Appearance- Darker brown with many thin, quicker running legs Nose- brown sugar, coconut, oak, green banana, rancio Palate- Coca- Cola, molasses, juicy fruit gum, ripened pineapple, banana pudding, oaky, musty barrel and leather book. Like all Diplamatico that I have had, this is a sweet sipper. It is lush and coating. Finish- Finish is medium and a touch spicier than the regular reserva. I think the bourbon barrel comes through on the finish. Some detect bitterness there where I get peppery spices. Overall- I love this, and for the price if it was the only rum I had to drink for life, I would be more than happy to. It is a cornucopia of sweet fruit flavors with just a touch of "estheriness" to give you that musty "rummy" flavor. All that said, I like my rum on the sweeter side- thicker, richer, sweet, and reminding me of a Carribean vacation. I also love to pair my rum with an earthier cigar. For this rating I was smoking a CAO Italia which has a lot of expresso and darker, bitter chocolate notes. This complimented those notes and elevated the experience. The question is- Is it that much better ($10) than the regular reserva? To me the difference wasn't vast, but I did detect this to be more rich, perhaps chewier, and impart a bit more spice. Either way, these rum makers know what they are doing, and at the price if either it us a squeal of a deal.