Metaxa 7 Star

7 Star is listed here as a rum from Massachusetts, in the United States, under the METAXA name. No age statement, ABV or style designation comes with the listing, so the tasting guidance below describes what to expect from the category, not a measured profile of this bottle. US-made rums vary a lot by house. Check the label for whether it is a white, gold or aged bottling before you plan how to use it. If it is a lighter, unaged or lightly aged expression, expect clean cane-sugar sweetness with hints of vanilla, banana or light caramel. That profile suits mixing, and it fits the classic sours best. A Daiquiri is the simplest test: 2 oz rum, 3/4 oz fresh lime juice and 3/4 oz simple syrup, shaken hard and double-strained into a chilled coupe. A Mojito works the same way built over crushed ice in a highball with mint, lime and soda. A Piña Colada is more forgiving, because pineapple and coconut cover differences between bottlings. If the bottle turns out to be gold or aged, the useful moves change. Dark 'n' Stormy needs a sturdier rum, so pour 2 oz over ice in a highball and float it on spicy ginger beer with a lime wedge. A Rum Old Fashioned (2 oz rum, a bar spoon of demerara syrup, two dashes of Angostura bitters, an orange peel) goes in a rocks glass over a large cube. Sip an aged rum neat in a small tulip or Glencairn glass, with a few drops of water if you want to open up the aroma.