-
Appleton Estate 21 Year Limited Edition
Distiller Score 95
The nose yields a heavy dose of oak that blends effortlessly with caramel, melted brown sugar, vanilla and Appleton's signature flamed orange note. There is virtually no astringency. The rum enters with moderate heat, and as the oaky base coats the tongue, an undercurrent of sweetness comes in to round things out. Another sip and the oak is still persistent, but now there is also milk chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, and allspice. Woven throughout the spices and treats from the bakery is a hint of citrus, dark cherries, and a bit of almond and walnut. The finish is long and complex with oaky tannins lingering as the fruity esters fade.
Reviewed by Josh Miller
-
Don Pancho Origenes 18 Year
Distiller Score 87
The aromas begin with clean honey, excellently extracted tea, soft/ripe tree fruit and interesting spices playing in the background. The palate entry is sweet and supple starting at vanilla, building to brown spice, caramel, and roasted nuts. The finish is long, rich and layered. The sumptuous depth and inviting complexly make this a lovely rum.
Reviewed by Forrest Cokely
-
Ron Abuelo Centuria
Distiller Score 94
The immensely appealing nose combines vanilla and molasses with chocolate and coffee. The palate, rich with syrupy cane, avoids any cloying aspects by virtue of its lively, berry-like fruit, mulled cider, baked pear and tobacco notes--many of which continue into a lingering, smoldering finish.
Reviewed by Ron Bechtol
-
English Harbour Reserve 10 Year Rum
Distiller Score 92
The nose offers tropical fruit, coconut and allspice as well as molasses and caramelized sugar. On the viscous palate, there are notes of vanilla, baked apple, citrus, coffee and oak. The warm and spicy finish offers caramel, cinnamon, honey and charred oak with hints of tobacco notes.
Reviewed by Daniel Djang
-
Barbados Rum 11 Year (Berry Bros. & Rudd)
Distiller Score 88
A fascinating and inviting aroma of tropical fruits open this spirit, giving way to secondary notes of vanilla and nutmeg. The palate is more fresh fruits: papaya, mango, and fresh pineapple. Once the fruit flavors pass, there's tons of mature, savory balancing flavors like tobacco, leather, and oak. The alcohol is totally in check and the finish is long with lots of baking spice.
Reviewed by Paul Belbusti
-
Bacardí Reserva Limitada Rum
Distiller Score 88
A light nose, with hints of brown sugar, vanilla, oak and fruit leathers. In the mouth, an initial note of brown sugar and vanilla gives way to hints of dried apricot and plum before a big cinnamon rush. After the cinnamon recedes, nice oak and caramel-flan flavors emerge, before ending with an exotic floral note reminiscent of tropical orchids and a gentle brewed-coffee flavor.
Reviewed by Distiller Staff
-
Old New Orleans King Creole 20th Anniversary Blend
Distiller Score 91
An aromatically restrained and sophisticated rum that keeps me returning to the glass for another go at the intriguing aromas. Extremely pleasant and complex aromatics of earth and sugar in the form of caramel apples and maple and roast meat, with visions of a smokey sugarcane field thrown in for good measure. Brown sugar and cinnamon start on the nose and continue on the palate with honey notes continuing for a long sweet finish. Extremely pleasant from start to finish. Drink anyway you like.
Reviewed by Kelley Slagle
-
Ron Zacapa XO Rum
Distiller Score 86
This is a quiet one in the glass. It takes a minute for the rum to open up after pouring. Given a bit of time, you'll get marshmallows, baking spices, and a light woody smoke. The rum is not rich and creamy, but more like the body of a cola. There's a taste of one too; a flat, generic one. There's a little savory and sweet smoke that's pleasant, but the joy from drinking this is not as grand as the fancy bottle and packaging may lead you to believe. The aroma has more going on than the taste. As a sipping rum, the finish just isn't very complex or long so points lost there. If gifted a bottle or glass, however, by all means, drink up.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
-
Foursquare Nobiliary
Distiller Score 96
Nobiliary is brown in color with very plummy, raisiny aromas, as well as some hints of warm vanilla and brown sugar. The influence of the bourbon casks is noticeable. Flavorwise, there's quite a lot of baking spice up front—think clove, cinnamon and cardamom. That's followed by rich stone fruit, grilled pineapple and coconut, bananas foster and a hint of pecan. The finish is mildly tingly and lingers for quite some time. This delightfully rich and complex rum gets better with each sip!
Reviewed by Anna Archibald
-
Mount Gay 1703 Master Select Rum
Distiller Score 95
This complex rum provides three distinct layers with its flavor profile. The top layer provides the caramelized banana and char notes from the aroma transmuting into a banana foster flavor. This smokey sweet flavor swirls with the mid-line notes of honeyed pineapple, dried apricot, clove, cocoa, and cinnamon. Lastly, the foundation of the rum is grounded in earthy mineral notes, black pepper, tobacco, and just a hint of dried leather.
Reviewed by Paul Senft
-
Foursquare Sagacity
Distiller Score 90
Look for ripe banana, vanilla, deliciously stewed berries and oak on the nose of this amber-brown hued rum. On the palate it's quite zesty, with prominent, balanced notes of grapefruit rind, ginger and oak tannins. There's a long-lasting, tingly finish.
Reviewed by Anna Archibald
-
Appleton Estate 15 Year Black River Casks
Distiller Score 94
The nose is a gorgeous funk, with herbal aromas of fresh sage, tarragon, bayleaf, coffee and honeycomb. On the palate, there is burnt sugar and coffee (or coffee flavored crème brulée), with orange zest and sweet spices. It's somehow a bit less herbaceous on the palate than it is in the nose, but some of that fresh herbal quality is definitely there in the back palate, along with some more of that earthy funk. The rum finishes clean, balanced and spicy, with just a bit of heat.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster