Barnacles Gran Reserva 12-Year

I first saw this rum in Beaumont Texas about 4 years ago. With it's fancy label and being rated 96 Points by a beverage tasting institute that I had never heard of, it screamed "gimmick rum" to me. So I left it there.

Knowing that this rum was available at a liquor store in Florida where I spent this past weekend, I checked the reviews on this site first. Several reviews are from those whose opinions I trust. That was my green light to spend the $37 for a bottle.

I got it home, and the fine print mentioned that it was distilled from cane juice and not molasses. After letting it breathe for at least 12 minutes, I gave it a sip and was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of another rum made from cane juice that cannot be called an agricole, which is the 16 year rum of Cana Fuerte from Nicaragua.

This one is in a class by itself, being bone dry and made from cane juice. It also qualifies as a good buy, but not worth making another trip back to Florida to get another bottle. My bottle was also the last one on that shelf.

Recommend at the liquor store, surprised I never heard of it or tried it with over 400 ratings.Mellow on the nose, first sip smooth and sweet, slight alcohol burn but very mild. Typical Dominican flavor nice above average but not 8-10 great. But at $35 bottle 12 year old aged in charred oak it’s a very clean above average rum. Slight taste oak, slightly fruity & floral scent, smooth sipper but no lasting depth. Nice bottling and old world looking labeling.

Many thanks to Joola69 for sharing a bottle as part of a rare rum tasting.

A bit sweet, which smells and tastes of molasses, oak, nuts, and a hint of butterscotch. Very nice!

A rum from the Dominican Republic with lots of personality.
Gives off a sweet candied aroma with a slight tickle to the nose
Smooth entry with a slight bite gives way to flavors of chocolate & banana
Continue sipping and start getting some interesting butterscotch and slight orange flavors definitely unexpected for rum but a welcome surprise.
Nice medium bodied feel smooth finish the perfect easy sipper for those who like sweet but dry rums and at an average price of 35.00 it's an easy buy
For anyone who loves rum and wants to add a unique addition to their collection.

Avast! This rum be fairly new to the market, so don't hurt yourself lookin' for a multitude of opinions. As 12 year-old rums go this one definitely be aged. On the nose, she be sweet with hints of oak and vanilla, somewhat fruity, a little flowery, with barely a hint of roasty-toasty. As taste goes, she be not as sweet, but definitely not dry. The oak and vanilla come on board, but not as much. There be a brief caramel type of flavor before what little sweetness there be turns into an unexpected raisin flavor. Raisin! The finish be warm and nutty, like a crew of roasted salty nuts in your face. Not expected, not offensive, but definitely better than the raisin flavor. She be smooth with very little burn goin' down the hatch. Might this be a sippin' rum? Landlubbers who imbibe on cognac might appreciate the flavor, but not this captain. Still, she be a decent rum. Definitely worth a "shot".

Tasted at Laka Lono on 5/28/23. Dark gold/amber. Muted aroma of mild burned sugar and toasted caramels. Flavor is a really nice earthy toffee and Demerara-like rich sweetness. This is the most Guyana-like rum from DR that I’ve had.

Tasted Memorial Day Sunday, May 28 2023 at Laka Lono aka Waka Wono 🌴
Aroma: bandaids, smoke and must
Color: dark amber
Flavor: it tastes like caramelized fish tank water, in a good way.
As this sits, it gets sweeter and the caramel taste becomes more pronounced
This will be a revelation in a tiki beverage - and I think it will be quite nice in a rum Rickey although I might add lemons to the lime juice

Tastes like an admiral rodney but with woody notes like if ron abuelo aged a st.lucia rum