Mad River Gift Pack

This is a Mad River rum offered as a gift pack. The listing doesn't say which expression is inside, how old it is, its ABV, or what else is in the box, so check the packaging for those details. The style and cocktail guidance below is general rum guidance, not a measured profile of this bottle. If the rum is a white or lightly aged one, expect a clean, lightly sweet profile with cane, vanilla and a little tropical fruit. That style suits a Daiquiri (rum, fresh lime, simple syrup, shaken hard and served up in a chilled coupe), a Mojito in a highball over crushed ice, or a Piña Colada blended with coconut cream and pineapple. If it's a gold or dark rum, expect more caramel, baking spice and molasses. Those suit a Dark 'n' Stormy, built over ice with ginger beer and a lime wedge in a highball, or a Rum Old Fashioned. For the Old Fashioned, stir the rum with a small spoonful of demerara syrup and a couple of dashes of bitters over a large cube in a rocks glass, then add an orange peel. A darker, aged-leaning rum can also be sipped neat or over a single large cube in a rocks glass or tulip-shaped nosing glass. Room temperature brings out the aroma, and a little ice softens the alcohol. A lighter rum is usually better chilled or mixed. In a gift pack, the box often includes glassware or a mixer. If it does, use that glass for the first serve.