Rhum Barbancourt 3 Star

Sits just on the wrong side of the cutline for a balanced spririt. At 4 years, the fresh cane distillate and tropical aging just barely haven't coalesced, and instead end up presenting rough rather than assertive, and unfortunately call to mind some of my more regrettable experiences in the rum pantheon. All that said, there is quality here, and lineage of the longer-aged bottlings is clear, it's just not the snapshot in time where I'd prefer to take my cut. Light gold with a thin body. The nose is mostly top notes without much heft, but is sweet - vanilla, cantaloupe, and ephemeral floral notes before the hogo appears and ethanol eventually forces you out. Attractive overall and in-line with the 8-year plus a few rough edges. The nose is a plus. Light mouthfeel and trends towards sweet syrup off the bat. Pretty narrow band of flavor - a few gentle notes of clementine peel, honeysuckle, pineapple rind - then things go harsh quickly with aspartame, minerality, and some fusel notes. Tangy sweet lingers for the finish. To be clear, the promise of what this rum can become shows throughout and this is a reasonable value, but I would unequivocally recommend shelling out the extra 25% to upgrade to the 8-year, or opt for any number of blends at the same price that offer the same assertiveness but delivered with a much more elegant hand. The same bottle with a minimum aging of 5-6 years might be just right.

Love this rum. If the 5 star is JW black label this is red. Still really good and sometimes suits the mood better than the more aged option.

Sharp and minerally.