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Brugal XV Rum
Distiller Score 86
The nose offers citrus, including orange peel, along with a honey sweetness, a rich molasses, and hints of chocolate and coffee. There’s some spice and oak on the palate but it’s not overpowering. It's rounded, also offering sherry notes, red fruits, and an overall richness. Finish is warming, but as intended, quick and doesn't linger long. Drink neat or mix fresh tropical juice for a refreshing beverage.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum
Distiller Score 91
Upfront, the nose immediately offers butterscotch, as well as caramel and toffee. There are additional tropical notes of pineapple, banana and coconut. The palate is reminiscent of crème brûlée - sweet, creamy with notes of caramelized sugar, vanilla and other baking spices. More tropical fruit on the medium finish, with hints of orange peel and oak.
Reviewed by Daniel Djang
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Plantation Isle of Fiji
Distiller Score 85
The cognac comes through on the nose most notably rather than the taste. The rum feels warming on the palate with a molasses flavor coupled with tropical fruits and baking spices. There's a coppery tinge to the taste. The rum is medium sweet and has an average length for the finish. Would use in a punch or in cocktails
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Ron Diplomático Añejo Rum
Distiller Score 82
Flavors of ripe apple, tropical fruits and honey are balanced with brown sugar, warm spices and a faint whiff of smoke. This is the rum in the range most people will reach for to make daiquiris and other cocktails, but it’s also very pleasing to sip neat. Perhaps they refer to this, their youngest rum as “añejo” because it has an old soul, sipping much older than its age would suggest.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Pacific Rum
Distiller Score 89
A very sweet nose starts things off, with brown sugar, vanilla and chocolate with a hint of salted caramel and freshly baked coconut bars. On the palate, the coconut takes on more of a confectionary note, think Almond Joy candy bars with chocolate and a bit of almond as well. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, and hints of vanilla, orange marmalade and a bit of pepper also appear.
Reviewed by Distiller Staff
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Mount Gay Rum Sugar Cane Brandy
Distiller Score 92
The "brandy" has a shiny copper color in the glass. The aroma is filled with fruit notes and spices nipping around the edges. The spice notes manifest as cinnamon and nutmeg on the palate interweaving with banana, pear, and apricot fruit notes before fading into a short, dry, smoky finish.
Reviewed by Paul Senft
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Chairman's Reserve Rum Original
Distiller Score 82
The initial taste of Chairman's Reserve Rum Original is like drinking a sip of boozy raisins. Upon further tastes, fresher tropical fruit flavors emerge such as mango and banana, with honey, vanilla and espresso. There is a woodsy/tobacco funk that clashes a bit with these flavors, necessitating a cube of ice to mellow it out. It's not among the top sipping rums, but works very well in cocktails or other mixers. A pretty decent deal given its price point and complexity of production.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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El Dorado 8 Year Rum
Distiller Score 89
Quite a few things are happening in this rum like apple juice, cigar ash, orange peel, and a moderate dose of funk. There's a slight metallic note as well. The rum is of average body and has some burnt sugar, and barrel spices along with what you found on the nose. If you're just getting into rum, this is a good one to start with to get an understanding of what this funk or "hogo" you see cropping up when people talk about rum. It's a good value as well.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Doorly's XO Rum
Distiller Score 88
The aroma of the rum is lush with notes of caramel, banana, sherried oak, and a light hint of apricot. The palate initially reveals a pleasant wash of caramel, followed by cinnamon, roasted walnut, banana, and citrus peel. As the fruit flavors fade there is a pop of black pepper, tobacco, and smoky oak tannins. The oak notes carry into the finish providing a light bitter finish.
Reviewed by Paul Senft
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Ron Abuelo 7 Años
Distiller Score 86
The 7 Años opens with a slight sweetness on the nose, followed by light aromas that conjure white flowers and dry grass. Aromatic hints of coconut and hazelnut announce a palate that starts with some heat and evolves into a blend of caramel and vanilla. The medium-long finish introduces some cedar and spice before tapering off into burnished leather.
Reviewed by Ron Bechtol
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Havana Club Añejo Reserva Rum
Distiller Score 85
The nose is overtly fruity, showing bitter orange and lemon custard above rum-soaked raisins and dates. The rum enters with a noticeable smoothness that borders on watery, but there is enough pepper and cinnamon to keep things interesting. Subsequent sips provide more spice along with ample vanilla and a bit of toffee, coffee, and a bit of tobacco. There is an implied sweetness, but the finish is extremely dry with a woody note that manages to coat the palate after several sips. Balanced and approachable, Havana Club Añejo Reserva is an excellent value that could easily find a home in most bars.
Reviewed by Josh Miller
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The Real McCoy 5 Year Rum
Distiller Score 90
The golden rum provides a host of pleasant aromas including ripe fruit and freshly baked sweets. The fruits include banana, mango and kiwi, and the sweets are represented by cream puffs and toffee candies. Also here is a dose of spice including mixed pepper and cardamom. The rum enters with a nearly simultaneous presentation of fruit, spice and sweets. The mid-palate is hit with the oaky tannins and the sweetness, while the upper palate receives the spice and bright fruits. The kiwi and mango noted upon nosing are here, and are now amped up even further by a melange of citrus zests--principally lemon and orange. Subsequent sips provide more oak and vanilla with caramel and the toffee. There is the slightest bit of leather and tobacco as well, and as the long finish fades, the tannins and sweetness fall away gracefully. A delightful rum with complexity beyond its years.
Reviewed by Josh Miller