Cayman Reef 5-Year

I have ignored this rum for a very long time thinking that it was all a gimmick. Well today, it stared at me on the shelf like a puppy waiting to be adopted from the shelter. It was as if it was saying, "Please take me home! You know you can afford my $17 price tag!". Being that it has no added sugar as per Barbados law and is a dark 5 year rum at a budget price, I brought this puppy home and am so glad that I did.

What a pleasant surprise! It is natural sweetness with no charred oak taste. It is cheap enough to drink too much without feeling guilty. With no added sugar, this also means no penalties for the next day. I can add this one to my best buy recommendations. In a side by side taste test with other aged budget rums, this one beat out Cockspur 5 Star, Don Q Anejo, and Flor de Cana 5 Year Classico Anejo. I like all four of them, but Cayman Reef is the darkest and best tasting one.

Upon further research, I could find absolutely nothing to prove that it is a 100 percent product of Barbados. I have reason to believe that kegs of Bajan rum were shipped elsewhere to the Caribbean and then bottled with a few additives that are not allowed in Barbados. The shape of the bottle is amazingly similar to El Dorado 8. Maybe these were bottled in Guyana. I seriously doubt that they were bottled in Grand Cayman because there is no way that this low price could come from that very expensive island. The website for Grand Cayman rums also does not show these rums called Cayman Reef. Normally, deceptive origins on rums would cause me to lower my rating by a point. However, this one is so damn good and cheap that I won't do that for this one.

Update March 26, 2019: This bottle was opened up about two months ago with only about two ounces missing. So I tried this "old friend" again on this gorgeous day, and my impression was, "What in hell is this shit?". Since it is considered to be a dry rum, I figured that the flavors would never change. Boy was I wrong! Artificial flavoring is probably to blame for rearing it's ugly head on this one. I lowered my rating from a 7 to a 6 and would think twice about buying this one again. If you do buy a bottle, use it up in one month or less because it is not completely dry.

Arômes de caramel et sucre. Peu raffiné. Un peu sur l’alcool. Bon en drink.

I was disappointed by this one. The flavor was harsh and not at all like the other Barbados rums I'm used too. Alcohol burn was not a pleasant one. Just ok

Not bad for the price if you get it for $25. Otherwise stay clear, there are much better rums out there to try. Ok for mixing, not really smooth enough to drink on ice.

This one was one of my experiments but sadly did not quite make it into the pack in my estimation. I'm no connoisseur,but I do drink a fair amount of aged rum. OK but there are many better choices at this price point

This rum has a rich golden colour accompanied by a thin alcohol smell with hints of sweetness and spice (not sure what). Sipping straight was smoother than anticipated and its throat-burn was clean (not harsh). Makes a great Rum and Cola, although it is rather thin and dry (oaky)... without complexity.

This is a pretty decent rum for a 5 year. Especially for the low price that it is set at. It is rather decent with an ice cube. It also makes a rather good mixing rum. However, for close to the same price you can grab the Spiced Rum from Cayman Reef, which in my opinion is better.

Good rum, and pleasantly good quality. Run of the mill aged rum.

At $20 (ABC Liquors in Florida), it's one of the best rums I've enjoyed at the price. It's a sweeter rum, with an oak flavor component backed by a fairly strong vanilla and caramel flavor. I tried mixing it with Diet Coke, Jupina (pineapple soda), and ginger ale and it was quite nice with all of them. I wouldn't consider this a sipping rum but it's a solid choice for mixing.

Un gout de chêne et de mure. excellent rhum avec le coke. il est très surprenant pour le prix. C est déja ma deuxième bouteille.