I decided to do this rum as a follow-up to Doorly’s 14 Year, as it has a lot in common with that rum.

Review

Smell

Intense wood and vanilla. Not much difference in smell between this and the Doorly’s 14.

Taste

Incredibly flavorful. Strong wood, vanilla, and just intense rum taste. Very full-bodied, and also melts on my mouth, except at 60%, I can’t feel my tongue for a bit afterwards. Like Doorly’s 14, it has that same Barbados taste that I get from The Real McCoy. Maybe it also has a hint of some spice

Verdict 8/10

I have very similar opinions about this rum as I do Doorly’s 14 Year. Exceptionally rich body, exceptional complexity, and very little flavor other than the barrel. Does bumping up the ABV to 60% improve it? In some ways, maybe a bit. In other ways, it becomes too harsh to sip except in very small sips. It’s a very interesting rum, and I do genuinely find it very enjoyable. It’s just that, again, I wish it was higher ester and more fermentation-driven. It’s so close to perfect in every other way.

The price, though. Ouch. If you like Barbados rums, I might just stick to Doorly’s 14 Year.