My wife and another couple were down in the Bahamas this past February where we were introduced to a smooth tropical drink by the name of BBC. After returning home from the US Virgin Islands with Cruzan Rum Cream last month she perfected it.
For those in the dark about a BBC, just as we were just a few months ago, its a blend of Bailey's Irish Cream, Bananas (ripe) and Coconut Rum. There are a few different recipes of the same drink but they all start with Baily's. I'll give you my wife's recipe in a bit.
Cruzan in St Croix
While in St Croix we thought to purchase some local rum that was dirt cheap in price. Cruzan light rum was just $4. A bottle of the Cruzan Rum Cream was about $12. No we didn't purchase it at the Cruzan Rum factory on the island. My wife and I made a trip to the local K-Mart. Yup, they got a big one there. There's another in St Thomas too. We have purchased our 6 bottles per person limit on both islands and flew home with them.
This rum has been made by Cruzians, that's what the locals call themselves, since 1760 at Estate Diamond just outside the town of Frederiksted. They do offer tours.
The Bottle
Normally there wouldn't be need to describe a bottle but this one's a bit different. Cruzan Rum Cream comes in a distinct looking container. It's all solid white with a galleon type ship with fully filled sails in a raised form just under the neck. On both sides is a relief of the word CRUZAN that rise vertically on opposite sides of an oval shaped gold ring that frames the name
Cruzan in Gold and the words
Rum Cream in a pen & ink type lettering. A small palm tree with blue Caribbean waters and a sunset takes center stage. It seems to have been designed to be marketed as the opposite of the dark distinctive bottle of
Cruzan Black Strap Rum. These two bottle would look handsome standing together on any bar shelf.
The Manufacturers Line
The Cruzan people advertise this as
...a special blend of Cruzan's finest aged rum, married with smooth cream liqueur for a distinctive taste anytime and anyplace. Experience for yourself the delightful flavor when fresh cream goes Caribbean. They made this a very light creamy drink that has but 15% alcohol content.
How and When To Have it
The manufacturers call this a year round drink. They suggest having it straight up, on the rocks, in coffee or over ice cream. After tasting the liqueur I can see why they describe its use in such a way. It really is a sweet-treat type of drink.
When just tasting it straight it is extremely smooth and easy on the palate. There's hardly any bite at all. Nothing like what you may get from a Baily's Irish Cream or perhaps another smooth cream type drink like Egg Nog.
The smooth feel on the tongue makes it easy to go for more. I can pick up a toffee taste in the rum. It happens to be pretty sweet too, but not sickeningly so. There is a pleasant after taste with the creamy smoothness and sweetness lingering on the palate. It doesn't have quite the body of a Baily's Cream that I compare to often because it is the main ingredient in a BBC.
My Wife's BBC
My wife makes her BBC with a
cup of ice in a blender
4oz Cruzan Rum Cream
a ripe Banana
and 2 oz Cuzan's Coconut Rum
She then floats an oz or two of her favorite Meyers Rum on top.
What could be better than that. Believe me these can go down pretty easily and can knock off your socks if you start drinking them like a frosted milk shake. The combined rum does add up.
When I get home from work I never know if my wife will have one of her mean tasting Margaritas to sip on or one of these smoothy BBCs. I do suppose she should rename it being the drink no longer holds to the BBC letters. Maybe an
ICBM Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile No instead.
Crush
Ice-
Cruzan
Cream Rum
Fresh
Banana and
Float
Meyers.
OK, I didn't get the Coconut Rum in but at least I gave it a try. She simply calls it "her BBC".
Final Thoughts
I can see why this drink is said to be for all year round. Though it doesn't have the bite or body of a Bailey's I can see having a snifter of the stuff in front of my fireplace on a cold winter's night. Even better is a sweet treat of the BBC or over pound cake or ice cream on a hot summer's day by the pool. Like the company says,
"Any time, any place". I kind of agree.
Tommy Bahama Golden Sun Rum
Malibu Coconut Flavored Rum
