There are lots of hard truths in life, but today we’re not talking about any of those. Instead we are talking about a hard truth I’ve had to learn; and that is in fact, that one of the best rums I have had did not come from South America or the Caribbean. It comes from Nashville, Indiana, and that is Hard Truth’s white oak reserve rum. It’s incredible to me that this phenomenal rum comes northern state less than 100 miles from my front door. Now that I’ve gotten that hard truth out of the way, let’s get into the review!
Characteristics
Color: amber/gold
Age: 1-2 years
Distillery: Hard Truth Distillery
Base: sugar
Cask: white oak
Additives: none
Review:
Nose: You definitely smell a little bit of ethanol when you open the bottle; but as the smell develops on your nose, you smell a lot more oak with a hint of mint and a decent amount of floral scents. I wouldn’t quite call it a tropical, island smell; but it definitely more of a meadow or orchard smell.
Taste: The original tasting notes include a lot of caramel, smoke and cinnamon. The official website says butterscotch, but I taste a lot more cinnamon than I do butterscotch. It’s definitely a very sweet rum which I would suggest more for a beginner. I also recommend this rum for someone who wants to sit down and enjoy what they’re drinking without complex discovery of flavor notes. I drink this when I want to sit down and drink something tasty and have good conversation.
Finish: At the finish, I still taste a lot more cinnamon than I do butterscotch; however, the butterscotch note did develop along with a hint of apple, a smidge of oak, and a light burn. The burn is not enough to where I would call it hot but enough to where I would say that you still know you’re drinking an alcoholic drink.
Overall: This will be a rum that I definitely stock in my home bar. It cost approximately $33 after taxes. Is this gonna be the best for someone who is very snob when it comes to what they’re drinking? I don’t think so; however, I really liked it and highly recommend.
Cigar Pairing Recommendation: I have smoked three cigars with this rum, and by far, I recommend Oscar Valladares “Hell” as the pairing. The rich spice notes with the natural sweetness from the cigar, marrying with the rum definitely taste like an explosion of flavor on the pallet.In my opinion, this tasted like a chocolate and caramel truffle with a hint of spice. If you’re looking to get into cigars or if you’re looking for a very good sipping rum, I highly recommend both, and think that this is one of the best options I’ve had to date.
If you’ve had the Hard Truth rum, let me know your thoughts on it. Did you love it, and completely agree with me? Or did you hate it, and think I’m stupid? Let me know, and remember everyone, the answer is ALWAYS To Cigar.
Logan Huddleston
Hello, my name is Logan Huddleston. I own and operate To Cigar, which provides cigar and alcohol content on all major social media platforms. My goal is to connect with and engage other GenZers to help them fall in love with cigars and cigar culture. I do reviews, memes, recipes, pairings, pretty much anything that connects with my audience. Most nights, I can be found with a cigar in one hand and a good drink in the other. Life brings us many questions, but I’m fond of saying, the answer is always To Cigar!