This 13-year-old rum is among the first wave of Barrell Craft Spirits (BCS) releases alongside an exquisite 15-year-old bourbon and complex 25-year-old American whiskey. Barrell Craft Spirits is a new upscale line from the folks behind the popular Barrell Bourbon. If you follow this blog, you already know how big a fan I am. Don’t believe me – just search my site for Barrell.
Rums from Barbados, Jamaica, and Guyana that were at least 13 years old were blended together at cask strength, which in this case is 124.2 proof. The company’s first rum, released in 2016, was pretty damn tasty.
On the nose, BCS rum features notes of buttery toffee, ripe plantain, and a slight herbal quality. There’s also a bit of tea and cognac in the background. The palate offers hints of molasses, oak spice, coconut shavings, and vibrant lime zest. Those spices ramp up heading into the long finish, which is as warm as a Kentucky hug. I preferred the rum with a touch of water, which brought about a bit more sweetness.
The barrels that make up this blend were almost released as single barrels. I’m glad they weren’t. As good as those barrels may have been, blending them together is probably the better decision. I base that statement on the quality and drinkability of past spirit releases from Barrell. I’ve tasted a couple of their single barrel bourbons, and while they were tasty, they didn’t hold a candle to every other Barrell release, which was a blend. In other words, Barrell’s strength lies in their blending ability. With that, BCS rum is a delicious, hearty, and complex release. Captain Morgan this is not. 8.5/10
Thanks to Barrell Craft Spirits for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Adventures In Whiskey 