Barbancourt 5 Star Reserve Especiale 8-Year

I heard about this Haitian rum in the forums, which uses sugarcane instead of molasses and thought I would give it a try. I picked it up on sale for $18.99 which is a good price. I found it to be surprisingly good for the price. Nice color, good notes and quite smooth. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a great rum at a great value.

I'm generally not a fan of agricoles. Others I've tried (and there have been several) have not appealed to me so I've not rated them. With that said, this is the best I've tasted and I like this one. It struck me as on the dry side but subtly sweet with a mild whisky-like flavor. Unfortunately, for my taste it's over-priced (around $30 US / 750 ml) where I can get it.

There's nothing wrong with this rum, it's well made and has a certain appeal. But there's nothing that jumps out and grabs you by the short and curlies and makes you go wow. The fruit is nicely balanced with the oak, and there is a nice kick from the alcohol which is warming and has good length. Normally I prefer to drink straight up at 40% but this at 43% is perfect.

UPDATE: Whenever I drink rum I let them breath in the glass for about 10 minutes. I did the same when I originally posted this rum and the initial results were such. However I had a feeling something was wrong with this batch as a whole, like the factory missed a mixing step. The smoke flavor was just way too high to be normal. I figured to get the smokey taste out would be just to stir it. So I poured the whole bottle in a pryex glass and put it on the stirrer and stirred for about 20 minutes. After having the whole room smell like a burning log I took it off the stirrer and tried it. MUCH better, the flavors are all there like they should be. Definitely can get the argicole taste now. And doesn't taste like a burning log anymore. Still not that good but enough to be enjoyable in a rum and coke.
I'm leaving the original review below \/
This is bad rum at all points. Opening the bottle it smells OK at best (kind of like a failed pusser's batch). Drinking it straight is okay for a millisecond (imagine a better tasting bacardi gold) and in comes a whoosh of harshness with so much smokey/tabacco flavor you mine as well suck the tail pipe of an 84' ford, there is only a faint hint of the grassy agricole part but that flushed out by the smokey too. In coke its much the same, it is less harsh but there is so much smoke flavor its not very good. It's not even a pleasant smoke like smoked jerky. It's more like the new guy left the space heater too close to the barrel and it caught them all on fire and they said "screw it we waited 8 years we are going to sell it anyway". Clement makes 100x better agricole. This could be good to marinate foods in for a smokey taste.

Beautiful colors. Smooth, with pleasant notes of oak and a soft scent of the cane sugar.

Note that this is comparable to a Martinique AOC Rhum at about half the price, and as such is going to have an unusual flavor due to its cane juice origin, as opposed to most rums which are made from molasses. The aging imparts a Cognac-like taste to it.

Klares Bernstein im Glas.
In der Nase exotisch und speziell. Rauch , Kräuter und Gewürze sind nebst dem stark getoastetem Holz sehr dominant. Früchte sind stark karamellisiert und kommen kaum zur Geltung.
Am Gaumen noch exotischer und spezieller. Eher ein Medizintrank als ein Rhum, Kräuter aus dem Arzneischrank sind auch auf dieser Ebene sehr dominant. Karamell, stark getoastetes Holz und Rauch sind auch auf der Zunge sehr präsent, die Früchte sind da, gehen aber auch hier unter.
Im Abgang immer noch exotisch und speziell. Die Früchte sind inexistent, das Karamell schnell weg, zurück bleibt etwas Holz und Rauch.
Ein sehr, wie soll ich sagen, spezieller Rhum. Wird als Agricole geführt, hat aber das Profil eines Melasse-Rums, mag vielleicht daran liegen das er aus Zuckerrohr-Honig (eingedickter Zuckerrohrsaft) destilliert wird. Auf jeden fall einen Versuch wert, für Einsteiger, Entdecker und Geniesser.
Für meine 8. Rumrunde.

Clear amber in the glass.
The nose is exotic and special. Smoke , herbs and spices are very dominant along with the heavily toasted wood. Fruits are strongly caramelized and hardly come to the fore.
Even more exotic and special on the palate. More of a medicinal potion than a rhum, herbs from the medicine cabinet are also very dominant at this level. Caramel, heavily toasted wood and smoke are also very present on the tongue, the fruit is there but goes down here as well.
Still exotic and special on the finish. The fruits are non-existent, the caramel quickly gone, what remains is some wood and smoke.
A very, how shall I say, special rhum. Is listed as Agricole, but has the profile of a molasses rum, may be because it is distilled from sugar cane honey (thickened sugar cane juice). Definitely worth a try, for beginners, explorers and connoisseurs.
For my 8th rum round.

i don't remember the name of the Agricole that i had years ago, but i hated it. maybe it was too young, maybe i was too young, but it didn't taste like rum to me. i tend more towards the Jamaica style, more aged sipping rums. Then i tried this one neat (at Smuggler's Cove in SF - great place...). i really enjoyed the contrast of this one vs molasses based styles - grassy on the nose, herby and grassy notes on the initial taste, with a full flavor lingering taste experience. its not delicate, by any means, but reminded me of a fragrant sauvignon blanc (but obviously higher proof). i'd go back and try the Martinique Argicoles now after this one - nice change of pace but also stands on its own as very enjoyable.

Older bottlings,this actually used to be a really good,smooth,rum.Post earthquake,the recipe appears to have changed.Current version is harsh,very smokey,with a strong alcohol burn.I've tried a few of the newer bottles and have been disappointed everytime.Luckily,I still have a few of the older bottlings.Doing a side by side comparison,they are two completely different rums.Avoid it...

If 4 years old was not drinkable even with coke, this you can take if nothing else is available.