Notes: Barbancourt is one of the original Caribbean rums that had an age statement and could be considered a widely available or known rum. Prior to this rum was a much ignored or not really thought of catagory  after prohibition where rum  had gotten a fair amount of traction due to its availability and proximity to the United States. Founded on March 18, 1862 by two brothers Dupré and Labeè Barbancourt in Haiti.  Based in the Cognac traditions and techniques such as double pot still distillation and oak aging, Barbancourt has always been known for quality and refinement in the rum industry. Made in the Rhum Agricole method of using fresh cut sugar cane and juicing the cane as soon as possible it distinguishes itself in many ways from the more common form of Rhum Industrial – rum made from molasses left over from sugar extraction and usually distilled in a column still ( a form of still that is closer to an oil refinery cracking tower than a pot still) .

Appearance: Clear, golden brown in color, similar to American Grade A Light maple syrup or a good grade of gold baltic amber. reflects it origins and extended barrel aging nicely !

First Impression: Sugar cane caramel, grassiness of sugar cane, whiffs of old oak, leather, warm spices, persimmons, citrus , bay leaves, Erinmore Flake tobacco.

Taste: Delicious honey like notes as enters the mouth with a medium thick , delightful body to it.Sweet spice and notes of cane grassiness with a slight but pleasant alkali tang with notes of grassiness from the cane, volcanic minerality and a touch o (mineral) lime. Lingering, long pleasant citrus finish and fade .Lovely stuff !

Drinks: While this rum is one of the few I would put in a serious tasting glass and sip on its own to give it the attention it deserves, Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve also makes some extremely subtle rum drinks ! It exhibits some very subtle nuances and is deadly smooth stuff. Worked for every classic rum drink we tried especially the non Tiki types ( I found it could, while not get lost in those drinks, its subtlety was a bit wasted on them- anything more than a few ingredients and it is a bit of a waste – especially among the rum naive ). Overall you could make almost any classic cocktail calling for an aged spirit and swap it in for a bit more sweetness and subtlety .

Bottle: Nicely redone bottle in this new ( to me anyway) edition with a more thoughtful and Lux approach compared to the older bottling. Label is extensively redone, bottle has added some nice curves to it, and the old screw cap closure has been replaced with a synthetic cork with a wood topper, overall giving the rum a more premium look and feel even before you open it!

Other: One of a series of rums in their portfolio. The French influence and sensibilities show through and show what is possible for rum.

Final Thoughts: One of  the rare instances where you can find a 15 year old spirit for around $60, rarer still is the value for the money !

Website: www.barbancourt.com

A well done website with easy navigation if a bit light on details and photos compared to some other rum webpages. Certainly covers the company history and their portfolio adequately.