Privateer Navy Yard Rum

Higher proof. So lower tolerance would like it to mic woth cocktails to help tone it down.

Rating: 17/23 So this is called "Navy Yard", which suggests navy strength to me, but I think of navy strength being around 57% ABV and this is only 52% ABV. Pusser's Gunpowder Proof is going for the same vibe as navy proof despite being lower proof at just 54.5% ABV, but that's still significantly higher than this. This was on my list to hunt for for ages. I say neither hide nor hair for years and then I found Seelbach's and found that it is readily available there. I've heard amazing things about this and I'm hopeful that it lives up to those ravings and excited to finally get to try it. N: Sweet tobacco! I'm really surprised. It's sweet yet rich and full and decadent. A mellow rum profile with caramel and wood and vanilla tobacco and something a tad musty. P: Sweet tobacco mustiness with bold vanilla and hints of cedar. Sweet caramel backing with some charred sugar and hints of orange at points. There's actually a fair amount going on and it's sweet and decadent and balanced. It's quite easy to drink, doing a great job of showing off some virgin oak, which I think is the defining characteristic here. F: That vanilla virgin oak really lingers. I definitely get some of the rum with faint tangerine hints mixed with that rum lightly burnt caramel funk. There's just enough of that to remind me that this is a rum while balancing the virgin oak. - Conclusion - I was expecting this to be in the Pusser's and Smith and Cross vein, but it really isn't. This is more mellow and approachable with greater refinement. This is an easy sipper, though it isn't blowing my mind. Still, it's easily a 15 and I think that it's probably higher. Most likely, it'll be a 16, but a 17 is quite possible. An 18 is a bit of a stretch. Foursquare Détente (18/23) is richer than this is, with more of a bourbon barrel fullness to it. It's more rounded and coherent, though it isn't a whole lot better. Considering that, I think that this is closer to the Foursquare than to the Pusser's Gunpowder Proof (15/23), so I think that this is probably a 17. I like it a lot, though it's more in that fairly-priced range than in the good-deal range. I could believe an 18 here, but a 19 seems a bit too high. Still, it's a very enjoyable dram. Coming back to this the next day, my impression is that this is definitely better than the Pusser's, but doesn't quite match the Foursquare. Considering that, my confidence that this is a 17 is increased. In a last minute comparison, I find that this is bolder and less sweet than Plantation Trinidad 2003, but it's not as complex or balanced and overall I find it to be definitely lacking in comparison. Still, that's a high bar to meet. I think that the 17 I gave this seems about right.

Warm, rich, caramelized brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, slightly bitter with big woody and spicy notes. Thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the sample.

US rums have not exactly been the most sought after in the world, but it would appear Privateer is starting to change that perception. I haven't actually tried anything from them yet, but I have heard good things and a couple of people have mentioned them in the same sentence as Foursquare, which is high praise indeed. The barrel number that I have is P609, which has an ABV of 54.8%. On the nose I get vanilla and spice, along with some oak. It definitely smells like an older rum. A few sips and this has a nice mouthfeel to it. It's rich, but not overly sweet (it's more on the dry side), albeit not exactly complex. I pick up some dried fruit and chocolate to go along with the oak. The finish is a touch short, but not surprising since it's in the 2-5 year range. There is a bit of heat, but overall pretty smooth with the spices returning. For the price, it's hard to complain about this rum. It may not be the most complex rum out there, but I can definitely see the hype with the brand. I wouldn't say it's that close to Foursquare yet, but it's on the right path. I can even see this being a good choice for certain cocktails if you need a rum with some strength to it. If you don't feel like shelling out $80-100 on a Foursquare (sometimes even more than that nowadays), this isn't a bad alternative for half the price.

Flavor is nice, but a little more simple than I'd like. I get caramel and vanilla but not really any fruit.

Barrel #P598 109.8 proof 54.9% ABV Deep copper color. The nose is luxurious and complex with notes of vanilla, caramelized sugar, marzipan, molasses, incense, roasted chestnuts, and white grapes. The mouthfeel is heavy and warm, like a weighted blanket for your tongue. The palate is rich with vanilla, butterscotch, walnuts, hints of toasted coconut, ocean spray, and oak. The finish is medium-long with toasted cinnamon stick, brown sugar, freshly ground nutmeg, white pepper, with a touch of sea salt and oak tannins.