Kirk and Sweeney 23-Year

I paid $32 for a bottle and would have happily paid $100 and not been disappointed. From the nose to the finish it is nothing less than fantastic, lots of dried fruits, vanilla, carmel, chocolate and Mascarpone and lightly sweet to the exact perfect amount. The mouth is pure silk and goes down the throat just as well. I am a rum snob no qualms about it but dollar for dollar i have spent this is well worth every penny of it. Much better than the 12 year and I can't wait to try the 18.

The aroma was even better than the flavour....ok nearly. Silky smooth with banana, vanilla and butterscotch. A saver for special moments.

I absolutely love this rum, it is a fantastic sip and truly a delicious after dinner sipper, my favorite rum I've tried so far!

Just as flavorful as the 12 year but not as sweet. Good sipper for a reasonable price.

Honestly I was expecting more. Don't get me wrong, this is a very enjoyable rum, but it's no where as complex as I thought it would be. And that's ok. Personally, I'll stay with my El Dorado 15 year.

Really consistant from colour to taste. Ideal after food as digestive. This is a rum version of vanilla sugar.

Nice color and very smooth. However, the smoothness comes at the expense of lack of flavor, in my opinion. Spice and vanilla are present. All other flavors are a bit like a light touch on the neck. You keep turning around to see if you can catch a glimpse but it's gone before you can see. Too light, too simple. If you like super smooth rums and are not into strong flavor profiles, you may like this better than me.

This is as smooth a rum as you would care to drink. I only gave it a 9 because it was just a tiny bit sweet and the vanilla is too overpowering for my taste. You will note the intense smell of vanilla immediately at first cork removal. That first sip also overwhelms with vanilla but the fine aftertaste has a good caramel and nutty tone, with just a hint of aging oak. It finishes with a sweetness that is a little much for me but for those who "like 'em" sweet. This could be your new favorite. Color is a beautiful clear dark amber and had they calmed down the vanilla and sweet....would easily have made my new favorite.

Some rums have too many notes, this one amazingly has too few notes. We tasted it against Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, Ron del Barrilito, and Cententario 25... Kirk and Sweeney is like water compared to the richness of Dip. and Cen.

So I bought this one based on the reviews here, and perhaps I made a poor choice. This rum on the nose and palate has a strong vanilla extract note, which I don't like much. That being said, if you like sweet vanilla, perhaps this rum is your jam!

On the nose: vanilla extract, raisin, candied orange. The palate is honey, vanilla, brown sugar, maple syrup, and toffee. The finish is short-medium and is a light pepper and pecan.

I won't be trying K&S in the future, but it is still an okay spirit that is drinkable. I think there is a little sugar added. This spirit qualifies as a "vanilla bomb" (if there is such a thing).