Continuing on with the Dominican Republic. Let’s talk about Doble Reserva. It’s another rum that is first aged in ex-bourbon barrels, then aged in ex-sherry casks.

Review

Smell

Vanilla and oak, but with a strong alcohol smell.

Taste

Taste of vanilla, oak, slightly sweet, but burns quite a bit. Not really long on the palate, and surprisingly disappointing. After leaving it out for a few hours to let it breathe, maybe it burns a bit less, but I am not sure that I could call this a sipper. Extra Viejo is just a bit more woody and floral, and just overall more interesting.

In a daiquiri, I at least like it more than Extra Viejo because it’s not as woody, but that’s where the upsides end. Havana Club 7 beats it in a daiquiri and neat, but probably not by a lot. Doble Reserva does have a nice body, and when I made a rum fashioned with it, it still didn’t beat Havana Club 7 in flavor, but the mouthfeel was nice.

Verdict 5.5/10

Extra Viejo wasn’t excellent, but it had a nice woody, floral taste. 1888 wasn’t excellent, but it had a nice woody, winey taste. This rum is like if you took either of those, but just muted the flavor. By all means, it’s not bad, and it’s priced on par with Extra Viejo, which feels about right. I’m just not sure that there’s anything particularly special about this rum.