Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Year

We’ll balanced, a good whiskey- like rhum.

Rating: 14/23 N: Burnt sugar, lemon, some ethanol. Faint vegetal notes bring in a little bit of funk. The funk makes me think of Pusser's, but just a tad. P: Sweet vanilla and caramel, tannic wood, lemon, some herbs getting a bit dank with the Pusser's funk. White pepper too. A little bit of harshness. A smoky bitter layer. There's a bit of oiliness in with the smoke too. F: Wood with tannins and funky vegetal esters. That smokiness gradually grows and it maintains its light oiliness. - Conclusion - This is no Foursquare Détente, but it is quite good. I also find the tannins here to be just a bit too strong, particularly when combined with that oily backing. I'm looking at a 13 to 15 here, though a 13 seems likely too harsh. I like the complexity, but the tannins integrate with the smoke and lemon in a way that just puts me off. This lacks that nice sandalwood vanilla of Frigate Reserve 15 (15/23) and it comes across as thinner and more aggressive - though also less sweetened. Panama Pacific 15 (15/23) also has some of that mellowness that makes Frigate Reserve 15 so nice. At the same time, it has a bit more complexity, but it starts getting into some of what I find a bit off here. I might also have overrated the Panama Pacific. A 15 is seeming unlikely here. Plantation Xaymaca (14/23) seems kind of competitive with this. And Pusser's Gunpowder Proof (15/23) is definitely better than this is. I think a 14 is the appropriate rating here. It's weird that throught this tasting I went back and forth between really liking the funk and finding that it made this rum taste young and a tad harsh. I bet a lot of people really like this, but it isn't for me. As a final check to make sure my palate wasn't being thrown off by way over-sweetened rums, I tried this against Elijah Craig Small Batch and found that this is actually really not that sweet and my palate was well calibrated. Thanks for sharing this, @ctbeck11 !

Nose - molasses, butterscotch, hay, nutmeg, mint, dark chocolate, sweet dough, cashew butter, dusty corn, baked apple, floral notes, toasted coconut, banana, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - baked apple, orange zest, mint, walnut, dark chocolate, molasses, toffee, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, coffee, sweet floral notes, banana milkshake, black pepper, creamed corn, cherry, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with molasses, dark chocolate, baking spice, and toffee flavors. The nose is deep and rich carrying some really nice dark aromas. Molasses, chocolate, toasted coconut, and macerated bananas can be found. The palate is similar, with a sweet corn quality accompanying the other desert-like flavors. The finish isn’t amazing, but it’s long enough and doesn’t turn sour or bitter as the other examples of the category I’ve tried have. This is the last of my rhum agricoles, and it’s definitely better than the others I’ve had. The corn qualities are actually quite surprising, given there is no corn component included. Actually, it smells closer to an aged corn whiskey than a rum, rather similar to an Ironroot Republic distillate. When I first opened this bottle a year ago, I remember thinking this was below average. That’s not the case anymore. I’m not sure whether my palate has changed or oxidation has made a significant difference. Regardless, this is quality rum that I’ll happily sip.

Caramel, pineapple, and sugarcane aroma. Flavors are mild: pineapple and baking spice, finishing with vanilla creme and caramel. Initial taste had a Jamaican-style reminder but after a couple of sips it's gone. Ratings are based on neat sipping.