Firewater

Haha thanks. It's actually a BrewZilla for making beer (my other hobby) but you can get compatible distillation lids to use it as a boiler for a still.

The column itself is from AliExpress

This isn't the still you start with if you're just wanting to try the hobby, this is the still you get when you realise your starter still is way too slow and you want to up your volumes :)

In terms of taste vs the grocery store - for rum, or any aged spirit really - grocery store wins every time unless you're buying the cheapest sh*t.

Producing distillate is easy. Producing distillate worth drinking is a lot harder. The hobby is more about the fun of making something rather than competing with commercial offerings.

However for unaged spirits like Gin you can make something on-par or better than the grocery store (for a fraction of the cost), it's why every new distillery makes gin for cashflow while they're waiting for their whiskey to age