Since Party recently professed her fondness for Appleton Estate rum, I'm here to share my affinity for another fantastic everyday rum, Cruzan Light. Recently, a rep from Cruzan challenged me to taste the spirit against other light rums in its class. Incidentally, I had a couple other brands in my liquor cabinet, so I had Cruzan face them off in a taste test.

I wasn't expecting to be blown away by the results, but, as it turns out, Cruzan came out on top. With its musky vanilla overtone and slight — but not overly aggressive — hints of oak, the rum had the most prominent palate entry. But perhaps most impressively, the Cruzan had a cooling, soothing aftereffect compared to the others, which left more of a burn.

These qualities, along with a reasonable $17 price tag, have convinced me to make Cruzan my regular light rum. What light rum do you tend to buy at the liquor store?