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Denizen Merchant's Reserve 8 Year Rum
Distiller Score 90
At the risk of not being considered a “crowd pleaser”, Merchant's Reserve pulls no punches. Pronounced notes of petrol, iodine, cinnamon, pear, and a hint of grass and fresh herbs. The taste is equally earthy and intense with flavors like leather, tobacco, sweet potato, and smoke. There is nothing boring or mediocre about this rum, it is a must have for top quality cocktails.
Reviewed by Omari Wheat
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Doorly's 12 Year Rum
Distiller Score 90
In the bottle, the Doorly’s 12 has an inviting dark mahogany hue. The nose is subtle, primarily vanilla and oak. Much like the first sip of a fine Scotch, the Doorly’s 12 immediately lets you know you’re tasting something exceptional. Oak, vanilla, fruit, and spice are in ideal harmony -- all present but none dominating, and the finish lingers for quite a while. The finish is pleasing, dry and free of any sugar like you may find in many “premium” rums at a much higher price. The flavors continue to evolve the longer it spends breathing, so take your time with it. This is a rum that you’ll want to enjoy neat while pondering how you might sneak it into a fancy whiskey tasting lineup to see who you can fool. The only “complaint” is that this should be at a slightly higher proof.
Reviewed by Matt Pietrek
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Two James Doctor Bird Jamaican Rum
Distiller Score 92
The rum delivers a funky sweet ester-rich aroma of passion fruit, coconut husks, and dried lemon peel. Additional notes of pineapple, pencil lead, and ripe strawberries also appear. As you sip this dense spirit these aromas appear on the palate along with dark caramel, grapefruit pith, and charred oak. The long finish is a swirl of the ripe strawberries, oak tannins, and copper mineral notes that linger on the tongue long after the rum is gone.
Reviewed by Paul Senft
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Privateer The Queen's Share Rum
Distiller Score 91
The liquid in the glass is a medium gold hue. The nose is wood forward and dry, bringing to mind a custard-filled doughnut. Once the initial ethanol heat passes, the flavors are challenging to pull apart as there’s a lot going on here. Caramel and dried fruits dominate, with a pleasingly rich, viscous mouthfeel. Since this is aged in new American oak, it’s vanilla forward, similar to a bourbon. This is a rum you’ll want to add a wee bit of water to and take your time to ponder what you’re tasting. Massachusetts-based Privateer may be small in scale, but they’re proof that in the right hands, New England rum can go head-to-head with renowned Caribbean producers when it comes to big, bold rums.
Reviewed by Matt Pietrek
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Appleton Estate Reserve Blend
Distiller Score 88
The “Jamaica funk” is unmistakable. Ripe banana, orange peel, magic marker and welded metal round out the aromas. The palate is very similar with the addition of caramel, rubber and iodine. This rum is classic, soft and with a pleasant kick on the finish.
Reviewed by Omari Wheat
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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
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Ron Centenario 20 Fundación
Distiller Score 85
The aroma has a strong caramel aroma with notes of oak, vanilla, and black pepper along with a hint of cinnamon. The first sip reveals the caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon found in the aroma along with rich cocoa and toffee. Additional sips reveal toasted almonds and soft mineral notes as the rum settles in a light sweet finish.
Reviewed by Paul Senft
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The Real McCoy 12 Year Rum
Distiller Score 87
In the bottle, this is rum is a bit darker than you’d expect for a twelve-year rum. The aroma is of oak, light fruit, and non-objectionable feints of nail polish remover, a result of wood aging and especially common in Barbados rum. The initial taste is sweet fruit, although it’s a dry rum with no sugar added. In the mid palate, vanilla and oak take shape. It finishes with a slight bit of pepper and tad more burn than you’d expect from an expertly aged twelve year rum.
Reviewed by Matt Pietrek
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Ron Abuelo 12 Años
Distiller Score 92
This is a rich and toasty rum, with butterscotch, vanilla, mango and banana flavors. It's a super smooth sipper that finishes with a creamy brown sugar sweetness and a hint of herbaceousness. It's delicious neat, doesn't even need an ice cube or water to open up, but it would also make an incredible dark and stirred cocktail such as an Old Fashioned.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Mezan Jamaica XO
Distiller Score 88
In the glass, the rum is light straw color. Don’t let this fool you though! Love it or hate it, the flavor is undeniably Jamaican. The nose is ripe banana, apple and other fruity esters – intoxicating if that’s your bag. The first sip reveals a healthy dose of banana – fruity, yet dry at the same time. The body is light and clean. There’s a slight amount of mid-palate burn before fading slowly into subtle, wood-induced flavors in the 4 to 8 year age range. The natural question is how it compares to Smith & Cross. Despite being 17% lower in ABV (and thus more diluted) the Mezan Jamaica XO delivers a solid punch of Jamaican hogo in the same ballpark of intensity at a comparable price. This makes it a solid choice for understanding the profile of a classic, moderately aged, high-ester Jamaican rum.
Reviewed by Matt Pietrek
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Mount Gilboa Rum
Distiller Score 93
The Mount Gilboa presents itself in the glass with a medium copper color. The nose leaves no question that this is a heavy, pot-stilled rum, more oily than fruity. Sipping it reveals more sweet fruit than the nose would suggest, however. The heavy congeners are dialed back a bit. The mouth feel, while substantial, is lighter you might expect. The moderately long finish exhibits a flash of menthol. Although there’s no age statement, it seems to have spent more than a token year or two in the barrel. A must-have for fans of bold, English-style pot-stilled rums.
Reviewed by Matt Pietrek
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Brugal 1888 Rum
Distiller Score 85
The nose is heavily influenced from the oloroso sherry cask. Find a complex and highly aromatic bouquet with red fruits, coffee, tobacco, candied fruits, nutmeg and cloves. On the palate, find a spice-dominant profile with rich sherry notes, and a woody, oaky and earthy background. A long, warm finish follows. The palate is just a touch one note after the tantalizing, dynamic nose. Would be well enjoyed as a post-dinner sipper.
Reviewed by Jake Emen