Old New Orleans Amber Rum

Not as sweet as most rum but still flavorful. Very smooth, easy to drink.

Color is a nice amber. Nose is slightly strong on the ethanol initially. As the etanol fades, notes of sugar and butterscotch appear, though they are covered by a strong oily essence that is a little off-putting. First sip is oily, with rich notes of charred oak and mild sweetness, with very subtle butterscotch. Finishes with mild baking spice. Almost no burn, very smooth. Overall pretty good for the price.

Aroma is butterscotch with a sharp and spicy, clove maybe, twang. Followed by something oily and burtb/roasted toffee. Flavor is different from pretty much anything else I've had so far. Grassy/funky with a baked goods (maybe sugar cookie) finish. In general, can be overwhelming straight, ice calms it down. Even though I'm mentioning sweet things, this isn't a sweet rum. Honestly not that enjoyable on its own, but then even the distiller calls it a mixing rum.

I'm of the opinion that rum should be created (very much like whiskey) with the goal of being something great to sip on neat or in an old fashioned. As a whiskey fan there are many rums that accomplish this. This rum is not one of them. As I toured the distillery while in New Orleans the tour guide drove home repeatedly that this rum was crafted with the intent of being a mixer. And to be fair, it's pretty good at that! Yet, again, in my personal opinion any aged liquor should be made with the intent of it being great neat or on the rocks. If your start with a great product your cocktails will be that much better.