Cruzan Gold

You can't go wrong with Cruzan Gold for Planters Punch, daiquiris, etc. Every Cruzan straight rum ( I haven't tried the flavored ones) is a good choice. Consistently good quality. The world would be a better place if Cruzan overtook Bacardi as the most common rum available. They really need to work on their marketing.

This isn't really the greatest for aged rums but it works in a pinch. Kind of like the Budweiser of Beers it is very common and overhyped. On the rocks with a splash of coke and limes it makes a decent Cuba Libre. Give this to your friends on the rocks if you dare.

It’s cheap, easy to find, comes in a large bottle, and doesn’t taste like crap. It’s the perfect rum for a rum n’ coke.

Good budget mixer. Slightly sweet, and drinkable.

Unfortunately I never tried this brand before they were bought by Beam Suntory. I have heard that it was better befoe the sale. At any rate not terrible as a mixer but not for sipping. My biggest complaint is the vanilla extract flavor. But if your going to a party were you just need to bring something not a bad choice. Be sure to bring the Coke as well.

OK, first the price - can't be beat. This is the best rum for the money and I'd take it over many more expensive rums. That said, it's not going to wow you with flavor, but it's not too sweet (which is my preference) and it is smoother than most for drinking on the rocks. Since Myers was my default rum, this has definitely replaced it!

This rum has a rummy, smooth flavor. It has some vanilla notes from the oak. It does taste pretty sweet, but in a good way.

Pretty good, smooth and polite drinker. Vanilla hints made this a surprisingly good rum.

For many years I've held the opinion that this bottling is ideal as a bar's standard gold/aged rum. Nothing special, just an American rum that is and inexpensive & decent.

Get the 1.75 for $18 when your mixing on a budget. Gold virgin island rums are pretty sparse but called out for classic tiki drinks such as Nui Nui, Penang Afrididi, Vicious Virgin, Port Au Prince.
Preferably use Cruzan’s Diamond or Single Barrel but this will suffice for a party or when you’ve already dulled your senses. As always fresh fruits go a long way in bumping up the cocktail.

fruity rum, enjoyed it with guavaberry juice outdoors during summertime in USVIs.
Difficult to have just one as it blends in with calypso snd tripicak setting very well

Sure has a lot less burn then Bacardi. This is a great sipping rum. Great on ice or straight.

Despite "AGED RUM" being so dominant on the label, this is only a 2-year old rum.
When you allow for this and factor in the very reasonable price this is very much a case of getting what you paid for, if not a little bit more.
The nose is subdued and not complex.
The rum is actually more smooth than expected for only a 2-year old.
The mouth feel is neither good nor bad and there is not much for lingering taste.
Drinkable on its own, however likely better suited as a mixer for most.
Certainly worthy of being included in the liquor cabinet for mixed drinks.

Rhum a petit prix 10$ us, meilleur que le bacardi. Excellent pour mélanger dans un rhum and coke. Goute beaucoup l'alcool, rien de complexe. Il faut mieux miser sur le Cruzan single barrel.

Purchased a bottle of Cruzan Gold Rum not expecting much from this 2 year old rum. I must say that it is much better than other similar low priced rum (Bacardi & Captain Morgan) but I would not consider this a sipping rum. Still, not bad for the price.

Update: Tried this rum again the next day and the taste is growing on me. This rum is dry and quite enjoyable on its own. Not a premium rum but tasty enough to keep a supply in my liquor cabinet.

I was looking for more aromatics in the nose, the mouth feel was flat and a little too alcohol forward for my taste. It had a fair taste but a short finish. Feels it might be good for a mixing drink. The bottle says aged rum but give no age information, which means it’s hardly aged at all.

Smells and tastes like alcohol. I thought rum was supposed to have flavor. Next...!

Great for mixing, but also good for drinking neat
I personally love it, it has such sweet aroma and tasty, not too sweet at all, and the price is so cheap (13$)
But would I buy it again? Yes, if I need some budget mixing Rum or if I so broke I can't afford better Rum (for sipping only)

This rum is light in body and in taste. Like drinking straight alcohol. Needs to be heavily mixed to be tolerable.

Best in mixed drinks or my wife’s rum cake. Somewhat variable in taste, bouquet and finish, at least to my palate. Decent value for the price.

Pretty simple rum with a bit of age. Almost always less than $15. Meant to be used as a mixer but I'll give sipping notes:

Nose:
Bland, light, alcohol, no burn, grassy maybe but very little to say.
Palate:
Heavier than expected from the light color. Spicy at first, a hint of clove or something going on, then sweet and syrupy an the back of the tongue. Sticks with you but in a kind of nice way.

Honestly had never tried this without mixing and it's surprisingly good. I feel that most people will be rating this rum on an absolute scale of best to worst but considering the price of this rum this really is a standout. Must have simply because it's so cheap, nice to sip and a great young dark rum with a bit of age and sophistication. Best you can buy for the price.

I forgot all about this one since it reminded me of leaner rum drinking times some thirty years ago. I poured an ounce into a snifter and it did not even need time to breathe. Unbelievably smooth for a 2 year old rum, with no harsh burn to boot. At only $11 per bottle, this one is a bargain to keep on hand to avoid dipping into the expensive part of one's rum collection. It is not complex enough to be enjoyed neat, but if one happens to be broke, this will do the trick. It is light years better than anything by Bacardi or Captain Morgan. Going back full circle to what was my original favorite has shown how much I have come a long way with my tastes. Many others are better, but not at this price.

Update: This is neither offensive or memorable in taste. However, the true test is if one consumes too much of it, then there will be no ill after effects the next day, which is always credited to no added sugar. I don't know of many other budget rums that can have these claims. If you need to tie one on and want more flavor than Don Q Cristal, this is the one for you. This is also one of the three budget rums that can be enjoyed on the rocks. The other two are Cockspur 5 Star and Don Q Anejo. By the way, my Q-PR value (Quality Price Ratio) for this rum is head and shoulders above the other 210 rums that I have rated thus far, especially if you buy the 1.75 liter bottle that comes in at only $7 US per fifth.

One bar in Florida keeps this on hand for me because they know that I refuse to drink Bacardi or Captain Morgan. Always ask for this gold mixer at each bar, and if they don't carry it, walk out and go to the next bar!!!!

Not the most smooth, not the most refined, not the most interesting, but still smooth and enjoyable. And at its price, that's more than I had bargained for.

Typical rack liquor in the USVI. It gets a 7 because it not only taste better than Bacardi but its cheaper. The go to mixer is the best I can $ay.