party and told it was water.  Naturally I was skeptical due to a) this was a beer party and b) see the next section below.  Really and truly, nothing special here.  It's not meant to be a fancy shot by any means and it can be mixed with quite a few other common alcoholic drinks.

It looks like water.  Pull a prank on your friend sometime.

Take-A-Whiff:  Naturally if you dislike coconut the very first thing you are going to notice if someone hands you this without telling you what it is will be the smell.  It is very, very pungent and thus I knew immediately once being handed that cup at the party to tread lightly.  The only fragrance you are going to smell with this drink close to you is the scent of coconut.  So if you are enjoying another very fruity drink at the same time you may want to keep both of these away from each other.

Tongue-Spasms:  The taste of coconut is profound and I would be very disappointed otherwise.  For those of you who enjoy the actual fruit, imagine taking a bite of the coconut while drinking a sip of water at the same time.  It is nothing special by any means.  Once your tongue has had a chance to graciously accept the liquor though, you will have a nice sweet tingle go up your spine.  Truly, it is like eating coconut in liquid form, with lots of alcohol added for the extra inebriation trait. 

Smooth-Ride: Hard to judge really.  For me this would get put on the scale of around a 2.5/5 for me.  However, for MOST other casual drinkers your threshold could be anywhere from a 3 all the way up to a 5 if you are super-sensitive.  I honestly think Sambuca packs a more powerful punch than this one but to each their own.  Be cautious if you have trouble with strong drinks.  You may want to try out the 40 proof version first.

If you want it straight, standard shot glasses are all you need.
Irish Wonda: I like to give this drink to my friends who have never had any hard liquor before.  Even if they claim that they don't like coconut (tip: most of them have never even tried real coconut).  A little push and a reaffirmation that everything will be alright is usually enough to give the most laid-back drinker a chance with this bad boy.  For those of you who truly find yourself enjoying this one though, here are some good choices to make this drink truly "awesome."

Barry Spritzer
1 1/2 oz Captain Morgan's Coconut Rum
4 1/2 oz 7-Up
1 splash grenadine syrup
1 splash lime juice.

The Hawaiian Parrot
3 oz. Captain Morgan's Coconut Rum
1 1/2 oz. Hawaiian Punch
1 1/2 oz. Sprite/Ginger Ale

As always, have fun, drink merrily, and have a designated driver.  Raise your glass D/FW, this one is on me.

1 comment:

  1. Try PB 90 in a tall glass of Newman's' Own Organic Virgin Limeade. Delicious and SO smooth!

    ReplyDelete