Flor De Cana Oro

Oro is Spanish for "gold," and the name points to a gold-style rum from the Flor De Cana line. The listing doesn't give an age, ABV or cask information, so what follows is what gold rums in this style usually offer. Expect a pale straw to amber color, soft vanilla and caramel, a little toasted oak or baking spice, and a dry, gentle finish. Gold rums are generally lighter-bodied than dark or long-aged bottlings, which makes them easy to use across a range of drinks. This is best treated as a mixing rum that is also fine neat or on ice. The oak and caramel notes stand up in cocktails better than a white rum's would, but they won't overpower citrus or ginger. In a Daiquiri, a gold rum gives a rounder, slightly toasty version of the classic. Use 2 oz rum, 3/4 oz fresh lime juice and 3/4 oz simple syrup, shaken hard and strained into a chilled coupe. A Mojito also works with gold rum, with the vanilla notes sitting well beside muddled mint. Build it in a highball over crushed ice and top it with soda. Gold rum does well with ginger and fruit. In a Dark 'n' Stormy, expect it to make a lighter, brighter drink than the usual blackstrap-rum version. Pour 2 oz over ice in a highball, top with spicy ginger beer and add a lime wedge. In a Piña Colada, blend it with coconut cream and pineapple juice, where the caramel notes help balance the sweetness. For a Rum Old Fashioned, stir 2 oz with a bar spoon of demerara syrup and a few dashes of Angostura bitters over a large cube, then add an orange peel. The result is gentle and easy to drink. To drink it straight, pour about 1.5 oz into a rocks glass or a small tulip-shaped snifter. Serve it at cool room temperature, or over a single large ice cube if you want it slightly diluted. Food pairings that tend to work with gold rum include grilled pineapple, roast pork, jerk-seasoned chicken, and desserts such as flan or banana bread.