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Caroni 16 Year Cask Collection (A.D. Rattray)
Distiller Score 93
This is a no holds barred, heavyweight rum. The color is a deep amber, and the nose is redolent of leather, tobacco, and a sweet, diesel-like funk similar to St. Lucian rums. It’s hard to believe this came from a column-still. The first sip explodes with full-bodied, oily, smoky flavor-- the rum equivalent of a super-peaty Scotch. There’s no middle ground – you’ll either love or hate this rum. The finish is ridiculously long-- several orders of magnitude longer than your average spirit.
Reviewed by Matt Pietrek
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St Lucia Rum 11 Year (Berry Bros. & Rudd)
Distiller Score 86
Strong, surprising, and complex aromas of Key lime, spearmint, and menthol. In the glass, there's a blast of more cool mint and eucalyptus. Additional sips reveal some subtle citrus fruit juices, particularly lemon and lime. The finish is long and cool, with some sweet apple and more menthol. A rum for those seeking a spirit completely out of the ordinary.
Reviewed by Paul Belbusti
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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
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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
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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
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Ron Barceló Premium Imperial Blend 30 Aniversario
Distiller Score 96
The aroma of the rum is rich and complex with notes of caramel, sweet raisin, vanilla, nutmeg, coffee, tobacco leaf, and oak. The palate shows a caramel-mocha-toffee swirl combination. As this fades notes of roasted almonds, dark chocolate, nutmeg, orange peel, and cherry appear. As the fruit flavors fade there is a hint of black pepper as the rum flavors transition into a nice long oak tannin filled finish.
Reviewed by Paul Senft
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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
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St. Nicholas Abbey Rum 10 Year
Distiller Score 90
A fine sipping rum as there ever was. Sweet molasses and brown sugar flavors have the essence of sea and smoke that tickle the nose and palate. Sweet baking spices, citrus and espresso work themselves into the finish, which does have some bitterness, but ultimately ends with a kiss of sweetness.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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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
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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
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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
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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